This is a continuation of my interview with Easton Mayor Sal Panto.
Q. Your first term, your mantra was clean and safe.
Panto: "Clean and safe."
Q. I imagine that is something you're going to continue in --
Panto: "If you don't have a clean and safe city, people don't want to invest in your city. They don't want to come to your city. And more importantly, they don't want to live in your city.
"We've spent a lot of money in neighborhood development and in downtown development. Both are equally important. Residents view their city by their neighborhood. Visitors view their city by the downtown.
"Downtown Easton has always had a bad image. Therefore, the whole City has had a bad image, Valley wide. I think our financial management, our decrease in crime, our good attractions for tourists and our restaurants are bringing people back down to Easton because they feel clean and safe in the City.
"And that's what makes - the more business taxes we collect, the less real estate taxes we have to collect from residents."
I would go to downtown easton more if the parking was easier. Maybe the new parking deck will help.
ReplyDeleteIt would be nice if the parking meters accepted coins other than just quarters.
Sal Panto says:
ReplyDeleteTricia:
thanks for coming downtown and yes, we will be replacing the current meters with mulit-space boxes that takes coin, currency and debit and credit cards. The first will be installed in a month or two at the South Third St. parking lot. Time of the meters will also be extended to 3 hours and the rate will continue to be the cheapest in the Valley at 50 cents per hour.