In Coatesville redevelopment,
redevelopment that can bring about an increase in tax revenue for the city
began during Paul Janssen’s and Jean Krack’s tenure in the City of Coatesville.
The Coatesville Police Department personnel doubled during the Janssen/Krack
tenure. I believe that Paul Janssen and Jean Krack were stymied and eventually
removed by people who wanted to bring back the drug business back to the “open
air drug bazaar” described by former Coatesville PD Chief Bellizzie.
I believe that with Mr. Rawlings as
Coatesville City Manager the tail (city workers) is wagging the dog (city
manager). When Harry Walker was Coatesville City Manager the dog was dead.
During the Walker Administration the Coatesville Police Department was cut in
half, the narcotics unit closed and investigations halted. The Coatesville PD
became a reaction force.
A
Chester County resident and me talked to Governor Rendell concerning the
potential loss of million of dollars of grants and low interest loans for
redeveloping Coatesville. I got a direct fax line into Governor Rendell’s
office. We lost most of the grants. Arson, shootings and drug deals replaced
redevelopment.
But were Mr. Walker the City
Council and others who worked within the City Government from 2006 to 2010
entirely at fault during that disastrous time? I don’t think so. I believe a
few truly nefarious people used them.
The Redevelopment that is happening now; the
Marriott Courtyard Hotel, the Brandywine Riverwalk, the train station and once
it’s built the Coatesville Velodrome are all left over from the Janssen and Krack
era. There is nothing more in the pipeline.
In an attempt to balance the city
budget, Coatesville's present City Manager Gary Rawlings intends to reduce the Police
Department by at least 10 officers. The civilian support staff is already gone
forcing some officers off of patrol.
Former District Attorney Joe Carroll said. “The police department in Coatesville is understaffed and overworked, and has been for many years.” District Attorney Tom Hogan said, “Coatesville needs a strong and fully staffed police department.”
If the drug business is “good again” and the
frequency of store robberies and shootings in Coatesville goes up because Mr.
Rawlings reduced the effectiveness of the Coatesville PD Coatesville may become
a place to leave. Development coming west from the Philadelphia area and
development coming east from the Lancaster York area might skip over the City
of Coatesville. We need to make Coatesville a place people want to be. To make
it a self supporting thriving community with a good tax income such as Phoenixville, PA
What a city manager of Coatesville
should be doing is making Coatesville an attractive place to live and invest
in. Tax income for EXPANDING the Coatesville Police Department, Fire Department
and other city services will come from the increase in property values. Chester County and the Coatesville School
District would also benefit from a vibrant self-supporting Coatesville.
We need to re-start in Coatesville
with fresh ideas and we need a new city manager who GETS THINGS DONE.
No comments:
Post a Comment
You can add your voice to this blog by posting a comment.