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Candidates pledge fiscal caution; differ on approaches to reserves and revenue
Summary
Forum candidates agreed raising property taxes should be a last resort and discussed boosting sales tax and filling retail vacancies to avoid further draws on reserves; Lori Hill said the city drew down about $2 million from reserves last year.
When asked how they would handle a budget shortfall, candidates emphasized protecting critical services. Hogan Hevington said raising property taxes is a "nuclear option" and called it a last resort, emphasizing stewardship of citizen funds. Lori Hill said the city drew down about $2,000,000 from reserves last year and advocated tightening spending on wants versus needs to avoid burdening taxpayers.
Dan Jaworski described the city's fund‑balance policy (historically targeted near 18–20%) and said Highland Village’s current reserves are well above that threshold (he estimated 28–32%), which has been used to bridge gaps between rising expenditures and flat revenue. Jaworski recommended strategies to increase sales tax revenue rather than immediate tax increases.
All three voiced support for exploring revenue growth through stronger local retail and business retention but stopped short of endorsing specific tax policy changes at the forum.
