Issues
and Questions for the Mayoral and City Council Forum
Fairhope Civic Center Auditorium
Broadcast Live by WABF Radio
1220 AM
September 25, 2008
Citizens for Responsible Government (CFRG)
Dr. Harvey Joanning,
President
Gary Gover, Vice President
Edward Lawrence, Secretary
Phil Brady, Treasurer
This website is available for your information and to give you an opportunity to provide input. Please read the following summaries of issues and questions suggested by CFRG and individuals who have submitted comments. Let us know what issues you would like addressed by voting for questions listed below or submitting your own question. You can submit your comments and questions to:
Or write to:
Citizens
for Responsible Government
560 Morphy Avenue
Fairhope, Alabama 36532
Issues and Questions composed at the September 3, 2008 meeting of CFRG
During the three-minute introductory comments, have each candidate briefly describe their vision for Fairhope in the following areas:
1. City revenue and expenditures
2. Management of growth and development in and around Fairhope
3. The relationship between the mayor and city council
Specific Issues and Questions:
Issue: City Finances
(e.g., cash flow, current and long-term debt)
Questions: What is the city’s financial condition,
please be specific? How would you communicate the city’s financial status to
the public?
Issue: Growth Management
(e.g., planned development or “smart growth,” “green” development, high density
vs. low density development, up-dated planning and zoning ordinances, connectivity,
walk-ability, village concept, adherence to “comprehensive plane”)
Questions: What kinds of growth would you encourage?
How would you use planning and zoning ordinances to deal with population density?
What would you do to implement the Fairhope Comprehensive Plan?
Issue: Water
(e.g., storm water management, sewage management, herbicide and fertilizer runoff,
comprehensive watershed management)
Question: What would you do to ensure
that water is properly managed within the city’s jurisdiction; by water we mean
storm water, sewage, and general runoff?
Issue: Public Safety
(e.g., police department, volunteer vs. professional firefighters)
Questions: Should the city fire department
continue to be volunteer-based or run by full-time professionals? Why, and how
would you fund it?
Issue: Openness
in Government (e.g., transparency of city finances, public involvement
in city governance)
Questions: What would you do to facilitate
the public’s participation in city governance? How would you keep the public
aware of city activities and finances? What is your view of the use of “discretion”,
“common sense”, and “letter of the law” when enforcing city ordinances and zoning
regulations?
Issue: Traffic:
(e.g., congestion, parking, mass transit)
Questions: What would you do about traffic
congestion and flow and how would you fund it?
Issue: Special
Projects (e.g., library, history museum, new parks)
Question: What special projects do you
see in Fairhope’s future and how would you propose to fund them?
Issue: Revenue
(e.g., property taxes, sales tax, utility rates, borrowing)
Question: If additional revenue is needed
to fund the city, which do you prefer and why: sales tax, property tax increase,
raising utility rates, raising fees, or borrowing the money?
Issue: Areas outside
the city limits but adjacent to the city limits (e.g., zoning, police
and fire protection)
Questions: How would you deal with areas
around the city that are not zoned but require police and fire protection? Would
you consider annexing or attempting to zone areas around Fairhope and what are
the issues involved?
Issue: Role of
Mayor and City Council (e.g., mayor combined with or separate from
directing utilities; strong council/weak mayor)
Questions: If you were elected to the
City Council, what do you see as the role of the council and the mayor? If you
were elected mayor, what do you see as the role of the council and the mayor?
Issues submitted by Dan Stankoski 9-1-08
Issues submitted by Harvey Joanning 9-2-08
Informational Note: The Alabama Department of Revenue, Property Tax Division informs us that an Alabama city can raise its property tax by 5 mils without calling for a public vote. A vote is required for any increase over 5 mils.
Relevant questions: How did the city get to 15 mils property tax? What is this tax committed to (e.g., paying off indebtedness)? Could the mil rate legally be lowered? If any of the mils of property tax were originally levied to cover a long-term commitment such as a bond, it may be illegal to lower such taxes. The devil is indeed in the details of many of the issues facing us in this election.
Submitted by James Watkins on September 7, 2008
Questions for Mayor Kant:
Why are you the only one out of the 17 candidates for office this election saying our city finances are in great shape?
Why is it better to keep raising our own utility bills to run the city-- rather than make the tourists help pay our bills too with a small sales/usage tax?
You told me you'd keep Fairhope, Fairhope, but didn't do it. Why should I vote for you again?
Did you make any mistakes handling the Wal-Mart affair? If so, what were they?
Do you favor separating the Mayor's job from that of Utilities Superintendent? Why or why not?
Questions for Dean Mosher:
Why do you think the Mayor is the only one out of 17 candidates for office this time claiming our city finances are in great shape? How do you agree or disagree?
Why is it better to keep raising our own utility bills to run the city --rather than make tourists help pay our bills too with a small sales/usage tax?
Where do you think the Mayor went wrong keeping, Fairhope, Fairhope? What would you have done differently?
How would you have handled the Wal-Mart affair differently from the Mayor?
Do you favor separating the Mayor's job from that of Utilities Superintendent? Why or why not?
Danny Corte:
You say you're against a sales tax, but what about our utility bills and property taxes? Will you just raise them instead? Isn't that just as bad?
You've said during the campaign "we need to have better fiscal management of the taxpayers money." How will you accomplish that? Do you disagree then, with the Mayor's claims the city is in great financial shape?
Won't your family's large landholdings in the area create a conflict of interest with doing the "people's business"?
Do you believe the Mayor's job should be separated from that of Utilities Superintendent. Why or why not?
Dan Stankoski:
You say you believe in more transparency in government. How will you accomplish that?
Do you believe the Mayor and Utility Superintendent jobs should be separated? Why or why not?
What good does it do to take a no sales tax pledge-- like your opponent has-- but say nothing about hiking our property taxes or utility bills instead?
You voted against the Mayor's proposed city run cable TV system. In hindsight, do you think that was a good decision? Why?
Submitted by Mary Cunningham on September 8, 2007
Mayor Kant:
Do we really need to be pouring millions of dollars into a big airport--wouldn't it be better spent on roads/intersections/sidewalks in town?
Why are we building & maintaining city ball parks way down in Barnwell-- shouldn't all city parks actually be in the city?
Dean Mosher:
Isn't it unfair to ask Colony residents to pay more for public works projects than what everyone else pays?
Questions for council candidates:
Danny Corte:
You are on the Chamber of Commerce's Gov. Affairs Committee that supported the recent property tax hike( last Jun.); therefore you supported the property tax hike yourself. True or False?
Questions submitted by Jerre Fedor on September 9, 2008
1. Conflict of
Interest. Are you willing to identify and separate
yourself from conflicts with your business and personnel relationships.
2. Term Limits. What is your opinion on Term
Limits for Mayor and City Counsel positions?
Why are consulting and legal fees so high for the city? What measures do you suggest to minimize this expense in the future?
Questions submitted
by Paulette Fedor on September 12, 2008
In regards to the Single Tax Colony and particularly the mayoral candidate:
1. Who belongs to the Single Tax Colony?
2.
Who lives on Single Tax land?
3. Pertaining to mayor position since Dean Mosher is an officer--will he resign
from his office if elected? Would this be considered a conflict?
Question submitted by William Travis on September 12, 2008
Would you be receptive at some point in a four-year term to promote and propose a vote for a sales tax in Fairhope? Note: Mr. Travis explained that he is concerned that utility bills cover a high share of the revenue burden in Fairhope and that a sales tax would spread the cost among individuals lodging or making purchases in Fairhope.
Questions submitted by Tim Kant on September 19
1. Specifically, what high level experience do you possess to successfully manage a 50 million dollar budget and 300 people?
2. It's been alleged that the City borrows to manage its day to day expenses. If this is true, where will additional revenue come from to pay for a Utility Superintendent and City Administrator?
3. Exactly how do you propose to annex areas adjacent to Fairhope that don't want to be annexed?
4. The current comprehensive plan mandates the village concept. Without connectivity, the village plan won't work. Are you for or against connectivity?
5. Specifically, what is your view of development encompassing Greeno Road and the Triangle?
Question submitted by an unidentified person on September 23
When will Fairhope have 311?
Question submitted by Diane Thomas on September 23
Mr. Corte has placed a large sign on Hwy 104, about a block before the intersection of 104 and Bus 98, which reads: Traffic problems courtesy of Dan Stankoski, Traffic solutions courtesy of Danny Corte. I would like Mr. Corte to discuss some of his ideas for traffic solutions as he has advertised, especially for congestion at the triangle. And I would like Mr. Stankoski to comment on his role in the present traffic solution of redirecting all Bus 98 travelers from Section Street to Hwy 104.
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