City of Mountain View - Candidates for Mayor

John Krasuski, incumbent and appearing on the ballot

 

1. What is your background, and how can your background help you govern the City of Mountain View?

I have many years’ experience on corporate, small business, and city boards, running businesses successfully and being mayor of Mtn View for 2 years. With the help of many dedicated city employees have been able to maintain a well-functioning city and city services despite numerous obstacles and misleading information distributed during the second half of my term. 

 

2. What do you believe should be the duties of the mayor in Mountain View?

To take care of the day-to-day business, represent the city in a positive manner, maintain a good working relationship with employees and keep Mtn View progressing forward.

 

3. What do you think is the number one problem the City of Mountain View is facing?

Number one and main problem has been outside interference from disgruntled former employees and certain board members causing disruption of day-to-day activity, through distributing falsified and misleading information causing unproductive chaos.

 

4. How do you see yourself functioning as the leader of this particular administration?

Do the best I can with whoever the voters decide to put on the board. Hopefully a board willing to move forward in a positive direction in reality… not on Facebook in cyberspace.  I’d rather conduct business face to face with citizens stopping by City Hall and finding information out firsthand versus believing what is put out on the internet. 

 

5. Do you think Mountain View needs a city administrator? Why or why not?

Another one? I wouldn’t want to lose our present acting administrator. He is doing a great job and should (board willing), be given the title and a raise if that would make everybody feel better… The city employees do not need micro-managing as in the recent past. We have experienced employees that know what they are doing of which we can’t afford to lose. The residents and business owners deserve the best we can deliver.

 

6. What do you think about the city’s spending/budget in 2023? What could they improve?

The 2023 budget was only a good guess to begin with considering the previous administration’s books were in such a disarray we had to spend unexpected unbudgeted funds to hire outside help to get the books back in order. Not to mention had to backtrack and have audits done for two years.

How could it improve?

The budget is always a work in progress, it depends on the economy, grant qualification /availability and most of all cooperation of the next board of alderman willing to put the city first rather than egos personal agendas…

 

7. Controversy is a common feature of city council meetings. What is your plan to move the city forward in an orderly manner?

It’s all up to the voters to select members who do not promote continued DRAMA and controversy.

 

 

 

Charry McCann, write-in challenger

 

1. What is your background, and how can your background help you govern the City of Mountain View?

I am a native of Mountain View.  Upon retirement, I moved back home to the same house where I was raised, at the corner of Ash and Seventh Street.  Most of my adult life I have lived in the St. Louis area, except for eight years in the State of New Mexico. My professional experience has been as an executive secretary - liaison between County Manager, Board of County Commissioners, department heads, legal counsel and elected officials.  I have been an administrator of indigent hospital claims, a school district’s secretary to Superintendent of Finance and Buildings, and a Director of Marketing and Client Services for an insurance consulting firm which specialized in group employee benefits.  I have experience in tax preparation, small business accounting and revenue cycle management. I have previously served on a city Planning & Zoning Commission, and currently do so for the City of Mountain View.

Due to my background, I am detailed oriented, have strong analytical, problem-solving skills, am able to prioritize work and manage multiple projects.  

 

2. What do you believe should be the duties of the mayor in Mountain View?

Should be the official ceremonial representative of the citizens of the City of Mountain View; preside over meetings of the City Council/Board of Aldermen; set agendas and make recommendations to the Board; act as official signatory on all documents and contracts to implement policies and actions approved by City Council; oversee, not micro manage. 

 

3. What do you think is the number one problem the City of Mountain View is facing?

Lack of transparency and public mistrust of the administration which inflates the issues of the budget, pool and sewer projects, street conditions and blighted properties, as well as, airport utilization.

 

4. How do you see yourself functioning as the leader of this particular administration?

To provide information to the public.  I want to encourage community spirit and pride in our city.  I have the ability to work with the public and believe my experiences and training will prove to be good leadership. 

 

5. Do you think Mountain View needs a city administrator?  Why or why not?

Yes.  Currently, we have a Mayor-Council form of government which is the voters, mayor and aldermen.  In a Council-Manager form of government we would have voters, mayor, aldermen and manager.  The mayor should be the liaison between the voters/elected officials and the manager/employees. This form of government would guarantee against possible stalemate such as we are now experiencing.  However, a thorough hiring process will be necessary, take some time and be subject to the budget.

 

6. What do you think about the city’s spending/budget in 2023?  What could they improve?

Spending can always be controlled.  A line-item review most always will find revenues left over from previous years that can be utilized where needed when working on a current year’s budget. Open meeting budget workshops of each department with full disclosure of all revenues and expenditures will result in improvement.

 

7. Controversy is a common feature of city council meetings.  What is your plan to move the city forward in an orderly manner.

Preside in a professional manner and foster an atmosphere that at the end of the day, allows for setting aside differences and work together for the greater good of our city.