Military veteran Babinni announces Northfield mayoral run

Tim Babbini is the latest candidate to announce a run for the Northfield mayoral seat.

Babbini has been a Northfield resident since 2005. He is a 26-year military veteran, including three tours in Iraq. He was active after 9/11.

“My platform is to stop the wasteful spending on what I feel have been ‘novelty projects,’” Babbini said in a release. “Overspending on bike lanes when our current streets are in dire need of repair. Find a way to stop taxing residents moving out of town. The wasteful spending of consultation fees for projects that never get done.”

He noted some stances he’ll take on local issues.

“In favor of eliminating the city liquor store and concentrating on, again, our infrastructure, streets, sidewalks, updating lighting in places that need it,” he said. “Push to find land to get more industry/commercial business to lower the tax burden on citizens. In favor of a new ice arena, but will not use a tax increase to get the project done. In favor of updating the high school, but the residents cannot take on another tax increase, so it needs to be tabled and review in one or two years. We have to find a way to do more with less.

“Not in favor of a water treatment plant; there are other ways — precisely in home water treatment systems — that can achieve the same results without, again, raising taxes and/or instituting a large rate increase for city water.

“I will work within the budget … We are currently working with a city government that uses no common sense. It’s spend, spend, spend, and we will worry about the rest later.

“The citizens also need to be aware of things that are planned ahead of time instead of the secrets projects that are getting done without any knowledge or input by the citizens. … People need to be informed.”