Dear Editor,
Mike Doenges has been doing a very good job as mayor and deserves a second term.
I have known Mike since he was a teenager; he came to our house to help Art and me with our computer.
He was an industrious worker then and continues to be.
He is outstanding in the following areas —going to Montpelier on behalf of our city, keeping the downtown vibrant, and having a vision for the future.
Mike wants more housing. He has traveled to Montpelier to get Rutland City recognized and to get state money.
In fact, the city has received $8,000,000 in low-interest state loans for developers. And, in the two months following, the city received $6,500,000 in applications from developers. Tied in with housing is his desire to increase Rutland’s population. More people mean lower taxes.
The downtown has attracted new businesses and restaurants during his time in office. Center Street is alive and well with The Paramount Theatre and shops and restaurants. In addition, events such as The Halloween Parade, The Whoopie Pie Contest, and Winterfest attract people to downtown.
Mike has a vision for the future: a city of 30,000, more money coming from Montpelier, listening to city residents at City Hall (his office, on the first floor), excellent police and fire protection, road and sidewalk improvements, more events to listen to the public and their concerns, a movie theater, and a hotel downtown.
In only two years, Mike has accomplished a great deal. He is respected by many of us for his work ethic and desire to have our city stay vibrant.
Please vote to re-elect Doenges for mayor so he will have two more years to accomplish his goals.
Mary Crowley, Rutland