Quick impressions from last night's Traveler forum for city commission candidates. Read the story today for full scoop.
1) Lots of experience and smarts as group of candidates. Voters have good choices.
2) Big Box proposal won't go away
3) Running against Kuhn. Mayor Mell Kuhn was not there but it seems clear that Snell, Warren and McDonald are running, in part, against his leadership.(Which will of course end next month)
4) Friendly group. There are some deep divisions but the candidates remained diplomatic last night. Even when tempted by a 3 amigos questions, they all remained pretty diplomatic. Scott Margolius was the only one who didn't tip toe around it, but he was not defensive. Jean Snell did say he thought the current majority was too controlling and had recruited candidates to maintain control.
4a) Voting records show unity - Margolius had a vote break down of he and McDonald that showed he actually voted less often with Mell and Dotty Smith than McDonald did. That said, the big box vote was worth about a hundred votes. And, after thinking about it, Doug Russell's departure divide the commission. He was hired by McDonald and Hockenbury, and left after the "amigos" came aboard.
4) Jay Warren struggled at the podium. He's new to this. He did say he's running to restore integrity and common sense to the commission, which is a pretty strong slogan and I thought a direct reference to Kuhn's antics.
5) Gordon Fry, Mathews and Snell were impressive in their experience and knowledge.
6) Margolius was the most articulate speaker.
7) Pat McDonald was the most emotional and passionate
8) Fry's license plate – one question we didn't ask last night from the audience was why does Fry's license plate still have Montgomery County on it. I asked him after the forum and he said that he's been told by the tag office that Montgomery County would have to reissue the plate because it specialized. He said he moved back to Ark City three years ago.
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7 comments:
I thought I had my mind made up a few weeks ago, but really all 6 of the candidates who were at the forum last night have been impressing me in there own way. I hope that the guys who do not make it in this time consider running again next time as I really think they are all good candidates.
Drew said...
I thought I had my mind made up a few weeks ago, March 26, 2009 11:07 AM
I say (anonymously!!!)
Yes, I think we are compelled to move beyond the ritual of voting for the personality we like and then griping about the direction (or lack thereof) they take.
That is in part because the voices and messages are more different and point in notably different directions. Past City Managers seemed to keep things fairly moderate.
The past five years are the most extremist the commission has been. We just need a group who will be more aggressive with City staff adn less aggressive with the little people on the outside.
Seems like everyone who gets elected eventually blames all the problems on the folks who are subject to the edicts of the commission.
They want to pound the citizens about unkempt property while excusing the road crew who won't patch the potholes. They want to blast citizens about being a couple of days late on a water bill while applauding staff who begs out of future budget years to get things they cannot pay for with the funds alloted them in the current year.
They characterize staff as brilliant and of integrity beyond reproach while, as one incumbent candidate whose name I shall not call because it could hurt his book sales, citizens who come to address teh commission are referred to as "roaches".
They seek to please staff and offer to psychoanalyze citizens. Staff is responsible. Citizens are self defeating or self-destructive.
Staff is the reason we have a great city. Citizens are the reason it doesn't work.
That is all true except for during the election period.
so, let's listen closely and then vote for the person who might remember how they got int he office.
I propose we get rid of the director of administration and take his salary and benefits and apply it directly to the water bills of residential customers. Call me a genius but I think I've foudn a way to even the score and put money back in the pockets of the least of these and reduce the cost of water. Am I crazy?
As the incumbent described above I would like to say that I go out of my way to draw citizen involvement. I attend as many boards as possible (Northwest Community Center, Museum, Beautification, Building Trades, Planning, Human Relations, Zoning Appeals and more) and try to encourage citizen involvement. I have asked for and made it a point to have the city manager address upcoming agenda items at the end of each meeting to give people time to prepare and bring information to the meetings. I have done everything I can think of to increase citizen involvement. The city is not the 5 people on the commission, it is all of the people that live and work in our community.
Patrick McDonald
Good point Mr. McDonald....
Say, Patrick, or anyone up for election: I just read where the sales tax goes into effect 4/1 and that the hospital tax is in effect for 10 yrs. Didn't I read that the increased tax would end if not needed for 10 yrs? Will that really happen? Didn't I read that the hospital had a lot of reserve funds to operate on and should be in good standing--possibly not needing 10 yrs worth of tax money? Please correct me if I'm wrong, because I'd really like to know.
You are absolutely correct. The tax collected can only be spent on the hospital project. If we can for any reason pay the hospital off before the 10 years is up the tax would end.
This sales tax is needed to insure that we will be able to meet the payments without being a burden to the city. All indications are that the hospital can not only meet the payments, but if it grows as all of the different entities expect, it should be paid off early. In that case, any reserved funds from the sales tax can be used to help pay it off early.
The "sunset" on the sales tax is maximum 10 years, or sooner if the debt is ended.
Patrick McDonald
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