Jerry Carman: A True Conservative Candidate?

Manassas City Council candidate Jerry Carman (I) said in a recent interview the city could do a better job of scrutinizing how money is spent and reallocating funds for a better return on investment, especially for education and economic development.

"When I first found out what we were spending on under performing schools, I was shocked," Carman said.

He said that while the school board is responsible for the schools, it's the council's responsibility to make sure there's transparency. He said council should scrutinize how money is spent and maybe reallocate those monies instead of starting another program or throwing money at the problem.

Manassas City currently spends nearly $14,000 per child and the schools receive about 50-percent of the city's tax dollars per a revenue sharing agreement.

"I think the revenue sharing agreement should be abolished because there lacks transparency on how the money is spent," Carman said. "It doesn't make sense why the school board would propose a land swap to build a new building when there are vacant buildings in the city."

Carman said the city isn't tapping into a potential source of revenue: the Manassas Museum. The city should treat the museum as a tourist attraction, like the Harris Pavilion, he said. No one from neighboring jurisdictions are coming to the Manassas Museum, Carman said. It needs to be more of a spy-type, interactive museum with a different name that will attract young people as well. 

"What do we have here that is going to get 10-percent of the people to come back after an event such as the Sesquicentennial?" Carman said. "There's things that need to be logically assessed for return on investment."

"Instead of spending $600,000 on a bike path that's not going to be utilized and up to  $100,000 on the Sudley Sector plan...or almost a million dollars on a one-time Sesquicentennial event, the money could be better spent."

Carman said there's a real chance for change this election with two conservatives running for council.

"There's already one true conservative (Council Member Marc Aveni) on the council and Ian (Lovejoy) and I are fiscally conservative. That's 50-percent of the vote—and a real shot at changing things," he said. 

For more information visit, jerrycarman2012.com