By Sheila Stogsdill
news@joplinglobe.com
GROVE, Okla. — Seven City Council candidates outlined their visions for the city Friday and touted economic growth for the Grand Lake community as a priority.
At a Grove Chamber of Commerce Eggs and Issue breakfast, the candidates fielded questions submitted in advance.
Mayor Carolyn Nuckolls is running against Harry Worley and Mike Davenport for the at-large council position. Dustin Phillips is running against Gary Trippensee in the 4th Ward, and Larry Parham, an incumbent councilman, is running against a former council member, David Adzigian, in the 3rd Ward. Adzigian was tapped by the City Council to fill an unexpired term for 13 months, before narrowly losing the election in 2005 to Parham.
“I would like to see college students move back home to Grove,” Phillips said in his opening remarks. “I would also like to see sales tax go down.”
Phillips said he was in favor of not raising utility rates.
Trippensee added he would like the city to come together and heal, adding he wanted to see an open and fair government.
Parham and Worley agreed selection of the city manager is a top issue.
Davenport said the council needs to focus on issues such as infrastructure, a new hospital and a downtown revitalization plan to revive the downtown shopping area.
“Young people are the backbone of Grove,” said Nuckolls, a second-generation council member, who has served on the council for 18 years following her mother’s service of 26 years on the council.
Nuckolls said there was no way to build a new civic center with money from the sale of the current civic center.
“It’s a losing proposition to build a new civic center,” Parham said. “They lose money.”
“I would like to see the city get on financial footing and control the city debt,” Adzigian said.
All candidates wanted to see new businesses come to Grove.
However, the main obstacle seemed to be infrastructure, which all candidates said needed to be addressed.
All the candidates agreed that the city’s hands were tied concerning a proposed casino to be built by the Seneca Cayuga Tribe.
“If it’s on Indian land, we don’t have a choice,” Adzigian said.
If a casino does come in, the community’s fire and police departments will work with the tribe and make the best of it, Trippensee and Davenport said.
Parham said the proposed two-story building will have 200,000 square feet and employ 300 people.
“We really can’t prevent this,” Parham said.
Parham said the preliminary agreement with the tribe is for the city to receive a percentage of non-gambling funds.
The city will face additional expenses as a result, especially costs associated with beefing up the community’s fire and police departments, Parham said.
“We will need to purchase another fire truck that is equipped to reach the second floor of the casino,” he said.
“Grove is a church town, there are more casinos (in Oklahoma) than in any other state — that is bad,” Nuckolls said.
“I’m for it,” Worley said. “Anything that brings in jobs is a good thing.”
In agreement
All of the candidates said they believe the issue of selling the Grove Civic Center should be voted on by residents.
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Grove candidates cite visions for town
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