The Daily Local News interviewed Mr. Rawlings today.

1. “What I have to do is try to stop spending and get the revenues and expenditures to balance without using the reserve fund they have,” Rawlings said.

2. Beyond the finances, Rawlings said he will spend the first six months on the job meeting staff and residents and doing “a lot of listening” before working with council to set goals.

It’s just my opinion but I can translate those two points:

1. I’m recommending that we layoff police officers.

2. I’m going to ask the staff how to do my job. 

From:

Coatesville managerial candidate brings range of experience

Published: Tuesday, March 29, 2011

The “bloc of four” tried making revenues and expenditures balance, laid off police to do it and Coatesville nearly burned down as a result. 

Cutting back won't work, the only thing left to cut back is the police force. 

The real story is we need to bring new residential and commercial buildings into Coatesville to raise tax revenue and the quality of life in Coatesville. Those things will make a workable budget. In other words revitalize Coatesville. I think that if Mr. Rawlings just did a little homework and read up on Coatesville a tiny bit he would have known that; Instead of just making an off the shelf comment.

But even if he just muddles through the first year:

The plans that were first laid in Coatesville about a decade ago are bearing fruit. The drug dealers are not out but they down by about 8 counts (Thank District Attorney Joe Carroll, the Coatesville PD and hard working and courageous citizens). And any battles over eminent domain are in the grave. Coatesville will do brilliantly. 

The City of Coatesville has a tremendous potential for economic development. It will be the place to go to for business and shopping and to live and play in about 5 years from now. You can get an idea of how building up and revitalizing Coatesville to both bring in more tax revenue while at the same time lowering the tax rate needed to sustain city services in part by reading and listening to Robert Gibbs presentation during the Plan the Keystone Charrette in Coatesville. 

Scroll down to Robert Gibbs presentation;

Plan the Keystone Coatesville Station Area Planning Work in Progress Presentation 

Listen to it here: