In the race for Roswell’s Post 4 council seat, incumbent Kent Igleheart is facing a challenge from a member of an unofficial committee that evaluated city development concepts from a resident’s point of view.

Retired advertising agency owner Jim Pollak, who served on the Citizen Advisory Group formed by Councilman David Tolleson, is running against one of the council’s most consistently outspoken members.

First elected in 2001, Igleheart said he has been “the primary budget watchdog. I have been one of the few to annually offer major spending cuts. I am the only officeholder to vote against both a tax increase and a deficit budget.

“Our current spending patterns are not sustainable and our long-term financial planning is weak. I have been the leading voice to change those deficiencies. In the past year I have been the leader on moving Roswell toward sustainable practices which benefit the environment but which are even more critical for long-term cost reductions.”

Igleheart said he will not be dissuaded from his cautious approach to development. “Some are trying to use the economy to say we must allow substantial increases in both residential and commercial densities in order to increase revenues,” he said. “I have been the most consistent supporter of neighborhoods regarding increases in densities that will have substantial negative impacts on Roswell’s character. Roswell continues to be at a crossroads and I bring proven experience of striking the proper balance for reasonable redevelopment efforts in the future.”

During his tenure, he said, council has made positive changes in allowing new zoning types, particularly mixed-use, “and we have already seen responses and some new projects approved. The recession has hurt recent progress but that will turn around.

“As pressure builds to allow more development a trained, experienced eye is needed to judge what is actually being offered and proposed.”

“Fixing” the city’s community development department would be a priority for Igleheart if re-elected. “I have listened to too many business owners describe their nightmares of trying to get things done in Roswell. We need to make major changes in permitting and the way we deal with existing and new businesses.”

He has served on the boards of North Pond Homes Association, Martin’s Landing Foundation, Big Creek Alliance, Chattahoochee Nature Center, Georgia River Network and Scenic Georgia.

Pollak, retired CEO and President of Pollak Levitt and Partners, has spent his professional career in marketing and advertising and was director of the Atlanta Ad Club. He has been president and board member of homeowners associations and organized candidate forums for his church.

His involvement in Roswell civic affairs began with his appointment to the Citizen Advisory Group, a committee of volunteers who gave input on high-profile development proposals in east Roswell, including Centennial Walk and the so-called Charlie Brown project, Roswell East.

Redevelopment is an issue he is familiar with, and he has ideas on how best it can be accomplished.

“Imagine taking an empty retail strip center and redesigning it so that it becomes a cluster of similar or dependent small businesses. [Grouping] developers, architects, interior space planners, interior designers, landscape architects, landscape services, office furniture suppliers, etcetera, would be just one example of such a concept,” he said.

“Doing this makes us business friendly, it doesn’t have a negative effect on neighborhoods, it doesn’t impact schools, it encourages business development, it expands our tax base, it provides jobs and it provides additional business for existing retail and/or service businesses in the area.”

Keeping Roswell financially viable is an area in which Pollak said he can be of service on council.

“I started and successfully built a business. That knowledge and experience means I know how to look at revenue and expense streams with a critical eye,” he said. “Financial planning and management are necessary for a successful business and for a growing and successful city.

Consensus building “in what has heretofore been a contentious mayor and council setting” would be a Pollak priority. “Only when that happens can we prioritize our challenges, identify our opportunities and generate results.”

Among his areas of expertise, Pollak said, is analyzing what needs to be done and how best to accomplish it.

“I am strong on strategy and then on implementation of strategy. That benefits the city in that I can help get the right things done,” he said.

On The Issues:

Do you support Milton County?

Kent Igleheart:Yes. Residents of north Fulton have paid too much for too little for far too long. I am concerned about the start-

up costs and the conditions of things Fulton County has been responsible for, but will work to see those are covered before we move forward.

Jim Pollack: Yes. The experience of living in unincorporated Fulton County and now in the city of Roswell has proven to me that when government is local it is better, more efficient and more responsive to the needs of citizens.

What are your thoughts on development/redevelopment in the city?

Kent Igleheart: I am very concerned about opening the floodgates for unchecked development just because some in this election think we need to move faster. You can’t fix that once it is in - just look at all the empty strip malls along our major highways. We can’t make those mistakes again because we have to live with the long-term results.

Jim Pollack: Development/redevelopment is a critical issue. By addressing it properly we can, at the same time, address other issues critical to a healthy city. We must change our anti-business reputation while maintaining our neighborhood-friendly one. And redevelopment doesn’t mean we have to fill an empty strip shopping center with more retail.

What do you see as Roswell’s biggest challenge going into 2010?

Kent Igleheart:We will have to continue weathering the current economic situation and better prepare to come out of it. This year a budget was passed —I voted against it — that spends more than we take in and costs continue to rise. We have not made the difficult decisions that are needed even while we may see further reductions in revenues.

Jim Pollack: There are many big challenges. Crime, schools, traffic, parks, redevelopment, public safety all bubble up to the top of a list. Prioritizing those challenges so that results can actually be seen and felt by the citizens is going to be the biggest challenge facing the mayor and council in 2010.