Bethany Mayor candidates answer questions and address issues

Two persons with wide experience in Bethany government will be competing for election as mayor in the April 2 municipal election. Former mayor Joe Johnson and former city administrator Jonne Slemons were asked to respond to a survey on various city issues. Their views follow below:
What should the city do about abandoned houses, dangerous structures and public nuisances?
Joe Johnson: This has been an issue for decades. Ordinances have been established with legal procedure to follow which are authorized by state statute. We should adhere to statutes and not deviate with expenditures that create loss of our tax base.
Jonne Slemons: Abandoned houses and dangerous structures: Since 2017, the city has budgeted for a limited number of demolitions each year and has been systematically working down the list of “deserving properties,” based on the code enforcement officer’s assessment. This approach has been effective as a starting point, but the cost of the demolition, averaging roughly $10,000 per structure, is rarely recovered—even though it is attached to the county tax records for recovery when the property is sold.