By CHRIS WITEOF
Record Herald Writer
Courtesy of the Weekly Record Herald; Printed November 4, 2011
WEST MILTON – “Meet the Candidates Night” was held in council chambers on Nov. 2 where citizens of West Milton had an opportunity to meet and put questions to the candidates for mayor, vice mayor, and city council. Among those present were Michael Coate II, running for mayor unopposed, Mary Kathleen “Kathy” Utz and Jason Tinnerman, competing for vice mayor, and Scott Fogle, Fredric Francis, Ora Ashley, and Donald Edmunds vying for the three open city council seats.
After brief introductions, the candidates were asked three questions for which they provided prepared answers within a three minute time limit. After the formal questions, the discussion was opened up to the public. Citizens were able to either write down their questions or, for the viewers watching at home, call, email, or submit their queries via twitter.
The first item on the agenda was the climbing water rates in West Milton. The town receives water through a 20 year contract with the city of Troy, which will continue for another 12 years. The contract, however, contains no cap or limit to increases in water rates. There was no specific solution proposed for this issue.
The candidates agreed that the contract needs to be reevaluated and the possibility of renegotiating with Troy was put on the table. Another option under consideration was ending the current contract, if possible, and seeking a more cost effective alternative for the town’s water.
Fogle and Utz mentioned quarterly updates on the water rates to keep the problem from getting out of hand, whereas Edmunds discussed offering the community with helpful tips to help conserve water and lower monthly bills.
The forum then shifted to the struggle between preserving the small town feel of West Milton versus the need to grow. The consensus was that the two are not mutually exclusive. Utz provided Tipp City as an example of a community that has preserved a small town vibe, but still promotes new business growth and development. The agreement between the candidates was that more effort needs to be made to draw new businesses to town, but it is also crucial to consult with existing businesses to work out how best to manage this growth.
The final topic of the prepared questions was how to handle the differing personalities on council and within city government. All candidates expressed their desire to create and maintain a civil, respectful tone to provide citizens with responsible and effective leadership. Team-building exercises were an option Fogle provided so that council members could have time to interact outside of meetings and debates.
The public questions covered a wide variety of issues. The enforcement of city ordinances and taking care of local eyesores was brought up. The candidates said that many day-to-day operations, such as enforcing these ordinances to help clean up certain areas of town, are up to the city manager, but conceded that a closer look at these codes would be helpful.
As far as the criteria for hiring a new city manager goes, Utz assured that thorough background checks and scrutiny are necessary. The matter of repairing the dam on the Stillwater River was also discussed, but no clear-cut solution was agreed upon.
Each candidate also addressed their unique qualifications and previous involvement in West Milton government and community. Each member also assured citizens of their desire to serve this community. The new direction West Milton takes will be decided during the elections this upcoming Tuesday, Nov. 8.
Questions and answers
Question:
“According to the finance director, there has been a continual decrease in the water fund which led to the residents having a significant jump in their water rates. How would you prevent or monitor this situation and similar funds in the future?”
Answers:
“We need to stay on top of the water issue. We need to be informed.”- Fredric Francis
“We need to look into getting it fixed. We have to go back to try and renegotiate it or work it out. We can get quarterly status updates as well.”- Scott Fogle
“We’re not just a little in the red with the water fund, we’re in serious trouble. We have to start thinking about what are options are down the line. We need to look at the budget more than once a year.”- Mary (Kathy) Utz
“This is something we have to fix. It’s not just up to the council; we need everybody working together.”- Don Edmunds
“We don’t have 12 years to sit around and discuss it. We need to work on fixing this or on finding what we can do to get water from somewhere else.”- Ora Ashley
“Obviously we can’t predict cost, but we can look into the future to see what our options are.”- Michael Coate II
“I had well water before, and its nice now to turn on the faucet and have clean water come out. The focus is that clean water stays here.”- Jason Tinnerman
Question:
“There is a struggle in the town between the need to stay the same and the need to grow. Where do you stand on this, especially when it comes to new businesses?”
Answers:
“We need to remember that the school is the biggest employer that we have here.”- Fredric Francis
“New and old council members need to work together to generate business growth.”- Scott Fogle
“Bringing businesses in is going to be our salvation.”- Mary (Kathy) Utz
“Without some kind of income, there is no West Milton.”- Don Edmunds
“We’d love to have new businesses as long as we can afford it (incentives).”- Ora Ashley
“If we can get new businesses, I don’t think anyone would be opposed to that.”- Michael Coate II
“The plan is to start (growth) with individuals who currently own businesses here.”- Jason Tinnerman
Question:
“A seven person council often means there will be seven different personalities and opinions. How would you handle possible contention or disagreements between you and fellow council members?”
“When you are in (council chambers), you’re not representing your agenda, you’re representing the people of West Milton. The only way to do that is with mutual respect among everybody.”- Fredric Francis
“How council has acted, it’s embarassing. It is ultimately paramount that we work together as a team.”- Scott Fogle
“There should be respect and honor in here (council chambers).”- Mary (Kathy) Utz
“When you’re in the chamber, you have to hear everybody.”- Don Edmunds
“In here, it’s a team effort to solve problems for the village. There should be no buddy system.”- Ora Ashley
“It’s not about us, it’s about the community.”- Michael Coate II
“Take your vote and, if it doesn’t go your way, it doesn’t go your way.”- Jason Tinnerman
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