(Host) With four months until voters go to the polls, the field of candidates in Burlington’s mayoral race is getting crowded.
Progressive Mayor Bob Kiss hasn’t yet announced whether he’ll run for reelection. But VPR’s Kirk Carapezza reports the current candidates have one thing in common: they’re all taking aim at the mayor.
(Carapezza) Jason Lorber is a marketing professional who hopes to win the Democratic nomination to become not only Burlington’s next CEO.
(Lorber) "But also the CMO: the Chief Marketing Officer. Someone to represent us."
(Carapezza) Lorber says he’s the one best prepared to run Burlington.
(Lorber) "I have the background both from a marketing perspective as well as connecting with people. (Carapezza) You want to be the face of Burlington? (Lorber) We need a face of Burlington that projects confidence – that projects who we are as a people."
(Carapezza) The candidates also say that Mayor Kiss has failed to solve the city’s financial problems: $50 million in pension debt; another $17 million gap in its general fund.
(Ashe) "The most obvious failure to communicate was around Burlington Telecom."
(Carapezza) Tim Ashe is a Progressive-Democratic state senator who announced his candidacy as a Democrat just two days before the debate. He used to sit on the City Council, and he’s been criticized for aligning with the mayor because he originally supported the troubled Burlington Telecom. But Ashe says that was before he knew the city had used taxpayer money to bail it out.
(Ashe) "Well, it looks a little foolish, looking back, given that there was information that was being withheld from us."
(Carapezza) Councilor Bram Kranichfeld shares that dissatisfaction. The criminal prosecutor remembers in January how the mayor asked the Council for a 4-cent tax increase.
(Kranichfeld) "We didn’t have a proposed budget. So we couldn’t actually do any work on figuring out where we could make any cuts to make up for this deficit."
(Carapezza) Miro Weinberger also argues Kiss has dropped the ball. Weinberger, a city airport commissioner, says the administration doesn’t hold people accountable.
(Weinberger) "The airport is struggling to meet its responsibilities financially, in large part, because of the mistakes that he has made as mayor."
(Carapezza) Weinberger and the other Democratic candidates want to succeed Kiss. But there’s also a Republican candidate for mayor: City Councilor Kurt Wright.
Outside City Hall, Wright shakes hands with potential voters. Inside, he tries to make a splash by announcing his plan to sell the Burlington Electric Department.
(Wright) "Mayor Kiss is a nice man, but because of the issues that he didn’t deal with directly the council doesn’t have the best relationship."
(Carapezza) While the candidates are outspoken, Mayor Kiss, so far, isn’t saying much until he makes his own decision public.
For VPR News, I’m Kirk Carapezza.