First Ward candidates discuss issues

By Jewels Phraner

Published Feb. 5, 2008

This past Saturday in the backroom of an old downtown church, two men and two women dressed in their Sunday best sat at a folding table covered in a birthday tablecloth.

The candidates for the First Ward City Council seat passed a single microphone back and forth and answered questions from about 20 Columbia residents at First Christian Church.

First Ward Councilwoman Almeta Crayton, Ragtag Cinemacafé owner Paul Sturtz, former neighborhood association officer Karen Baxter and former mayoral candidate John Clark were given the opportunity for opening and closing statements, and members of the audience were given three-by-five note cards to write questions down for the candidates in the first of three Central City Get Out the Vote Committee-sponsored forums.

The committee has sponsored First Ward candidate forums since 1999.

Columbia police officer Mike Hayes, who attended the forum, said it was a good opportunity for citizens to meet the candidates.

“Some people here have probably never heard of some of these people, but this gives them a chance to get to know them,” he said.

Although the candidate’s differences became clear as the forum progressed, each candidate agreed on one thing in the beginning: their love of the First Ward stemmed from its diversity.

“It’s a very unique ward,” Crayton said. “It goes from being very poor to very rich.”

Sturtz said the First Ward is the heart of the city.

Transitional housing was the only major point of contention during the 90-minute forum. Transitional housing is programs created to enable people living in shelters to move into a more permanent living situation.

Some audience members, including Allen McCarter, voiced concerns that Clark didn’t answer the question regarding transitional housing.

Clark talked about affordable housing, but didn’t specifically address the issue of transitional housing, while the other three candidates said they supported transitional housing.

Clark said he would happily have addressed the issue of transitional housing, but he wanted to focus more on affordable housing in his allotted two-minute time period to answer the question.

Crayton said she personally knew of the need for more transitional housing in Columbia.

“When I first moved to Columbia — I’m not ashamed of it — I was homeless,” she said. “It takes a lot to move from a shelter into your own home.”

Sturtz said he supported transitional housing, but he wanted affordable and transitional housing to be spread equally across the city, instead of just in the First Ward.

An audience member also asked questions about directing more money into the First Ward.

Clark said he didn’t see any way to direct more money to the First Ward, but said money could be directed to services that benefit the First Ward as well as the whole city.

He cited dedicating more money to policing as a Columbia service that could benefit all wards.

The First Ward is home to many MU students, but students were never mentioned, and no students participated in the forum.

Crayton said in a phone interview that affordable housing was of particular interest to students.

“Students need decent, affordable housing,” she said. “Some of our landlords take advantage of students, putting students in unsafe residences. We don’t want them in fire traps and unlivable conditions.”

Sturtz said he hoped to make downtown more vibrant and student-friendly as well as increase the openness the city government has to student concerns.

Baxter said she was looking for opportunities to hear the concerns of students.

At the forum, Baxter acknowledged that she didn’t have all the answers, but by the time of the April 8 election, she said she would be fully educated.

Central City Get Out the Vote Committee Chairman Glenn Cobbins said the committee plans to allow more time for audience questions in the next two forums.

“We’re doing this because we care about the community,” he said.