Candidates discuss ward concerns
March 11, 2008
Junior Caitlin Ellis poses a question about city involvement with MU students to candidates for the First Ward seat in the Columbia City Council on Thursday in the Columbia Public Library. The four candidates for the First Ward City Council seat participated in Saturday’s public forum, at which citizens raised questions concerning crime, city growth and safety.
Some of Columbia’s First Ward residents said they worry their vote for the future representative won’t bring change to their community.
At a forum on Saturday, all four candidates for the First Ward City Council position listened and responded to resident’s questions about crime, city growth and safety. Several residents questioned if any of the candidates could get anything done if elected on April 8.
About 40 local residents filled the multipurpose room, including Mary Thompson, who said she has been a resident of the First Ward for 22 years. Thompson, who was the first resident to ask a question, said she was frustrated about consistent problems in the neighborhood being ignored by City Council.
“There’s nobody caring about the inner city right now,” she said.
The forum, held in the Salvation Army on Ash Street, was the last in a series of community forums put on by the Central City Get Out The Vote Committee. The First Ward encompasses the MU campus and much of the area between Broadway Avenue and Business Loop 70, and between Clinkscales Road and College Avenue.
Thompson called the ward “the hood,” and said incumbent City Councilwoman Almeta Crayton’s “hands are tied” on many decisions.
Candidates had the opportunity to ask each other one question, before responding to questions from the audience.
Crayton agreed that her hands were tied and discussed troubles she had with landlords and trying to find money for programs for community children.
Another candidate, former Ridgeway Neighborhood Association Vice President Karen Baxter, said she too understood Thompson’s frustration, particularly in regard to crime rates.
“I do live in the hood,” Baxter said, and included that her neighbor’s house had been raided three times by the police.
She encouraged “every citizen in Ward one” to take a tour with the Neighborhood Response Team.
Ragtag Cinemacafé owner Paul Sturtz said he had been to Thompson’s house before. Sturtz said the increasing crime rate was part of “an outgrowth of a lot of bad planning and not much care,” and one solution would be to invest in early childhood development and jobs.
“If people don’t have hope for the future, it’s hard to blame them for doing unsocial acts over time,” Sturtz said.
The final candidate, former mayoral candidate John Clark advocated for neighborhood associations and safety walks, and how effectively they worked with the Columbia Police Department. Clark said his experience with North Central Columbia Neighborhood Association was one example of progress.
Clark blamed crime in part to population growth taking up many of the tax resources and misplaced priorities by the current council.
Other questions regarded refurbishing sidewalks on West Broadway, using neighborhood associations and office hours for the elected representative. The forum lasted almost an hour and a half.
Campus issues were largely absent from the question and answer section, and most of the students who attended were members of the media.
During the portion where candidates had the opportunity to ask other candidates their own question, Clark asked Sturtz if Sturtz would work for him, pending the outcome of the election.
“If I’m elected I have the perfect job for Paul,” Clark said.
Because of his entrepreneurship experience, Clark offered him a position on the Downtown Leadership Council.
“It’s comforting to know I have a fall back position if this falls through,” Sturtz said.
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