Omer J. Ouellette Jr.
Occupation: Army veteran; retired toll attendant
Prior public service: Two terms on Rochester City Council
If elected, what would be your top priority for the city?
Consolidation of more city and other department needs where plausible, and getting government to a more manageable size, and more efficient services to the public government that government is duty-bound to serve. I would like to see a mayor form of government through the proper charter changes, and the use of term limits to ensure the infusion of new ideas through the election of new representatives. This will bring in new ideas, different outlooks, and unbiased opinions and ideas that will not become stagnated by long-term over-inflated egos and influence of special interests.
What can be done to promote more economic development in Rochester?
I am more concerned with what type of development we are bringing, and how we achieve the development with more of an eye to the future than “the rush is now!” Clear-cutting land and building right on Route 11 will only kill the goose that lays the golden egg of tourism. Tourists drive through or go around our fair city because of the type of development making Route 11 look like a drive down Route 1 in Boston to the airport. We also need more high-end jobs with benefits than the big box retailer or the hospitality industry provides.
Has the tax cap been beneficial to Rochester, or has it inhibited the city’s ability to get things done?
The tax cap has been a great asset to control the rapid increases in the past that were sometimes $4, $5, or more on $1,000 of valuation every year. Long-term elected officials have no limits on their passion for spending or “we want what Dover or Portsmouth got last year” attitude. Spending on special interests is easier if you have no controls or limits on the “buy now, let someone else pay later” syndrome of long-term politicians. The tax cap has only inhibited big egos from buying or having the new model of whatever every year.
Do you think the city should set aside a capital reserve fund to repair/expand its school buildings?
I think the capital reserve would never be reserved. That is, it would be used up consistently due to its availability. All new construction should be based on a need, not a want basis only. That is, you may want just about everything and really only need certain things. Wants and needs can be answered by looking at projects like the “open school concept.” That was a want that was a financial disaster for many school districts.
What can be done to revitalize the downtown and promote a more vibrant arts scene?
I think “downtown revitalization” is being defeated by some of the same people claiming to “champion” it. The city, for 20 or 30 years, has ignored what many studies have said is the number one problem for downtown revitalization. That is parking. We missed a chance when the new police station was built. We should have built a complex attached to city hall in the same architectural style of existing structures, and included a four-story garage with a roof on top for a farmers market. The police station could have been enlarged and incorporated into said structure. The fire department could have had additions included for rapid exit, etc. At the time, there were still federal grants and low-interest loans for what was called “innovations of government operations.” This would have consolidated city hall under one roof. The type of surrounding economic development could also be used to vitalize downtown. For example, the development on Route 11 could be required to have a bus run into downtown for “eating establishments” to have benefited from said development.
What is the most important issue facing Rochester that city officials are not yet talking about?
I think we should start an apprenticeship program for all city departments. High-school juniors or seniors could sign up for services in government and be given credit for their services. A) The police department could take in high-schoolers in places like dispatch, records, secretarial, etc. This would have the added effect of opening a line of communication that may be of benefit to the increased drug problems the youth of Rochester are facing. B) The DPW maintenance sections, records, learning how equipment operates, etc. C) And any other departments within the city in need of assistance.