Commissioner - City of Kissimmee Seat 1

John B. Bykowski

John B. Bykowski
1301 Clay Street - Kissimmee, FL 34741
321-284-3631
john@electbykowski.com
www.electbykowski.com
Republican
Age: 38
Occupaton: Owner, Clay Street Storage
Total Monetary Contributions To Date: $750
Total Monetary Expenditures To Date: $259.14
Download Financials
Download Financials as of 7.18.08

Previous/Current Elected Office:
N/A

Previous Campaigns for Elected Office:
2006 - City of Kissimmee Commission Seat 2

How Long have you lived in Osceola County?
Since 2004

What is your history of community service?
Kissimmee Board of Adjustment, Kissimmee Gateway Airport Advisory Board, 2008 Chair - Downtown Kissimmee Area Council, 2008 Chair - Holy Redeemer Winter Festival, Transition House Board, Graduate - Leadership Osceola, Graduate - Kissimmee School of Government. In my previous community, I served as a police reserve officer for 7 years.

Why are in you seeking this office?
As a resident and business owner, I want to bring a sense of urgency to the substantial issues facing our city, which include a loss of local businesses, cost of government services, and the diversity of housing options required to make our community successful.

What makes you the best-qualified candidate?
I am invested, personally and professionally, in the success of our community. My involvement with local organizations has highlighed issues that are of concern to the community, and which issues are a concern to all. As a business owner and former technology/business consultant, I am experienced at analyzing current operations, defining strategy, and developing and implementing plans to achieve the desired outcomes.

Current or former elected official you most admire and why?
N/A

If additional revenue becomes available where would you spend it?
On infrastructure improvements to allow more efficient transportation throughout the city and to revitalize our major commercial areas.

If revenue falls short, what are the areas you would target for cuts?
I would prefer to have a budgeting process that continually looks for efficiencies and savings, rather than reactionary cuts. In the event of an unforseen shortfall, I would first look to defer equipment purchases/upgrades and non-critical operating expenses to make up for the shortfall.

Under what circumstances would you raise taxes?
It would be exceptionally challenging to approve a tax increase in the current environment, when families and businesses are cutting back to meet current expenses. Save Our Homes allows a 3% valuation increase per year on residential properties with homestead exemption, which is higher than the COLA increase many wage earners have received.

Rate the job performance of the City Manager.
Mr. Durbin recently completed 20 years with the city, which is an exceptional tenure for a city management position. I believe Mark strives to efficiently implement the policies and vision set forth by the City Commission. It is as important to review the direction that the City Manager receives as it is to review the action he takes on that direction.

What is the top issue facing the City of Kissimmee?
The exodus of businesses from our major commercial corridors, resulting in the loss of local jobs, an abundance of vacant buildings, lost tax revenue, and the requirement that our residents travel greater distances for work and shopping.

What does the City of Kissimmee government do well?
Throughout my interactions with various city departments, I have yet to encounter any individual city employee who has not been willing to help with whatever question or problem has been placed before them.

What does the City of Kissimmee government do poorly?
As any agency or company grows, there is a tendency for policies, processes, and forms to replace one-on-one interaction. The city needs to be able to interact with customers through whatever reasonable communication process the individual prefers, and strive for first-call resolution to issues brought forth.

How would you help businesses in the City of Kissimmee?
The city needs to be a place where businesses can operate competitively. Most importantly, the city's cost of government services to businesses must be in line with the surrounding area, and the city must demonstrate a sense of urgency when addressing and resolving future uses of the commercial corridors. I worked closely with the Chamber during the recent Fire Fee implementation to mitigate the adverse impact some local businesses felt from the transition from tax-based to fee-based fire protection funding.