Council candidates emphasize growth issues

Seven City Council candidates will be placed before Springfield voters on the April 8 ballot.

James Andrews and Gary Deaver are running for General Council Seat B, while Robert G. (Bob) Jones and John Murphy are facing off for General Council Seat D.

Three incumbents Conrad Griggs (General Council Seat C), Shelia Wright (Zone 2) and Ralph Manley (Zone 3) are running unopposed. Mayor Tom Carlson is running unopposed for another two-year term.

General Seat B

Candidate James Andrews is the owner of Joe's Repair Shop Restaurant and Saloon and two Gold Exchange locations. This is the first time the 20-year-old has run for city office, and, as the youngest candidate on the ballot, he campaigns that he represents the future.

He said the city is behind the times on issues like traffic and area development.

"I think the city needs to move faster in the 21st century; we move too slow. Widening of the intersections should have been done 20 years ago; why are we just now doing it?" He added that he hopes to encourage growth and prosperity by using city revenues effectively.

Andrews said he supports annexation but does not feel the city should "harass people in those neighborhoods." He said he would work to encourage businesses to locate in the city and support existing local businesses.

"We need to consolidate and be reasonable on the prices (of licenses and permits)," Andrews said, "and help the people that are in business and going into business by easing up on them, working with them. We want growth, we want new business maybe offer them a tax break."

Candidate Gary Deaver is the founder and former owner of Sparky's Waste Control, which he operated for 28 years before retiring in 1997.

Major issues facing the city include pushing for growth and economic development, and retaining police officers in Springfield, Deaver said. He added changes to the land development process need to be smoother for citizens because currently the system is set up for conflict.

"Because people are asked to take a black-and-white stancethat alienates the two sides and isn't conducive to them coming together for a fruitful solution that's good for everyone," Deaver said.

Making quick and fair decisions is also a way to help support businesses, but for the most part Deaver said the city has a good track record when it comes to supporting businesses.

Deaver supports annexation and believes the city is behind on the issue.

"We are late to the game in approaching annexation and we are rather defensive in what we are doing as opposed to being aggressive or proactive," Deaver said.

Educating citizens outside the area on the importance of being a city resident and being courteous is a key issue in annexation, he added.

General Seat D

Candidate Bob Jones is a professor of statistics and business philosophy at Southwest Missouri State University. He said annexation, along with infill commercial growth, will help grow the city. He said he was involved with Vision 20/20 from its conception, and thinking ahead is crucial.

"My approach is to think long term; if we think short term, we will pay later," Jones said.

He added that economic development in Springfield is a major issue, and one that is tied to the quality of life.

"If we want to attract high-end jobs and the best kind of economic development in our town, we need to provide them with top quality venues. We need to have good parks, good schools, attractive neighborhoods and we need to continue to have a low tax rate at the same time," Jones said.

Jones said keeping the inner city an attractive and viable place is one major way to bring in revenue.

On the business side, Jones said, keeping taxes low, having good organization, and continuing to support the businesses that are here will help the city be a favorable place to live and do business.

Candidate John Murphy is the owner of Murphy Communications, a company he created less than a year ago in Springfield which now has 19 locations, three of which are owned by Murphy.

Economic growth in center city is a major issue for Murphy. He said the city needs to educate more people about tax credits and low interest loans to stimulate growth. He also supports revitalization in the north part of town as a way to improve the city and encourage more people to live in Springfield.

"Obviously, the more people that live here, the more tax base we get, the more we can spend," Murphy said.

In the south part of town, he said, the city needs to find a way to deal with traffic problems.

He said annexation is good for the city as a whole, but some things could have been handled differently in the last election.

"I thought the last annexation was the right thing to do, but maybe the city pushed too hard. We need to spend more time showing advantages of the idea," Murphy said. "In the future (annexation) is wise for the city to do but I think we need to go about it maybe in a little different way, (with) a little more education to the people."

Unopposed

The unopposed incumbents report they all are in favor of annexation and support attracting companies that provide good benefits.

Councilman Manley said the city can prepare for the future by expanding sewer and utility services; he added that a new power plant is important for this growth.

Councilwoman Wright said she will continue to push for downtown revitalization as a way to support small businesses and develop the city.

Councilman Griggs said good economic development and growth, and cooperation between the many agencies like school board and local businesses is important.

"The main thing is to create an environment here, through schools, through parks and through our road systems to be competitive in the fields where people want to come here to the Midwest and bring their businesses," Griggs said.