Editor’s note: This is the second part of the candidate forum coverage tonight at the Roanoke Rapids Theatre, which was sponsored by the Roanoke Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Daily Herald. The questions were those of the Daily Herald.
What have you done to improve the quality of life in Roanoke Rapids?
Emery Doughtie, mayoral challenger: “Most of you know I have served on the school board for 14 years. I am actively involved in church. My faith is why I’m here tonight. My faith has given me the courage to file. I have taken an active role in rebuilding properties in town. I have purchased vacant property, I pay a lot of taxes. I serve on several service organizations, the HCC Foundation Board. I feel like we all from the least to most fortunate are really blessed to give back to the community.”
D.N. Beale, incumbent mayor: “For the last seven years since I have been mayor I have seen a lot of good qualities. We have a museum, a walking trail which gets 8,000 visitors. We’ve worked on our senior citizens to give them places to meet. We’ve talked about a physical fitness center at T.J. Davis. We have adequate ballfields but we need to improve. These are things we can work on. We have to be sure we have the funds to work on these things. We’re not going to tap into our fund balance. We support the Main Street program. We’ve donated money to it. A lot of things have been done to improve the quality of life in the city.”
Greg Lawson, challenging incumbent Jon Baker: “For the past 30 years I have served in law enforcement capacity. I’ve worked hard to ensure safety. I feel like we got it right. I dedicated my life to the profession. What I can offer you is time, commitment to the community. I want to reach out to the taxpayers, represent you and make the best decisions for the good of all. I will be open, honest, willing to make tough decisions and the biggest is being accountable for it.”
Baker: “Quality of life is very important. We have a variety of programs and policies in place. We have the Canal Trail, the museum, the Aquatic Center, Our parks and recreation department is second to none. We have Valleyfest, Fridays in the Park. Economic development is quality of life. We have to continue to do that. Sports programs are an integral part. We are are studying with the school district to find the best use for the Patterson Mill site.”
Suetta Scarbrough, challenging Ed Deese: “I produced two fine sons in this town and helped mold their lives. I ran a preschool for 13 years to mold young lives. I served on the board of trustees for Halifax Community College for 18 years. Wherever we lived, we helped give back to the community. I’ve held leadership roles since high school. I’ve certainly been an honest person. I’m open to the citizens. I give you my ear. I have time and interest to do it. I’ve been here 36 years. I want to do the best I can for the town while I’m here.”
Deese: “I’ve been in Roanoke Rapids since 1967. I was the manager of the social security office, helping people every day. Since I’ve been retired I help them in their appeals. I’ve been a member of the Lions Club since I came to town. The Lions do quite a bit to help the community. I’m on the Council on Aging in Halifax. I’m proud to do all I can do. I’m proud to give them the best advice I can to make it a better place.”
How do you heal Roanoke Rapids financially?
Beale: “We are already working on healing the financial situation. We’ve increased the fund balance $2.3 million ... We’re trying to find ways to increase revenues without putting it on the backs of the taxpayers. We will not have a tax increase in the coming years.”
Doughtie: “All I know is if you cut services you can increase the fund balance. Services have been cut. Look at the way our streets look. We’re saving money now. You can’t say you cannot have a tax increase. Looking at the $1 million payment to sit in this nice theater, if it doesn’t work we’d have to come up with the money ourselves. We need to look for ways to generate revenues, offer landlords incentives like no taxes, give renters breaks, seek lots of grants and other things to offset the problems we’re having.”
Baker: “The city is well on its way to heal to the fund balance. We’re on track to be at 23 percent. If we operate the city like a business, making the necessary economic development opportunities, we can heal the fund balance. In 2007/2008, building permits were at an all-time high. That’s what economic development does.”
Lawson: “The most important thing is this very building has to be successful or we have a $21 million note to pay. We have to make sure we put aside one year’s worth of a debt reserve to equal the amount of the payment. It needs to be policy. Last year the fund balance was 8.3 percent. The increase in the fund balance has been on the backs of the taxpayers and the services we lost but taxes have not decreased ... We’ve had a 13.4 percent increase over the last eight years.”
Deese: “I believe the situation is going to improve as the economy improves. Allen Purser and the chamber are working as hard as they can to improve the business idea. I believe getting industry coming to help will get us back on our feet financially. We’ve come a long way since the low point. This theater is going to bring us out of our problems and be successful.”
Scarbrough: “I agree with everyone who has spoken. Once I filed I got to learn all I could about city government ... A city council member makes $7,500 a year. In the line item I learned about two street sweepers, one them needed repairs. I’m not going to take a salary. You can take that $7,500 and put it on a street sweeper. I’ve been adamant the town looks like we just don’t care and then at election time, miraculously, the town starts getting cleaned up.”
Role of city government
Doughtie: “My view of the role of mayor is as being an advocate for the city, promote the city, make them want to come here. The mayor should not use influence to dictate day to day workings of the city. It’s not his job to tell supervisors how to do his job. We adopt ordinances, policies, as long as the distinction is made we should realize we have no individual power, no authority. It’s not my job as mayor to see about getting problems fixed. We have parks and recreation and public works and they enforce these policies.”
Beale: “I’m going to take a salary. I make $9,000 but when I went to Chicago I didn’t turn in any tickets. I paid out of my own pocket. I will be meeting with Ed Jones and that comes out of my pocket. When we went to Chicago I paid my own way and that was $500 or $600. When I went to South Carolina I paid my own way. The cell phone is not the city’s cell phone. Ninety-five percent of that is paid by me. My view is the role of the mayor is I work for it 365 days a year.”
Lawson: “I will represent you openly, honestly and transparently, reaching out to you, inviting you to join the process. I will leave the operations of the city to the city manager because that’s who was hired. We have to try to keep taxes down, foster positive growth, improve and beautify. We have to be an ambassador, represent and make wise decisions for the taxpayers.”
Baker: “City council has to allocate its resources in a fiscally responsible manner. We have a contingency fund of $400,000 in reserves in case of an emergency for the theater. We’re on track for another $400,000. We have $2 million in bond proceeds at First Citizens in the event of default. Back in February, when the economy was deteriorating I gave up 100 percent of my salary to employees hard hit. I picked five employees hard hit. It wasn’t written about because it was good news. There were other employees who did that.”
Scarbrough: “We’re to use our money wisely ... I was asked to be on a citizens advisory committee to improve things and found out that day half the ideas were already in policy. The role of city council is to take care of the taxpayer’s money. In the city charter council appoints the city manager to be responsible for all departments of city government. It’s up to city council and the mayor to make policy and the city manager to enforce the policy.”
Deese: “I see the role of city government to look after the people who live within the city. The first order of business is the protection of the public with a good police department and fire department. We have both. There are a number of other things like collecting trash, doing potholes when we have the money to do it. We have a library, a senior citizens group, a recreation department. We have to make every effort to make taxes as low as possible. When expenses for the city go up, we have to do whatever is necessary to protect the public.”
Closing statements
Beale: “I’m asking you to let me serve you another term as mayor. Some of you I feel have lost confidence in me. One of my goals is to restore confidence and not only at election time.I got hit and bruised with what has been printed in Sound Off. I will take the abuse and keep my shoulders high, my head high.”
Doughtie: “I want to serve you and be your mayor. I haven’t changed anything in the last three months. I’m proud of the fact I was born and reared in Roanoke Rapids. I am intent on living here the rest of my life ... We need you giving us ideas and making suggestions. I will give the mayor’s job the time it needs.”
Baker: “When I was first elected to city council, it was a very humbling experience to know that my community voted for me and trusted me to represent them. Since being elected I have always strived to represent the taxpayer’s point of view. Part of being a leader is not only making the hard decisions, but asking the tough questions, I will always stand up and speak out for the citizens of Roanoke Rapids and I respectfully ask for your vote on Nov 3rd.”
Lawson: “I wouldn’t be up here if I didn’t want to represent you. If you’re satisfied with the state of government you know what you need to do. If not, I’m your choice.”
Deese: “It’s been an honor for me to serve on city council. As a city council member I’m as proud as I can be. The only thing that matters is what you can do for the people. How would I treat this person? I try to treat everyone as well as I possibly can.”
Scarbrough: “The current administration has not only squandered millions of dollars of the citizens’ savings account, but also has driven the people of Roanoke
Rapids deeply into debt. It could take generations for us to dig ourselves out of this financial hole ... With good leadership, we can do it. This problem occurred because of poor leadership, a lack of proper planning and most of all, a failure to inform the citizens. There were too many closed sessions and secret meetings. Had the citizens been kept informed about how their money was being spent, and had the citizens been given the opportunity to be involved in discussions about their future, these serious problems would not have occurred. That's why I insist on open government, where citizens are kept informed and are allowed to participate in the governance of our city. This is not a novel concept. It is called democracy.”
