Milteer: ‘I have experience’
Published 9:50 pm Tuesday, October 25, 2016
The incumbent running for the Whaleyville Borough seat said education, job creation and taking care of seniors are among his priorities for his next term, if he is elected.
Curtis Milteer Sr., a Suffolk native, is running for his 10th term on City Council.
“I’m running to finish some of the works we have started,” Milteer said.
Milteer served in the U.S. Army for seven years during the Korean War, attaining the rank of sergeant. He earned the Purple Heart. After he left the military, he worked at the Naval Air Station for 32 years.
In 2005, Milteer was named First Citizen by the Suffolk Rotary Club.
“I have experience, and I’ve accomplished a large number of achievements,” Milteer said.
Milteer said he is proud of his accomplishments while on council, which include getting the city to fund drainage improvements in several neighborhoods in his borough. Saratoga and Orlando are just some of the neighborhoods where that has been completed or is in progress, he said.
“These improvements in the community will upgrade the quality of life for our citizens who live there,” he said.
Milteer said he wants to focus on education in his next term.
“We want to make sure the schools are properly and fully funded,” he said.
Some economic development initiatives he would like to work on include making Suffolk a more attractive place to set up shop.
“The city could share in the cost of the land purchase to make it more attractive to new developers,” Milteer said. He also said other tax incentives could be considered.
Having more businesses in Suffolk would mean more jobs, which is a benefit to citizens, as well.
“Economic development will create jobs for our citizens to be able to work within our city limits rather than everybody going to Norfolk or Newport News,” Milteer said.
Help for senior citizens is also high on Milteer’s list. He wants to create more tax exemptions for seniors, he said. He frequently uses his time during City Council meetings to let people know about the exemptions offered by the city as well as the state.