For Immediate Release to the Press: October 9th, 2007
Good afternoon,
Today I am revealing a plan that with very little effort will save the City of Portage $250,000 annually.
I will be calling my plan the PORTAGE RECYCLING PROJECT. Our sanitation and street department are one of the greatest assets of the city and privatization will never be on Mayor Jim Snyder’s table.
This plan, when fully implemented, is not only good for the environment it is good for our taxpayers wallet as well. It is a win, win plan.
In 2006, The City of Portage was recycling 10 times below the national average. While this number may seem dismal, as Mayor I see it as an opportunity for us to make this city greener, while we save the city money. As mayor of Portage, I will see that that is what we will do. In the four years that I am the mayor it will be my goal to reach and exceed the national average in recycling.
The first part of my plan will be to appoint a citizens commission that will meet periodically to discuss the benefits of recycling and how to maximize its effectiveness. This committee will discuss the incentives of recycling, the educating of our citizens, and advise me, and pertinent department heads on how we can meet our goals for our city.
The second part of my plan is to have larger expectations in our recycling efforts. In meeting and talking with the residents, many of them feel the little bins we are currently using are too small. When there are small expectations, there are small results. Recycling grants are available for cities to purchase larger bins along with lifts to put on the trucks. This is an option we as a city will look at.
Finally, the third part of my plan is educating the good people in Portage on the advantages of recycling. I have spoken with school board members and we are discussing the possibility of letting Portage High School students get involved in a door to door campaign. It is important that we teach people the simplicity of recycling. When the spring of 08 comes, we as a city will reach out to the citizens of Portage and ask them to help us in this noble effort.
Recently at a home in Portage, a parent told me of how their son was taught how to recycle at school. As a result the whole family now recycles with their son helping out. It has now become a family project for them.
The benefits of Portage recycling Project will be many. The plan will first of all help us to do our part in protecting the environment. Secondly, we will save in the area of trash collection costs. Currently, we are paying a little over thirty-one dollars a ton in landfill costs. In reaching just the national average in recycling, it is estimated we will save a quarter of a million dollars a year just in landfill costs. This does not include gas for our trucks and wear and tear on our equipment. If we continue with the current system, we might as well be burning that money in the landfill.
With that money, we could be building sidewalks and maintaining our streets instead. We may even use it to help impede the anticipated property tax crisis coming our way. I repeat, with this plan, we will be able to keep our garbage fees low and protect our environment at the same time.
For Immediate Release to the Press:September 20, 2007
Chamber friends thank you for inviting me today. It is my honor to stand before you today as a Portage homeowner, a Portage business owner, a fellow chamber member and a candidate to be the next mayor of Portage.
When I opened First Federal Trust Mortgage in the Ameriplex, Mayor Olson gave me some good advice, join the chamber of Commerce. It was good advice and I intend on asking for a lot more advice come January 1st, from a Mayor who has led this city forward.
At the age of 12 my brother and I started a small mowing business at our house on 720 Heritage Rd. in South Haven. Armed with a bicycle, bungee cords and a lawn mower we started mowing grass. Most old timers in South Haven remember the lawn mowers attached to bikes going down Midway Dr. We mowed thirty yards and spent our money wisely on baseball cards at the card shop on Route 6.
My Father and Mother, Bruce and Sandi Snyder have been good role models in my life. My father is a real estate appraiser and my mother serves on the Porter Town Council. The Snyder kids were blessed greatly with wonderful parents. My father spent many years in the ministry serving others and I wanted to do the same. This is why I obtained a degree in Theology. My desire was to enter the ministry, but I never had the proper leading to do so.
Through college I had the opportunity to work as the marketing director for Mercantile Mortgage in Oakbrook, IL. After six months they decided to locate an office locally, and I was there for almost 8 years heading up the marketing. A management position came up in the same field and I went to another company for 2 years. When it came to opening my own office, I knew where it was going to be located. Portage is where I lived and it was where I wanted to work and start my business.
We have gone from one to 15 employees in one of the most difficult times in the mortgage industry. Our success has been founded by the professional team we have assembled at First Federal.
My success at city hall will be determined by the same principle and that is continuing to find qualified people to do their jobs. That is why I made my first campaign commitment Saturday. Steve Charnetzky has made 4 mayors look good by conducting Northwest Indiana’s finest street department. I am honored to have his support and we can all look forward to another 4 years of a well maintained and fiscally disciplined street and sanitation department.
As we have been going door to door our residents are concerned about the growth of the city and what it means to them.
As the mayor of Portage my administration will focus on reinvesting in the mature areas of the city. Urban sprawl has created an incredible strain on our city services. It is devouring the precious farm lands that make our city so unique. There are areas in Portage sitting vacant, desolate and deteriorating; and they are costing the citizens of Portage valuable tax dollars that could be helping our city services and schools. These areas are affecting our quality of life and have become a nuisance to our Portage Police Officers.
As your mayor, we will build on what Mayor Olson has accomplished. With Portage’s north-side plan we should have no problem attracting the right type of redevelopment to the entire Route 20 corridor. My vision includes an Olive Garden or some nice restaurant located on the corner of 249 and Route 20 servicing the needs of Portage and helping share the heavy burden of our property taxes. With the Bass Pro Shops locating here we should have no problems with reinvesting and redirecting our attention to this corridor.
We must also strive to gain an identity with a noticeable downtown Portage. We are now witnessing the rebirth of the city center with the demolition of the old Portage Mall. In no time we will be watching our students attend college at the Ivy Tech campus; a testament to Mayor Olson’s vision and determination. As your mayor I will build upon this opportunity to see the downtown become a place that we enjoy. My vision of downtown Portage is its residents in the summer coming to a Farmer’s Market buying fresh goods, and enjoying the many amenities it can afford in a city square.
As your mayor we will reinvest in the west side of Portage’s older neighborhoods. By creating incentives we will help Portage residents update and upgrade the homes and neighborhoods that so desperately need attention. By doing this, we will protect neighborhoods from slum lords. We will promote homeownership in Portage which in turn will strengthen aging communities. My vision of the west side mature communities of Portage is a place for a young couple to find an affordable starter home, get on their feet and start a family.
As your mayor I want to beautify our cities entrances. The Marquette Plan, which I support, has provisions for our Interstate 94 and Route 20 entrances. We need to speed these plans up, and if they get behind, then we as a city need to invest in these entrances. We will plant flowers and design better signage to make people feel welcome to come to Portage from every corridor. We will allow you as business leaders in the community to give back by sponsoring and helping us with these entrances.
As stewards of this wonderful city, we must make sure that our vision is responsible. As your mayor my vision will be one that includes planned, purposed and controlled growth of your city.
Our law enforcement and firefighting forces must continue to be the best trained, best equipped, and best prepared professionals. Our citizens must be absolutely certain that they are safe and secure. When disaster strikes and threatens our community; our response must be planned, organized, and swift. That can only occur if we make citizen safety our highest priority.
Our citizens must work respectfully in partnership with our law enforcement officers and firefighters to assure their personal safety and that of their fellow citizens. Through community watch programs, disaster preparedness programs, and citizen training & awareness initiatives; such a partnership is not only possible, but critical to the strength of our community. Given our proximity to the Port of Indiana, major Interstates, the power grid, rail lines, oil pipelines and critical telecommunications infrastructure; our community is vulnerable and the risk is real. We must recognize this fact, plan accordingly, and invest wisely to assure that we have adequately provided for any potential threat to our safety and security.
Responsible government does not tax its citizens out of their homes! We must wean our dependence on property taxes. This will require exploring all means by which to shift our reliance on property taxes to other forms of revenue creation. However, before we consider any alternative we must be absolutely certain that we are exacting value from every tax dollar. Our goal must be zero-waste government. This exercise must precede any tax restructuring initiative.
Our recycling efforts must be the model & the envy of all our neighbors. This too requires not only a plan, but a concerted effort to educate & inform our citizens of the price of NOT recycling – both to our environment and our pocketbooks.
I think it's absolutely OUTRAGEOUS that ALL THREE of the new health care facilities planned for Porter County are to be located between Valparaiso and Chesterton. Our City, Portage, has the largest concentration of people in Porter County and is among the fastest growing communities in NW Indiana. 3 hospitals, 3 pitches and we strike out? What type of city leadership lets this happen? Well not anymore, not on my watch. My opponent says things take time...perhaps that's true, but while we are counting time, opportunities slip through our fingers and head to Valparaiso and Chesterton. There is no excuse for Portage not to have a quality health care facility in our City, NONE!!! We just missed three chances. I'm not just disappointed, I'm outraged and our citizens should be too. We deserve so much more.
A little over two months ago I received a call from a friend. He said, Jim it is your turn, you need to step up to the plate and run for mayor. It was former State Representative Ralph Ayres. My wife and I first sought the Lord’s help in the matter and then the help of many friends before making the decision. I took my best friend with me over to speak with Diane Highlands and get her advice. It was the same. Dave Highlands was a friend to all in Portage, a respected leader, father and citizen. I am both humbled and honored to have his mantle. Although he has large shoes to fill, I intend to run with similar ideas and the same honesty and integrity Dave had.
Together, and with your help, we will make this the best city in Northwest Indiana to live, work and raise a family. Thank you for your time and allowing me this opportunity.
Jim Snyder
Candidate for Portage Mayor
For Immediate Release to the Press: September 18, 2007
As we have been visiting homes and going to events there seems to be a ringing message from the citizens of Portage. They are concerned about the city’s growth and what it means to them. Today I would like to share with my fellow citizens my vision for the city’s future and how my administration will work to control and plan our city’s growth.
As the mayor of Portage my administration will focus on reinvesting in the mature areas of the city. We will not let the urban sprawl get out of control and devour precious farm lands that make our city so unique. We are standing on what I believe is the most valuable piece of land in Porter County. As is sits here vacant, desolate and deteriorating it is costing the citizens of Portage valuable tax dollars that could be helping our city services and schools. It is affecting our quality of life and has become a nuisance to our Portage Police Officers.
As your mayor we will build on what Mayor Olson has accomplished. With the Portage’s north-side plan we should have no problem attracting the right type of redevelopment to the entire Route 20 corridor. My vision includes an Olive Garden or some nice restaurant located on this corner servicing the needs of Portage at the same time helping share the heavy burden of our property taxes. With the Bass Pro Shops locating here we should have no problems with reinvesting and redirecting our attention to this corridor.
We must also strive to gain an identity with a noticeable downtown Portage. We are now witnessing the rebirth of the city center with the demolition of the old Portage Mall. In no time we will be watching our students attend college at the Ivy Tech campus a testament to Mayor Olson’s vision and determination. As your mayor I will build upon this opportunity to see the downtown become a place that we enjoy. My vision of downtown Portage is its residents in the summer coming to a Farmer’s Market buying fresh goods and enjoying the many amenities it can afford in a city square.
Let me make it clear that there is no Section 8 multifamily housing in my plan for Portage. As your mayor we will reinvest in the west side of Portage’s older neighborhoods. By creating incentives of some sort we will help Portage residents update and upgrade the homes and neighborhoods that so desperately need attention. By doing this we will protect neighborhoods from slum lords. We will promote homeownership in Portage which in turn will strengthen aging communities. My vision of the west side mature communities of Portage is a place for a young family to find an affordable starter home, get on their feet and be able to start a family.
Finally as your mayor I want to beautify our cities entrances. The Marquette Plan which I support has provisions for our Interstate 94 and Route 20 entrances. We need to speed these plans up and if they get behind we as a city need to invest in these entrances. We will plant flowers and design better signage to make people feel welcome to come to Portage from every corridor. We will allow businesses in the community to give back by sponsoring and helping us with these entrances.
As stewards of this wonderful city we must make sure that our vision is responsible. As your mayor this will be my vision a planned, purposed and controlled growth of your city. Together we will make Portage the premier place to work, live and raise a family in the Northwest Indiana. Thank you for your support.
Jim Snyder
Portage Candidate for Mayor
