The Indio Sun asked all candidates running for City Council to describe what they see as the biggest issue facing Indio residents and what can be done to address it. Here's a condensed version of what they had to say. Challenger Patrick Runyon did not provide any answers.

“Maintaining a balanced budget without raising taxes is critically important to the city of Indio. Since I was elected four years ago, we've built a healthy budget reserve that has allowed us to provide vital city services within our existing revenues.

“My experience as a small-business owner taught me that we need to budget wisely and encourage economic growth by attracting new businesses to our community. As mayor, it has been my job to oversee the city's finances in a year when Sacramento faced a record budget deficit. I'm proud to report that our finances are sound and secure, despite having money taken away from us from the state.

“Since I was elected, I've demanded fiscal responsibility from our city, and that's why we have more police on our streets and our neighborhoods are safer.”

“Right now, one of the biggest issues facing Indio residents is the housing market. With many residents foreclosing on their homes, which in turn has lowered the property value of surrounding neighborhoods, the city has taken a loss on much-needed revenue from construction to property taxes.

“Now is the time we must be creative in attracting new businesses to our city and create a stable source of revenue and additional jobs for our residents. We must ensure there is adequate funding for public safety, roads, water and other vital necessities. As a member of the City Council, I will work with my fellow council members and the business community to bring new and stable revenues to the great city of Indio.”

“Naturally, the biggest concern on everyone's mind is the economy, especially with the slowdown in the housing market and recent events on Wall Street. Fortunately, unlike some other California cities, Indio has not relied on potential new development to finance our current operations. However, in the foreseeable future, Indio needs to diversify its revenue stream by proactively seeking out retail and commercial development that will add to the tax base of our city. The City Council's goal should be to provide the residents of Indio with a better place to live, work, shop and raise their families.

“The city also needs to better utilize the existing Enterprise Zone and encourage city staff to aggressively pursue RDA opportunities in order to attract new businesses to the east valley.

“The biggest issue facing Indio residents is its fiscal stability in the current economy. Responsibility and accountability should be first and foremost in all fiscal decisions by the City Council majority and this administration. Unfortunately, that has not been the case. I have voted against the last two budgets due to inflated revenues to justify the tax-and-spend vision that currently exists. The last 18 months have shown that my position was correct, when at the mid-year budget review it was acknowledged that the city revenue was $3.5 million short. The recent utility tax boondoggle is an example of the current mind frame of not recognizing that the collection of 8,000 homes and 650 businesses was not occurring. That error will cost the city over $1 million in the current budget, and in the next 18 months, over $4 million in revenue. I am not willing to balance a budget on the backs of our residents.