Butler incumbent Mayor Tom Donaldson points to his record as the reason why he deserves a second term.
“I believe that my record’s a good record. I’ve transformed the police department from being a reactionary department to being a proactive department, getting the guys out. I’ve worked with the group that’s forming the neighborhood crime watch. So we’re making progress. Is everything I’d like to have had done in four years done? No. That’s how it is in government.”
Donaldson believes that there is still a lot to do in the city including allocating manpower and structuring shifts in the fire department to minimize overtime. Donaldson maintains that at no time has he advocated eliminating the fire department or cutting manpower.
Donaldson remains open to ideas from any source and he stands ready to bear the blame if those ideas do not pan out.
“You bring the plan in. If it will make Butler better, I’m for that. We put that plan in place and if it fails, guess what? I’m the mayor, it’s my fault. I’m the CEO of the city. I’m the face of the city. If we do something and it fails, I take that blame. If you can’t take that blame then you probably shouldn’t be in this chair.”
A Mayoral and City Council debate forum is scheduled for this Wednesday (4/26) at 6 p.m. at the Grand Ballroom on Main Street. The municipal primary election is Tuesday, May 16.
Written by Ryan Saeler