Left, Michael LoCurto, Right, Marc Brown
Bar stools gathered around a tiny table at The Sidebar on Hertel Avenue seemed like the perfect setting for last night’s night’s cozy ,Aeumeet the candidates,Aeu roundtable discussion. This session was sponsored by the city-boosting ,AeuBuffalo 2032,Aeu group.
This gathering was held as a casual debate for the Common Council special election contest between recent appointee Mike LoCurto, and challenger Marc Brown for the Delaware District seat. LoCurto was appointed for the seat vacated by Marc Copolla (who was himself appointed for the seat Byron Brown vacated upon becoming mayor)
As I spontaneously found myself the moderator of the discussion, the two young candidates were eager to respond to a series of questions I had to shoot off the top of my head. I asked them what they each considered the top three issues they would address if elected to office.
Both cited quality-of-life as a primary issue. Brown, the Republican candidate, emphasized lowering taxes and users fees, along with economic growth, while LoCurto, the Democrat, talked about ,Aeugood government,Aeu and facilitating fiscal responsibility, and looking at the city as a ,Aeuwhole picture,Aeu instead of competing, fragmented parts.
Cutting waste within bounds of the Control Board while growing fiscally responsibly were things Brown talked about a lot. He thought a central growth strategy should revolve around bringing young people and families back into the city. Brown acknowledged there has been a trend of these young people coming back and it needs to be built upon.
,AeuI’ve known a lot of young people who live in the city and end up moving when they have kids because they can’t find the school they want in the city,,Aeu Brown said said.
On attracting people back LoCurto turned around the argument that these days the diminished importance of geography feeds the exodus from the Buffalo.
,AeuBecause now you can work from anywhere place can matter again,,Aeu he said
Both candidates talked a a lot about the importance of Economic Development. LoCurto said the two most important assets that needs to be expanded upon are the Medical Campus, and University. He spoke of efforts to lease out city-owned parking lots within the Medical Campus.
Brown had ideas about that area too. He said city should help build up the Main St. corridor by using HUD grants.
I asked them both about how the city should combat a vexing problem Queenseyes outlined yesterday in a post,Aeithe plague of neglectful property speculation that often holds whole blocks of downtown in a rotting state. I asked them if they would vote for tough measures that would allow the city to take strong actions like stiff tax penalties and even eminent domain, on bad landlords who stymie the good development efforts of others.
LoCurto said he was against Eminent Domain (even for such extreme cases like those crumbling buildings on Genesee and Oak which greet so many motorists to downtown), citing the ,Aeuslippery slope,Aeu argument, while Brown said he was more open to taking hard measures like this when it comes to extreme cases, especially ones involving a primary gateway into downtown.
Rich Wall, one of the attendees, asked both Candidates what their stances were on the casino and how each of them would vote on selling Fulton St. to the Senecas. Both acknowledged it really wouldn’t matter at this point, but they would still vote ,Aeuno,Aeu as a matter of principle. LoCurto said he though a smaller, incomplete casino would be better for the city. Brown more or less expressed that the city should be trying to get the best deal possible out of the situation, while still being cautious of the greater issue.
,AeuIf anything will stop [the casino] it will be the lawsuits,,Aeu LoCurto said.
Brown voiced concerns about money going to the Seneca’s, not the city, and that Buffalo should develop programs that can mitigate the ills of addictive gambling.
Through the whole session, it was much less of a debate and more of a consensus with minor variations in responses, but at one point Brown hinted that the entire council is all democrats. Himself, being a republican, would bring much-needed change to City Hall, he said. LoCurto countered by saying that the 9 democrats in the council do indeed vary on some issues. He said that he, himself often votes differently than other members.
When asked about each of their backgrounds, LoCurto talked about his urban planning degree Brown cited having both and MBA and JD as his qualifications. His comparatively eloquent speaking made this clear.
Rory Allen, the Buffalo 2032 organizer of this discussion, asked the final question. He asked, ,AeuBesides how you vote, how do you plan on moving Buffalo forward?,Aeu
LoCurto: ,AeuWith smart economic development. My urban planning degree allows me to take the larger picture rather than the parochial one. I hope to be apart of the start of realizing New Buffalo’s goals.,Aeu
Brown: ,AeuI will not vote for any tax increases. I will make sure young professionals won’t have to leave the city. I can bring a different perspective to the council.,Aeu
LoCurto has been a lifelong city resident, attending school 66, then City Honors. After getting degrees from UB, he worked with Sam Hoyt and the city’s office of stategic planning, becoming Dem party boss Len Lenihan’s pick of the litter for common council appointment. Brown grew up in Amherst, attending Williamsville North, then living in Rochester after earning his many degrees, finally returning to Buffalo and deciding to live in the city. He is an outsider to the local political machine.
Election day is Tuesday, November 7th. Don’t forget to vote.