Candidate focus: Bruce Allen vying for seat on City Council

Bruce Allen spent more than 26 years getting to know Waynesboro through his service with the city's sheriff's and police departments.

Allen, 55, isn't serving in those capacities anymore. For nearly two years now, he's been working as a commercial and residential property manager.

However, with his volunteer work with several organizations in the city Allen says it is his duty to serve a community that has given so much to him. He hopes that service will include serving on the City Council representing Ward B.

"This is my hometown," Allen said, "and I want to make it as good a place as it was when I was growing up."

Allen is one of three candidates running for the Ward B seat in city elections to be held May 6. He is running against Chris Graham and Greg Bruno.

At-large Councilman Frank Lucente says he's known Allen for mote than 15 years, praising the former law enforcement officer for his community service.

"He's just a big community servant," Lucente said.

Allen is still active in the city's Lions Club, as well as in the Elks and Moose lodges. He was one of the charter board members of the Boys and Girls Club of Waynesboro, Staunton and Augusta County and he donates time to his church - Main Street United Methodist.

"I've been active in the community," Allen said. "I just enjoy it. I just enjoy helping people."

If elected, he says he would do his best to hold down taxes, describing himself as a "thrifty, conservative-type person."

It's a quality Lucente appreciates, saying his and Allen's philosophies about money are nearly identical.

"We don't always agree, but we agree on the money issues," Lucente said. "We're aligned on that. He'll look to save money. The last thing he'll do is look to raise taxes."

If elected to the council, Allen says he would rely on department heads and other experts to help make decisions in the best interests of the city.

He says he's found agreement - and disagreement - with every member of the council, but believes it can come together once it makes a decision.

"I will try to make the best decisions and go along with what the majority wants," he said.

Lucente says Allen will be "his own independent voice."

"He's a strong-willed person," Lucente says of Allen. "No one will dictate to Bruce what to do."

On stormwater, Allen says "it seems to be something we've put on the back burner," but warns that even with the fixes, parts of the city - due to its location along the South River - will continue to flood. He wants to fully fund the program by making cuts in the general fund budget.

He says the number of empty storefronts downtown "bothers me," but said he isn't sure what should be done to revitalize that area.

The Ward B race, Lucente said, is key to the city's future.

"I think in order for this council to make a change, we both have to win," said Lucente. "Without that, there's not going to be any change. It's going to be tax and spend, and there's going to be spending on the Wayne Theatre."

Said Allen: "If I get elected, I will fulfill my commitment ... and I hope that by my actions on council, I would be worthy of the citizens' support."

Three questions for Bruce Allen

1. How do you propose that the city pay for its stormwater program-

I think it needs to come out of the general fund. I really don't want to see a stormwater utility tax be added, because once it becomes a utility tax, it seems like it's forever. Our stormwater and our infrastructure — these are core services we have to provide for the citizens of Waynesboro. That's the bottom line. They have to be provided.

2. Do you favor raising the real estate tax- Why or why not-

I do not favor a tax increase. And the reason is, there again, it seems like local, state and federal governments, in my opinion, they tax us enough. It's kind of like when they get to the end of the budget, instead of saying, 'Let's cut back here, let's cut back there,' they add a tax to bring in more revenue. My philosophy would be, if we get to the end of the budget, that's where we're at. We need to learn to live within our means and spend our money wisely. We need the people who are spending our money to be accountable for how it's spent. By revisiting needless spending, I believe we'll be able to maintain, or lower, our tax rate.

3. What should be done to revitalize downtown-

I think we're working in that direction with the renovations to the museum downtown, the work with the Wayne Theatre Alliance, helping to renovate the old theater. When I grew up in Waynesboro, downtown was the center of Waynesboro. Times have changed and the community — they shop at malls; they don't shop at small downtown stores as much. Anybody that opens up a shop downtown, I'm all for trying to have some kind of incentives if there's anything available. I know a lot of people, when they remodel, there's grant money to help with renovations downtown. So there's some incentives. I don't know what the solution is to generate business back downtown. I'm all for it, but I don't know what the answers are for that.