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St. John Voters Hear Candidates' Views

Oct. 28, 2008 — Issues near and dear to St. John's collective heart — property taxes, municipal government, development and a new school — were on the agenda when the St. John Community Council sponsored a candidates' night Tuesday at the Westin Resort and Villas.
"The people of St. John are concerned people," moderator Paul Devine told them as he started the evening.
He called on those who are elected to pass laws that will provide needed services for St. John, saying many of the island's issues were not addressed by previous legislatures.
"We need you to provide hope for St. John," Devine said.
Except for former Sen. Craig Barshinger, Stedmann Hodge Jr. and Moses Carty — who put in a very brief appearance before dashing off — the rest of the candidates said they opposed municipal government, were ambivalent or gave vague answers.
"We're ready for it," Barshinger said, preferring to call the concept local government.
He suggested that the St. John take "baby steps" in moving forward by starting with rezoning and dealing with the island's roads. He got a lot of applause from many of the 60 people who attended the candidates' night when he said that if St. John had municipal government, Deputy Public Works Commissioner Ira Wade would have the roads in fine condition.
Hodge called for municipal government as long as districts were created.
As for development, candidates were asked whether they would favor removing rezoning decisions from the Legislature's control. Instead, the decision would be made by a zoning board.
"We need to take zoning out of the Legislature," Sen. Patrick Simeon Sprauve said. "It's not politics anymore. People are really hurting here."
The question was asked because the Legislature voted to allow a zoning variance that essentially allowed the controversial Sirenusa development in Cruz Bay to increase density. Residents very vocally opposed the bill, but when Gov. John deJongh Jr. vetoed it, the Senate passed an override. All the senators in the current legislature except for Sen. Louis P. Hill and Sprauve voted yes on the rezoning. Sprauve, who was appointed in September to fill a seat vacated by former Sen. Basil Ottley, was not yet in office.
Hill did not attend the candidates' night.
Few concrete plans were offered to deal with St. John's property-tax woes, but candidate Dwane Callwood suggested that property-tax bills be tied to the rate of inflation until the property is sold.
Tregenza Roach called for a comprehensive approach that included a look at what the V.I. National Park pays the local government in lieu of paying property taxes.
The next legislature can revisit the property-tax issue, which has many residents fearing they will have to sell their homes because they can't afford the taxes, said Sen. Shawn-Michael Malone. The problem stems from the U.S. District Court-ordered revaluation process that occurred during the height of the island's now deflated real-estate boom. On St. John, most homes that sold were luxury vacation villas with high price tags. This drove up the average market value for all St. John homes, including more modest properties owned by the island's middle class.
"They sent people not qualified to assess these properties," said candidate Helen Berry Baker.
On the issue of a combined elementary and high school for St. John, only a few of the candidates said they knew much about the complicated land swap now being negotiated by the Nature Conservancy. In the deal, park land on St. John will be swapped for land purchased by the local government from the Armstrong family on St. Croix. Some of that land will be turned over to the federal government for a national park honoring Alexander Hamilton, who grew up on St. Croix. The rest will be used for farming.
"The park should give up the land," candidate Samuel Harvey suggested, preferring an outright gift instead of a swap.
The St. John Capital Improvement Fund, a sore spot for many St. John residents because senators occasionally tap it for purposes other than St. John needs, was also on the agenda. Community Foundation member Alecia M. Wells asked whether the candidates, if elected, would propose a bill or an amendment that allows adding to the $1.5 million already appropriated every year.
"Tomorrow I'll put in an amendment," Sen. Carlton Dowe promised, not willing to wait to see if he gets reelected.
Also attending the forum were Sen. Carmen Wesselhoft, Dolores Clendinen, Lynn Joseph Porter and Krim Ballentine.
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