Time for Change, More Confidence in City Government

By Desiree Parker Thursday, March 18, 2010

 

Doug Pons is championing change in his bid for a city council seat.

 

“It’s time all residents from students to retirees have confidence in government – what I’m hearing is that many people do not,” Pons says.

Pons grew up in Williamsburg, and graduated from Lafayette High School in 1986. He finished his business degree at Christopher Newport University. He and his wife and kids live in a home in College Terrace, near William and Mary, just next door to the house he lived in with his parents when he was young.

“This is my home. I’m completely vested in Williamsburg,” Pons says. “I believe Williamsburg is the crown jewel of the Triangle and has so much to offer… I’m just not sure we’re living up to our potential,” in particular, regarding “open, fair, transparent discussion on all the issues.”

Pons, who currently chairs the planning commission, owns the Quarterpath Inn.

Like most of his running mates, Pons sees the budget crunch as the number one challenge facing the city. “The last two years we’ve seen a 25 percent decrease in revenues,” he says. “We need to develop a plan of action to defend it.”

He is concerned that the city may have to dip into its reserves this year to cover the shrinking revenues. “How long does that money last?” he asks. The next step could be a rise in property taxes to cover the losses, “and I’m opposed to that. We already pay a lot [in taxes]… I don’t think that’s the answer.”

What does Pons think is a better way to plug the gap?

“Commerce is the answer. We need to bring business to town.” Pons points to shopping centers in the city still struggling to fill vacancies like Williamsburg Shopping Center and High Street as examples of how city businesses are hurting. He also points to lost businesses like the hospital and the Ford dealership, which relocated to York County.

“We have to figure out why businesses choose not to locate here,” he says, and asks why New Town seems to be more appealing to businesses over High Street.

Though he believes diversifying the economy is a good idea, “we have to look first at the resources we have and maximize them,” Pons says. “We should look for the greatest return on our investments, and focus on the core first – tourism and education.”

The proposed arts district seems like a good idea and might “provide a unique opportunity, but if municipality dollars go to fund it, we need to understand what it will provide to residents who are going to foot the bill,” according to Pons.

The municipal expansion may not have been the best idea either, he thinks. The city needs to focus on infrastructure first, like costly water/sewer and street repairs. “Despite [construction] savings from the recession, the city could have rented [office] space. The cost of carrying debt is high.”

He supports Colonial Williamsburg and the college – he’s CW’s number one fan, he says, because that’s what drives people to his business. He says he wants goals when it comes to tourism, so there’s something to measure against.

Pons is often linked with the WHMA (as a former president and current member), which has butted heads on several occasions with various big players in the local tourism industry. Though he says he doesn’t always agree with their decisions, he does agree that the industry needs some help.

Pons has always been a proponent of investing more in tourism. “We’re dependent on tourism more than other [jurisdictions], and we need a better understanding of the marketplace. Are we being as attractive as we can?” he asks.

He points out tourism had been lagging behind national averages even before the recession hit, and that had the problem been addressed earlier, “we would have been in a stronger position going into [the recession]… I’d like to see us position ourselves to come out ahead of the curve.”

“In the spirit of honest, open discussion, let’s put the issues on the table and develop goals [for tourism]… it is vital to our success to get together.”

Like candidate Sean Driscoll, Pons was part of the Planning Commission when it chose to recommend changing the three-person rule to allow four unrelated people to live together, just in the B-3 zoning district (though council decided to go with its own version).

Pons says while he supported this vote, “we couldn’t ascertain the real demand for student housing – I would have liked the college to step up” and address the issue.

As for what he brings to the table, “I have a unique ability to build consensus and work with people, and I can bring this to council.

“What is our city going to look like in 50 years? We need to build that vision, and we all need to be on board.”

For more information, see Pons’ Facebook page.