SPENDING
We reversed more than a decade of spending that outpaced revenue by cutting spending, reorganizing City departments, and becoming more efficient. The 2007 budget increased operational expenses just .8 percent while committing well over $700,000 to the $3 million deficit we inherited. We're on course to eliminate the deficit and build a 10 percent surplus.

Elmira City Hall, corner of Church and Lake streets.

FISCAL INTEGRITY
In 2007, we passed the budget in January -- the earliest passage in at least a decade. We've changed accounting practices to get monthly reports on revenues and expenses, and we've moved up our annual audits, ending the long-standing practice of having audit results come after the budget process.

TRANSPARENCY
I've worked hard to make Elmira City government more transparent and accountable by emphasizing communication because I believe the mayor's first job is to communicate. It's what I do for a living, and I recognize how important it is to keep citizens abreast of all their City does. Since taking office, I've held regular press conferences, issued more than 40 press releases, and hosted public meetings on issues ranging from the sale of the Mark Twain Golf Course to speeding trains. By listening, fostering bipartisan solutions, and being open and honest with all Elmirans, I believe we're all better off.

REGIONALIZATION
We share purchasing, highway equipment, youth court services, sewer maintenance, youth bureau services, and much more with Chemung County and our municipal neighbors. We have pushed for regionalized police, fire, code enforcement, assessment, and tax-collection services, too, to save money and improve services for City residents and beyond.

CITY FACILITIES
When the former Armory Building partially collapsed after years of neglect, we immediately made plans to house our police and information technology staff and equipment. We worked hard to recover $475,000 in insurance money, which we used to purchase the City Hall annex on Lake Street. We examined all City buildings, put the unused former Post Office up for sale, restored money to ongoing maintenance, and began a City Hall space study that will solve long-standing space issues.

DELINQUENT PROPERTIES
We defended law-abiding property owners by going after those who aren't, suing owners of burned-out houses to speed their reconstruction or demolition, and recover the costs of demolitions. I don't believe responsible property owners should be at the mercy of bad ones -- or pay for their irresponsible behavior.

ECONOMIC GROWTH
We worked to offset residential property taxes by working with regional partners to attract new businesses to Elmira. New retailers, including Walgreen's and Family Video, will open in 2007, while American Customer Care brought more than 100 new jobs to the former Iszards Building. Other development is pending on Miller Street, East Church Street, and in Downtown. A new agreement with Southern Tier Economic Growth (STEG) consolidates our business recruitment under one roof, and has helped Elmira Downtown Development refocus its efforts on serving downtown merchants.

DOWNTOWN ELMIRA
We worked closely with our state representatives to secure one of the first RestoreNY grants ever awarded. The $403,000 grant will help offset the $1 million cost of renovating the former Riverside Florist Building on Water Street. That major investment comes without any cost to Elmira taxpayers, and has helped spur other development in Downtown. Hundreds of thousands of dollars in New York State Main Street grants are helping business owners, including Rounding Third and New York Sport & Fitness. We believe in putting our money where our mouth is to get downtown moving again.

SPEEDING DEVELOPMENT
In order to make Elmira more attractive for developers, I appointed an independent task force on development in early 2006 to examine City practices and ordinances. After a year of study by the task force and City officials, we brought forth wide-ranging revisions to the City's Code of Ordinances that will make it easier for businesses to start up or grow in Elmira. New information packets, streamlined building permit processes, and a continued focus on preserving neighborhoods has helped speed development.

PUBLIC SAFETY
In response to a string of shootings, we formed Operation Halt, an effort to put the public back in public safety. The anonymous tip line -- 271-HALT -- and its companion Web site -- www.271halt.com -- have generated hundreds of tips that have led to arrests. Private money has poured in from generous business owners, who've paid for billboards and other advertising for the program. In addition, a new Friends of the Elmira Police formed to raise money for Operation Halt and other community policing efforts.

BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS
Before running for mayor in 2005, I'd never run for public office before. I'm not a professional politician, but I am a committed public servant, and I have always encouraged others to get involved. I believe that American democracy is designed for citizens -- bankers, merchants, farmers, soccer moms -- to step from their lives into government, armed only with their unique talents and ideas. It's in this way that governments get smarter, and it's why I appointed so many talented people -- men and women of varying ages, races, creeds and political affiliations without prior government experience -- to boards, commissions, and other important groups. I treat all these positions like jobs, not political appointments. That's why I advertise for talented citizens to fill these posts and apply no litmus tests to disqualify them.

ROADS
We accelerated road repairs by shifting capital dollars from a few full-road reconstruction projects to many grinding and resurfacing projects. These repairs and pavings were split evenly through the City, allowing us to improve more City blocks at once. We also helped prevent deterioration of roads by hiking the fees for cutting into them. The newer the road, the costlier it is to cut, and that's the point. By getting everyone to work together and avoiding cuts, we avoid road cracks before they turn into pot holes.

CHALLENGING THE RAILROAD
When Norfolk Southern announced it was raising the speed of trains running through downtown Elmira from 30 to 50 m.p.h. in 2006, I joined with Sen. Charles Schumer to challenge the railroad's unilateral plan. Federal law gives cities little say in railroad operations, but I challenged Norfolk Southern to be a good neighbor, and we held a public meeting to encourage citizen feedback. Though the railroad refused to back down on the speed, we did demand they invest in the appearance of the viaducts, which have deteriorated badly over time. The result is a $375,000 investment by Norfolk Southern this year.

SPEAKING UP FOR ELMIRA
When two men attacked a gay man on the City's Westside last fall, police charged the men under hate-crime laws. The incident shocked the community, and I quickly set up a "Speak Up for Elmira" rally at Eldridge Park, which drew more than 200 people. It was a quick, positive response that encouraged people to stand up for their City and not let it be defined by such a crime.

TECHNOLOGY
We outfitted the City's traffic officers with new electronic devices that allow them to more efficiently issue and track tickets and the paperwork that goes along with them. Far less paper will need to flow from the Traffic Bureau to the courts, saving staff time and resources. And for the first time, those needing to pay fines can use a credit card. We're working on adding credit card payment capability for other City services, too. We've also upgrades City IT systems so they're better protected in case of a disaster. The City remains a leader in e-government, providing an array of information to citizens online, including meeting agendas, minutes, the annual budget, press releases, and an array of forms.

TRAFFIC CALMING
A new multimillion-dollar project just north of Downtown Elmira will reshape North Main Street from Fifth Street to Washington Avenue. Thanks to federal and state money, and local match by Elmira College, traffic will move through that pedestrian-rich area much more safely. Part of the project design includes traffic-calming for the intersection of Third Street and Main, and aesthetic improvements that will better link Downtown to the College District. As proposed, the improvements will not cost local taxpayers a dime.

PRESERVING BASEBALL
When the owners of the professional Pioneers baseball team decided not to field a team in Elmira in 2006 -- spelling an end to the long history of baseball here -- I quickly worked with Pioneers General Manager Tom Sullivan to secure a Collegiate League franchise. The team was a hit, and its success (and lower overhead) allowed the City to reduce its annual investment in the team. We also turned over Dunn Field operations to the Pioneers, who market and rent out the park to area ball teams, an arrangement that doubled the City's income from rentals in 2006 and helped the Pioneers reduce ticket and concessions prices.