With municipal elections getting closer, Starkvillians had an opportunity to learn more about some of the candidates Monday Evening.
The Starkville-Oktibbeha Voter Education Initiative held its first of three candidate forums at the Greensboro Center Auditorium. The Monday forum
was for alderman candidates in wards 1 and 2, with five candidates participating.
The event was sponsored by the Greater Starkville Development Partnership. Republicans Jason Camp and incumbent Ward 1 Alderman Ben Carver and Democrat Christine Williams are seeking office in Ward 1. Former Alderman Sandra Sistrunk is running for the Ward 2 seat as a Democrat, with Ben Carver’s brother Jesse M. Carver running as a Republican. Incumbent Ward 2 Alderman Lisa Wynn is also in the race, but
did not participate in the forum.
BUSINESS
Some of the most varied responses from the candidates came following a question about business in Starkville, especially in regard to TIF (tax increment financing).
“That’s simply shifting the tax burden to everyone else,” Camp said. “It gives someone else a break for a little bit of time, but it makes the burden on everyone else heavier at times, so
(when) we award these TIFs, we award exemptions, I think we need to be very conscious of what we’re doing, and how that changes the marketplace for other businesses.”
While still emphasizing that TIFs should be used with care, Ben Carver was a little more supportive, saying that the increase would be worth it if jobs came with it. Ben Carver was also vocal
in his support of the planned Starkville Industrial Park.
MUNICIPAL AIRPORT
The Starkville Municipal Airport, which has struggled to keep an operator and has seen the loss of its Hertz Car Rental facility was also the subject of a question that drew many different responses.
“I think if I had to ask anyone in my ward ‘do you know what they do at the Starkville Airport” they would probably say ‘those are the planes that fly over Walmart,” Williams said. “I think first and foremost, we have to
figure out as a community, what that airport does, and why it’s important to our community,
if it’s important to our community.” Williams added that she hoped for more collaboration between the city and citizens and institutions that use the airport. Camp contradicted Williams, saying that many Ward 1 citizens he had talked to own aircraft and use the airport on a regular basis.
“Just click on FlightAware, and look through the daily log that’s going in and out of Starkville Airport,” Camp said.
CITY BUDGET
On the question how the city budget should be managed, many candidates voiced support of putting more funds into infrastructure projects.
“I think that it is important over the next four years that the city of Starkville develop a comprehensive infrastructure program,” Sistrunk said. “It’s not enough to patch and repair streets and water pipes and sewer lines.
We’ve got to have a plan in place to take care of the minor problems, but also be prepared to handle some of the bigger problems.”
Jesse Carver did not mention infrastructure, and said he felt the city needed to spend more on parks and recreation, as well as on business incubation.
“It’s going to keep a kid busy, which in turn has a social effect of lower dropout rates, lower teen pregnancy rates, higher employment rates, a bigger tax base, because this kid is actually
working,” Jesse Carver said.
Williams said she would support cuts in places where the same resources were being used for different things. Mississippi State University Vice president for Multicultural Affairs, MSU Food Science Extension Professor Brent Fountain and Commercial Dispatch Managing Editor Zack Plair served as moderators.
The next forum is scheduled for April 16, and will feature the mayoral candidates, and a third is scheduled for April 19, and will feature alderman candidates for wards 4, 5 and 7. All forums are scheduled for 6 p.m.