Mayoral Hyperbolism: Special Election is Everything

10 TV: It didn't take long Wednesday for Mayor Michael Coleman to express how important he feels next week's election to decide an income tax rate increase will be. Just minutes into an one-on-one interview with 10TV's Andy Hirsch, Coleman was clear about what impact he thinks Issue One will have on the city's future. "This election is the most important day in the history of our city," Coleman said. "What it will do is define this city for a generation."

Next Tuesday, voters will decide whether the city's income tax will be raised by half of a percent. City leaders say the increase is needed to help fill a budget gap and save the jobs of an estimated 500 police officers and firefighters. While supporters of the increase are quick to warn of cuts to police and fire, retaining those positions would cost less than half the money a tax increase would generate. 10TV asked Coleman about accusations that his campaign was trying to scare people into voting in support of the increase.

Coleman said police and fire were not the only departments that would see cuts if the issue fails. "That's what you pick up," Coleman said. "We've been talking about this directly, for all city services, not just police and fire. The media has picked up on police and fire because we've never cut it."

Coleman insisted that city agencies across the board will be impacted if the increase proposal fails, including trash collection and recreation and parks. "We may very well have to eliminate them," Coleman said. "That's what's at stake. This is such a huge deficit."

10TV asked Coleman if the city had a plan in place in the event the increase is shot down. "We don't have a plan B," Coleman said. "We've talked about what we're going to do. It's pretty clear; black and white at that point."

Coleman said passage of the increase would ensure that no firefighters or police officers would be laid off. "We won't lay off a single police officer," Coleman said. "We won't lay off a single firefighter because we won't need to."

Coleman also said the increase would allow the city to reopen some of the city's recreation centers that were previously closed.