At-large candidate     
 Bill Colbath
Age: 49,  Dover res. 49 yrs.
Occupation: Electrical Contractor
Public Experience: Zoning Board, Planning Dept. sub-comm., Master Plan sub-comm.

Age: 49

Occupation: Electrical Contractor

How long have you lived in Dover? Entire Life

Have you served on any boards, councils or committees?

Zoning Board, Planning Dept. sub-comm., Master Plan sub-comm.

As Dover becomes a more desirable place to live, how can the city keep it an affordable place for low-income residents?  

I think that’s fairly simple. You need to control your taxes and spending so that it’s more affordable to live in Dover.  

What have you accomplished for Dover that you are most proud of and what would you like to accomplish if you are elected?

I have not been in an elected position, but I served on the Zoning Board for 22 years and I believe I’ve done that well, with fairness to all the applicants in front of me. I would like to accomplish some controls on our spending base, so that we can keep Dover a good place to live. Young people cannot afford to live in Dover and older people, when they’re ready to retire have to move because they can’t afford to live there.

What is an important environmental issue facing Dover?

I think we need to try and keep open space, but that’s more of a land use issue. I think you need to number one deal with energy consumption by the city itself, which involves trying to keep our consumption of fossil fuels by city vehicles under control. 

What is the most recent cultural or artistic event that you have attended in Dover?

Concerts in park over the summer. 

I think we need to look for environmentally friendly, well paying industries, which could involve a lot of different past times. Technology comes to mind immediately, but we need to mix up the industries so that some sort of down turn does not become a major downturn for Dover. We have very interesting companies in Dover.

Yes I do because I think our spending is out of control because our current and past councils have not been able to keep it under control. Over the past couple of years, our taxes have gone up by three times the rate of inflation, which has become a yoke over Dover’s neck that we’re going to have to deal with.

Dover has a growing art community. What can the city do to support arts and artists?