A Republican challenger for Pottsville City Council in November’s General Election outlined his plans for addressing the homeless situation in the city during a Town Hall event Monday evening.
Scott Price, who is running for one of the two seats on City Council this election cycle, hosted about 25 people Monday at Fratello’s Bistro on Nichols St. in Pottsville.
During the 90-minute event, Price also spoke about his plan for improving government efficiency, the City’s failed application for a City Revitalization and Improvement Zone (CRIZ) designation, his relationship with the other GOP candidates on the ballot, and his recent interactions with Pottsville government officials.
Addressing Pottsville’s Homeless Situation
Homelessness in Pottsville seems to be a growing area of concern.
Price said Monday that his plan is to help those who want help by offering them jobs with the City government, namely the seasonal help that Pottsville budgets for annually. His goal is to eventually connect with private employers and get those who accept City jobs into permanent jobs and dependable housing.
“I believe we can help them go from homeless to tax-paying citizens,” Price said.
Price’s plan, he said, aligns with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. That’s a psychological theory that explains how people must meet basic needs like food and shelter before they can focus on more complex goals, such as employment or personal growth.
He said his first step is to create a city task force of medical professionals, substance abuse counselors and representatives from local shelters.
Then, Price said he’d want to match homeless individuals with seasonal jobs through the City government, saying that the money is already budgeted so it wouldn’t technically cost the taxpayers anything additional to do so.
After that, Price said he’d want to work with private employers who can offer positions to individuals who successfully complete their work with the City and then eventually transition to permanent jobs and placement in private housing.
“It’s a dignified response,” Price said. “We’re giving them the opportunity to better themselves.”
He did admit that this plan would only work for those homeless individuals who wanted to be helped and that it may only help one person at a time. Price also said there are no quick fixes for Pottsville’s issues, including homelessness.
“The city is not going to turn around on short-term policies,” Price said.
To address the situation with those who don’t want help, he said he wants to “maneuver” police routes to target areas where the homeless are often finding themselves on the wrong side of the law.
“The first step toward stopping those individuals is prevention,” he said.
Reactionary Government
During the Town Hall, Price also criticized the current City administration for being reactionary instead of proactive. He said this is costing taxpayers more in the long run.
He said City officials have gotten too complacent in their roles.
Price proposed a plan where every City board and authority would be required to update Council members monthly during public meetings.
He also said he’d want a councilman or councilwoman to be a representative for specific wards in the City so residents of those areas have a single person to address with their concerns.
Failed Application for CRIZ
Price also accused City officials for their misplaced priorities when it came to applying for the CRIZ designation in Pottsville. He said that potentially cost Pottsville about $45 million in renewal money over the next 30 years.
On Monday, he said the City has not been transparent about why it was denied and what was happening inside City Hall prior to the application being submitted to the state.
Price promised to have Pottsville ready for when the state’s window for CRIZ applications reopens.
Division Among Party Candidates
Price also spoke about the division between he and the other Republican candidates who will also appear on Pottsville ballots in November: Tom Smith for Mayor and Jon Marsh for the other Council seat.
He said there were “a lot of creative differences” between he and his fellow Republicans which led him to be running a campaign on his own. But he did encourage those in attendance to vote for Smith and Marsh.
Why He’s Running
Price said he decided to run for City Council after his interactions with City officials late last year and earlier this year.
He was one of two people who were called out for unpaid trash bills after speaking out at a City Council meeting.
“It was apparent they didn’t like being questioned,” he told the people at his Town Hall. “There’s people that call themselves leaders that treat their citizens that way. I could never imagine speaking to somebody like that.”
Price hit out at some of the Democrats running for election in November by adding, “There are people that are running in November that sat up there and allowed it to happen.”
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