March 29, 2008 09:44 pm
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By Debby Woodin
dwoodin@joplinglobe.com
There is one common theme found in the messages of the current slate of Joplin City Council candidates. Most of them cite economic issues and expansion of the local job market as their key concerns.
Five people, including the two incumbents, are seeking two, four-year seats in the April 8 election.
Incumbents Morris Glaze and Bob Harrington are asking voters to return them to the general seats they hold. They are challenged by two newcomers to the local election effort: Keenan Cortez and Veda Boyd-Jones; and by a former city employee and council member, Bill Scearce.
Public safety, customer service and a local government that is transparent, open and accessible to residents also are issues cited by several of the candidates as underpinning their interest in serving on the council.
Economic issues
Continued redevelopment of downtown is one of the issues cited by Glaze, 57, a salesman for Standard Transportation, who was appointed to the council in 2006 to fill the unexpired term of a council member who died in office. The same issue was cited by the other incumbent, Bob Harrington, who was first elected in 2004 and is seeking his second term in office.
Glaze’s interest in seeing the local economy expand is exemplified by his work since 1995 on the Joplin Industrial Development Authority and as chairman of the Joseph Newman Innovation Center for seven years.
“It is very important to me that the economic growth of Joplin be part of the City Council agenda and support of its development,” Glaze wrote in a questionnaire distributed to candidates by the Globe.
Harrington, 60, cites his past association with Main Street Joplin as well as his council service in demonstrating that he is willing to work on downtown-development issues.
“When businesses or industries look at Joplin as a possible site to locate, they want to see a community that is vibrant, successful and demonstrates pride in the community. I have always felt an attractive downtown that has a strong retail, business, entertainment and residential core demonstrates this community pride and vitality,” Harrington wrote.
Harrington listed new business and industry and higher-paying jobs as a category of economic issues separate from downtown redevelopment. “We need to actively work to bring new business and industry to this area and at the same time nurture and help develop our existing businesses,” he wrote.
Scearce, 67, an estate planner who served on the council from 1982 until 1990, said that a job for everyone is part of his vision for Joplin. “Job creation through expansion of existing companies and creating an atmosphere where companies will want to locate in Joplin” is one of the objectives he cites.
Cortez, 43, an executive manager, cited jobs and downtown revitalization as two issues he wants to work on, with public safety being the third specific issue he listed.
“I think it’s important for the future leaders to be engaged and focused on attracting industry or business to this community which will provide long-term, steady income for its employees and a solid tax base for the city,” Cortez said. “This creates a win-win for everybody to create jobs and tax money for city coffers.”
He said the city should search out a nice anchor for the downtown area. A large retail operation could “establish itself in one of our older buildings to create an anchor that will in turn attract other businesses.”
Boyd-Jones, 59, said she is not issue-driven. She wants to study the issues before she offers opinions. She said that as a writer, she knows how to research and would apply those principles to determine how to vote on issues as they arise.
Public safety
Cortez led a local effort to encourage voters to approve a public-safety sales tax that went into effect last year. The tax will pay for salaries and benefits to add police officers and firefighters to the ranks of the local departments along with financing projects aimed at crime reduction. He now serves on the Sales Tax Oversight Committee to monitor the city’s expenditures of that tax revenue.
“I am a huge supporter and point guy for public-safety issues in the city of Joplin,” he said. He favors starting on a new public-safety project financed by the public-safety sales tax to build a fire station on the west side of town to serve growth there, including the Interstate 44 area where the new Downstream Casino Resort now is under construction.
Scearce also listed public safety as a priority. He favors improving safety “by expanding police and fire services, and a street-lighting program that gives neighborhoods a brighter look for safety.”
Harrington lists resolving the underfunding of the Police and Firemen’s Pension Fund as one of his concerns in the area of public safety issues.
“For both the security of our public safety, employees benefits and the financial future of the city, it is critical that a viable solution to the funding of the Police and Fire Pension Fund be resolved,” he writes in the Globe questionnaire.
All of the candidates answered questions about downtown development, public safety, the police and fire pension fund, annexation and other issues posed by readers and online viewers in audio interviews posted on www.joplinglobe.com.
Transparent government
Scearce and Cortez cited improvements they say are needed in the conduct of public business as issues they want to tackle.
Cortez said he wants to “inject new out-of-the-box thinking in City Hall.” If he were elected, he said, he would improve city service by “minimizing red tape and bringing City Hall down to the citizens.”
He said the City Hall in the Park program started by the city manager should be expanded to a year-round service and that a suitable location should be designated to visit with residents so that the program doesn’t stop in the winter.
Scearce says that open government listens to those it serves. He said he would foster “open and honest discussion of the issues facing the community.” He said his positions will be posted on his Web site, www.billforjoplin.com.
Boyd-Jones, an author who has served on the Joplin Library Board, said she wants to serve on City Council because “I believe concerned citizens should work for a better community and one way is to be a part of the governing body.”
She said that she has no single issue to advance and “no ax to grind,” so she could bring “a fresh approach and a new voice to the council.”
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