Part 2 of Dothan mayoral forum

About 20 questions were asked of Mike Schmitz and Keith Seagle during the Dothan Eagle/WDFX mayoral forum, held in Sony Hall at Troy Dothan Thursday night. Many of their questions and answers were published in Friday’s edition of the Eagle. This is a continuation of their answers, which can be heard on -line at http://www.dothaneagle.com.

Q: Is the current form of government the best fit for Dothan?
Schmitz: Government is about leadership. We changed to the city manager form of government in the 1970s because we had a good ole boy system and people felt left out. The city manager is the right form of government for our city. But whatever we have, it is about listening to the people. We have 1,000 employees. We are one of the largest cities in the state. We need a professional leader.
Seagle: I am satisfied with our current form of government. It is not on my agenda to look at any change there. With my agenda, I will need the city manager more than ever to move forward with my plans. There is a lot of misunderstanding about the city commission and our form of government. We do not run the city. The city manager does. We really act more like a board of trustees. We provide policy.

Q: Do you feel Dothan’s electric rates are fair?
Schmitz: We are blessed to be in Dothan and have our own utilities. We are 25 percent lower than surrounding cities. I think we are lucky.
Seagle: Yes, I think our rates are low but can we lower them? Yes. Some time ago, the city crossed the line and put a tax on a service, as a customer charge, a hidden tax on utilities. It is a tax. Take it off.

Q: Do you think the downtown revitalization program is in the best interest of taxpayers and will the city recoup its investment downtown?
Seagle: My problem with the Downtown Dothan Redevelopment Authority, is about funding. I have met with Ozark and other cities. Every example we find gets diversified funding. A percentage comes from the taxpayers. In Dothan, 100 percent comes from taxpayers. How many grants has DDRA received? How many have they written? Zero. They got promised the money (from the city). To move forward, we have got to have diversified funding, so it doesn’t look like a program to help a few.
Schmitz:
Schmitz: Downtown is an embarrassment. We haven’t done anything in a long time. Anytime I meet somebody, I want to sell them on Dothan … but I have to avoid downtown. But private money is going downtown. There are 23 new businesses. There is Moe’s, a national franchise. A prestigious law firm is renovating the old bank building. We are moving forward and need to keep it moving forward. It is the heart of the city.

Q: What are your thoughts on the city’s options regarding its water supply?
Schmitz: I met with the Choc-Pea Management Authority about getting a permit in the next few years for a reservoir. The cost may be $200 million. It may cost Dothan $60 million to get involved. The first part is, can we get a permit. We are also involved in the permit process for drawing water from the Chattahoochee. We need to move forward both ways. The Office of Water Resources has said that Dothan is the number one area in the state with critical water (shortage) issues. We need to do something.

Seagle: We are either going to draw river water or build a reservoir. You need to ask questions. We have been told we can’t do any more wells. You know, that answer may change. We are going to question what people think they know. If we can get water from wells, we should be going that way before we spend money to build (a pipeline from the river or a reservoir). … There is a concern there, that this will be more about who makes money selling lakeside lots as opposed to the water. We need to question before we rush in to use your money.

Q: What are your thoughts on the animal shelter and programs to curb the animal population?
Seagle: We have the Wiregrass Spay and Neuter Clinic – a group that doesn’t just come to the city with its hand out. They got together with neighbors and said ‘we need to fix this problem.’ They got volunteers and talked to veterinarians. That’s the answer. It’s not an animal problem, it is a people problem.
Schmitz: The clinic was a great first step. We are not really changing (anything)… there are more and more cats at Westgate Park. I would like to see us take a step forward. People are not bringing their animals down like they should (to be spayed and neutered). We should get more involved with getting people to do that. Either way, now or later, it becomes our problem to face.

Q: Can more be done to help the homeless?
Schmitz: We feel we have about 300 homeless in the city. I believe a church-based answer is the way to go. We have so many churches working on it. Churches need to get involved.
Seagle: I think church and faith-based organizations (should do more)… We need to get away from check-book problem solving. How are you going to vote against (some of these groups asking for money)? All these things come down to funding. There are many good and valuable needs in the community.

Q: Should trash pickup be outsourced and the city get out of the landfill business?
Seagle: It is definitely worth looking into. I have met with Waste Management. We could put in a concrete pad and dump it (for them to pick up). There is a big savings up front, but the real important thing is long-term liability. Once you have one (a landfill), you have them forever. Give it to someone else and let them keep the liability.
Schmitz: Our landfill, we have about five years left. Closing it is a $5 million expense. We need to look at all options – whether is it using the Coffee County or Campbellton (Florida) landfill. It is a good time to get with the county and find a solution to save all taxpayers some money.

Q: How can the government help reduce the drop-out rate and help improve city schools?
Schmitz: This has to be a priority. Dropping out affects each and every one of us. Students get out of school, get lost and get involved in drugs and crime. We are losing kids in the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades and we need to find out why. We are lucky to have the “Yes We Can” initiative. The teachers can’t do it alone. Students need help. The superintendent needs help. This is a community problem we have to face.
Seagle: I know enough to know you leave it to the experts. We have an elected school board. The last thing they want is for the city to tell them what to do. We give them money. They have funds to do what they need to do. Give (students) an incentive by getting aviation and high-tech jobs. In between, what’s going on in school, leave that to the school board and the parents.

Q: The commission is often split with votes of 4-3 on critical issues. What can you do to help restore consensus and unity?
Seagle: There is a role for reasonable opposition. I firmly reject the team concept when it comes to politics. It is a good idea for athletics and companies. It implies there is a coach and everybody follows along. You wind up with a panel of yes men. We will never get anywhere without accepting opposition. Don’t shoot the messenger because you don’t like it. The greatest threat to Dothan is apathy.
Schmitz: I would like strong, independent commissioners with their own thoughts. We can disagree without being disagreeable. Working with the chamber, my business, in church, the best way to work is sit down and communicate. … We can come together and come up with a great idea. At some point, you have to move forward and have consensus building. Treat people with respect. It’s the right way to go.

Q: There is a growing division among different parts of the city, with an us versus them mentality. Do you recognize such a schism and how do you fix it?
Schmitz: Everywhere I go, folks are tired of the negativity and bickering. I heard a few people ran this town, when I came here 20 years ago. I joined the chamber and worked with this committee, and that one. The chamber is 1,000 members to create a better Dothan. I will reach out and make sure every district has a voice. A good idea is having meetings and work sessions out in the districts. As chairman of the chamber, we realized we didn’t have many minority members. We created a minority franchise seminar and brought in successful business people and the micro loan program came out of that.
Seagle: I have been in Dothan since 1989. There seems to be a ruling elite… decisions are made by a small group. Take a look at the past mayors. There are people in our city who do not feel they have a voice. The real division is our community is money. It manifests itself in the commission. It is too often, not what you want but who you are. If you have the right name, you get what you want. If not, you stand in line.

Q: What can be done to curb crime and retain veteran officers in the police department?
Seagle: I think our Dothan police force does an excellent job. We must have top-notch leadership that is open and fair and has their backs. They need to know they have leadership that supports them. After meeting with friends at the chamber, I wanted to look at (crime) from an outsider’s point of view. When they look at crime, there is a big red X beside Dothan. We don’t tell the City Manager and police chief what to do.
Schmitz: Anytime you have economic crisis, it increases crime. We need to be sure the police department is a top priority. We must have funding, equipment and training to succeed, and also leadership. But we also need to make a major impact on education and the drop-out rate, and create job so folks who don’t feel they have hope, will have opportunities.

Q: How can the city expedite road resurfacing?
Schmitz: It’s about money. We have $12 million (worth of projects) going on. We need to be careful about the decisions we make, like removing the grocery tax, so can continue the great things we have going on right now.
Seagle: It is about money and the money is there. We have $4.5 million is unbudgeted surplus. By definition, you are being overtaxed. We’ve got plenty of money there. The question is priorities. Priorities, priorities, priorities. Yet we have dirt roads in the city. We have raw sewage in Dothan – don’t tell me our priorities aren’t out of whack.

Q: How can industrial development efforts be improved?
Seagle: My feeling is, you build it, they will come. We need to build on the aviation industry in Dothan. We’ve got a college, aviation companies, we need to give them support, so a senior in high school can start working on career.
Schmitz: During the year I was chairman of the chamber, we created 1,300 new jobs. I have the experience and know how to get it. I-10 is a priority, with the Panama port project, and the new airport in Panama City, we are ready to explode. This area will go from 8 million to 16 million visitors a year.