Carroll Councilman for Ward 3, Clay Haley, has served two terms, but when it came to making a decision on whether or not he would run for a third, he had to give that a good deal of thought.
Haley is moving forward with a campaign, saying there is one stand-out attribute he would bring back to the council table.
Haley was pleased to hear that there are three other candidates.
Haley knows these other candidates and counts at least one as a friend. They are good people, he says, he would just prefer there was no influence from Political Action Committees (PACs). Haley addresses some of the topics the other candidates have identified as concerns; one being the recent tax increases. He says there are a few primary components going into the calculations—property valuation and the city’s tax levy are two. The valuations, he says, are out of the city’s control. The state has mandated equalization orders that evaluate and increase as necessary ever two years. The rest is up to counties.
He also talks about two of the biggest issues facing Carroll—workforce and workforce housing.
Haley would like to see through expansion of the urban revitalization area to cover the entire community, offering abatements to encourage building and renovation. He says the work with RDG Planning and Design and the Retail Coach in partnership with the Chamber is already resulting in business expansion and new stores. He also addresses the Recreation Center and the failed referendum vote.
He is proud to have been involved in the City Hall and library projects and in bringing those in under budget and he points to the rental housing code as an important initiative for the city. “This is putting Carroll first by protecting the people who live here,” he says. The city has worked through a long list of building renovations since 2003 and the street maintenance facility is the culmination of that. Haley says it is designed to last for decades to come. Once that project is completed, the focus will turn to street maintenance and rehabilitation in a structured, long-term plan.
