Dothan mayoral forum
Max Oden /
Mike Schmitz and Keith Seagle participated in the mayoral forum.
Nearly 100 area residents turned out Thursday night for a first-hand look at one of two men who will be Dothan’s next mayor.
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. The forum, moderated by Eagle Managing Editor Ken Tuck, lasted slightly longer than an hour.
More than 170 people viewed the forum online at http://www.dothaneagle.com. WSFA/WDFX anchor Mark Bullock and Eagle editorial page editor Bill Perkins posed the questions. The following comes from the first 10 questions and answers:
Q: How do you stand on public transportation versus more widening of roads as a way to alleviate traffic congestion?
Seagle: There is a need to widen Ross Clark Circle. We have got to be able to get the attention of our Legislators to get our fair share of the money. The good news is, we are making progress with the work on U.S. 231 North and Honeysuckle and Westgate.
Schmitz: Public transportation is an issue, especially with our senior citizens. The biggest problem is the expense. We have over $40 million in state projects, over $12 million in city projects and $1 million in county dollars being spent on road improvements. The biggest thing is the I-10 connector, which is going to relieve some of our transportation problems. We can’t wait for Montgomery.
Q: Considering the state has failed to eliminate sales tax on food and the attorney general has said municipalities can’t without a state precedent, what is your position on the sales tax on groceries? And what are your thoughts on the one-cent sales tax?
Seagle: What’s done is done; I do not intend to do anything about the sales tax. I stand with John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan. If we cut taxes in one area, we can increase revenue overall. This will not cost Dothan anything overall. If we lost every cent of grocery tax tomorrow, it amounts to three percent of the city budget. But think about the impact it is going to have. Where is everybody going to shop? It is going to draw them like flies to Dothan. We will flip the vote 4-3; I need four votes to get the ball rolling on it. Then I will go to the Legislature. We do it all the time. It is not a big deal.
Schmitz: In the economic crisis, we are blessed they took those steps (of increasing the tax). Folks in Dothan didn’t believe they had a voice, that we should have had a lot more discussion. If you are going to raise taxes, people need a voice. The grocery tax, that’s his (Seagle’s) issue. We have budgeted $176 million in expenditures. Subtract the utilities and the $11 million that goes to debt service. That leaves two controllable expenses. Payroll is $65 million, which leaves $35 million to pay everything else. So when he (Seagle) says it is only three percent (of the budget), ... $6 million taken away from $35 million is greater than 6 percent. I think we should slow down and be sure it’s what we want to do.
Q: What do you think of speed humps?
Seagle: I hate them. Personally, I hate speed humps. It is a difficult situation. People complain about getting speeders. We can ask the street to be on close watch. It is controversial… if 75 percent of people wanted speed humps, we put them on there. That’s where we are. You can ask they be removed with 75 percent of the people.
Schmitz: I hate them. But it has definitely slowed people down in the neighborhoods.
Q: Do you favor tax abatements for businesses?
Seagle: Is this reverse Robin Hood – taking from the poor and giving to the rich? That money is coming from the working mother driving a 10-year-old Ford … her tax money will go to developers, so they can net more profit. The biggest thing is government interference in a free market. How is it fair to existing businesses? When you bring in mega markets, the Winn Dixies and Piggly Wigglies will go out of business.
Schmitz: You’re not paying them (developers) money. Right now we have nothing. It’s like the guy is hungry, wants an apple. His neighbor gets one and cuts it in half and gives half to him. He gets mad at the neighbor because he kept half. It is 200 jobs. The east side hasn’t been developed. It will create more opportunity around it. Development will move from downtown to the east side. Real estate values will go up. These are good-paying jobs. We are blessed in these economic times that someone wants to spend $16 million in our community.
Q: Do you favor a new library?
Schmitz: It has to be a priority. Like the downtown, we have ignored it for 20 years. A library is a reflection of your city. We need a 21st Century library. The city doesn’t have $16 million (to build one). The library board has a plan to remodel their facility and spend less money, get foundations and the city and county involved. As your mayor, we will get it done.
Seagle: I personally would like to see a new library. There is a gloomy feel (in the current building) already. This is not something checkbook problem solving is going to solve. You can’t write a check and get it done. We can search for grants, seek out foundations … it will not all fall on the backs of Dothan taxpayers. It will not be easy.
Q: What can be done to improve the impoverished areas of Dothan?
Schmitz: There are a lot of folks who felt left out in our city. We need to reach out to them. Like this Brownfield development, there is need in their areas (of Districts 1 and 2). They need infrastructure improvements and we need to listen to what they have to say.
Seagle: We need to expand our downtown redevelopment area. There is no disagreement that something needs to be done about crumbling buildings, but rather how to go about it. People ask why doesn’t downtown redevelopment money expand (north) to them? There are signs marking the historic district, but we have not done anything in the black community.
Reader Reactions
I would love to know what each candidate thinks of our current education crisis, the lack of school funding and what they feel would benefit the schools. Is education a priority and if so, how do they propose to make our current system more affective and successful?
As for my recent postings, the commission and mayors races are important enough and deserve a post especially when Seagle CANNOT cut taxes without legislative approval of a special election, statewide, to address the issue and that will not happen. It is truly amazing how many people appear to be naive and gullible enough to believe his misleading rhetoric. Also, you need only drive by Seagle’s boss at Troy University’s home and see the Schmitz sign in his yard and that should tell someone all they need to know about Seagle. Who would know him better.
I do want to apoligize and correct something that I had posted earlier. It seems that “End Of Tax And Spend” Everitt did not vote to raise taxes and fees 3 times during his tenure as mayor. After research of minutes of all commission meetings during Everitts tenure it shows that he actually voted to raise fees and taxes 7 times and, yes, he voted in favor of each one. Again, it seems that Kenneth the tax and spend hypocrite has suddenly found tax cutting religion.
Finding a car salesman you can trust is very rare! I traded cars at Mike’s place. The day I drove the car off the lot the engine light came on. I took the car back and was told not to worry about it that it didn’t mean anything. Well, why does a car have an engine light if it has no meaning?!? I am a widow and I need a car I can depend on and not have to worry about why the engine light is on. I told them I needed the light fixed. They ended up keeping my car for 2 months…still not fixing it! The salesmen, Bob Reynolds and service manager, Mr. Watford, and two other guys were very rude to me! I called the Suzuki office in California numerous times. I consulted with an attorney, but there is no lemon law for used cars, even though the car was only one year old and still under warranty. Finally, after hearing what an up-standing man Mike was supposed to be, I went to him and asked him to recall the contract and let’s start all over. He flatly refused to buy the contract back, stating they would fix my car. Guess what… the engine light still stays on all the time. Being totally frustrated and tired of being lied to and treated as though I was stupid, I finally gave up the fight. So you may see me driving my car around town with a lemon sign stating: “Mike for Mayor…No! No! He will never get my vote and I do not hesitate to let everyone I come in contact with know how he treated me. A couple of my fellow employees would not trade cars with him because of the treatment I received. This is all so typical of a car salesman!
I am sure Keith has researched the grocery tax enough to know it can be done. Also, if the spending is cut, the loss of that tax won’t make that much difference. As I person on a fixed income, I am all for no tax on groceries. I also agree with Kenneth Everett. Let’s stop the taxing and the unnecessary spending. Ninety five percent of all the “training sessions” they spend thousands of dollars on can be done on the internet or have the person come to Dothan and teach the session. That would be a lot cheaper that sending numerous people on very expensive trips for the tax payers to fund. Most of these trips end up being just a way to get away from work and do a lot of shopping away from Dothan.
If you think Mike can be trusted then vote for him….as for me, I won’t.
Ellen Harris
Please understand I haven’t really made a firm decision as to whom I will cast my vote for as mayor. I like both candidates quite honestly. What did strike me as amusing,of course I could be pulling a Glenn Beck here, is that the tax question on groceries just happened to be posed to Seagle first so that he had no chance to respond to the attack against his plan by Mike. A touch of bias by the media? Nahhhh! Surely not!!
TooBad,
Seagle is going to cut our taxes? Great, now what is his plan to make up for the lost revenue? From what I can tell, his grand plan is for people to flock to Dothan to take advantage of saving a couple of dollars on groceries (literally, a couple of dollars), and while they are here he thinks they are going to but other things on which they’ll pay taxes. Now forgive me questioning his logic, but does anybody really think more people will shop for groceries in Dothan because of this AND do you think they are gonna stop by a spend an extra $100 on some other item while in town which will make up for the lost tax revenue?
I don’t think Seagle will get this grocery tax cut passed, and if he does, he and the commission will be struggling with how to replace that lost revenue, likely with a cut back in services or things like road repaving, replacing police cars, etc.
Funny how some of you have never commented on any articles until now and only for Schmitz. The Schmitz campaign must be writing into shore up thier Pat ‘Tax and Spend” Thomas clone.
I’d also say that everyone I heard has said Schmitz couldn’t come up with an original answer that actually took a stand on any issue. That is not what we need in Dothan is another milk toast mayor like Thomas doing public works projects at the tax payers expense.
We don’t need a used car salesman as a mayor, slick but absolutly no substance!
I am voting for a change from taxing us and spending on stupid stuff. I’m voting for the better man, Keith Seagle, he’ll cut our taxes in Dothan!
i’m not going to get into the personal character of someone but let’s just say I am more than happy to vote for schmitz and leave it at that…
TooBad: You are the first out of about 30 people I have heard to say Seagle did well.
Personally, I thought Seagle fumbled for logic and reason and instead resorted to empty rhetoric, unrealistic promises, and lame catch phrases.
Schmitz handled himself well, and I thought showed great restraint. He had plenty of opportunities to rip apart Seagle’s illogical thinking, but decided to just keep to the high road.
I look forward to our tenure with Mike.
Dothanfive: I find it too interesting about your statement. Schmitz will need support, and Cornelius provided funding and help to Seagle’s election 2 years ago. Ferrell really is not a contender, so its between Barbaree (who will significantly help Schmitz’s cause) and Cornelius (a supporter for Keith for District 6). I go Schmitz/Barbaree…
Seagle says he will cut your grocery taxes and he is misinformed and misleading. The state legislature must vote to put it up for a statewide referendum for the entire state to vote on (good luck with the Einsteins in Montgomery). Great slogan Keith…tell the folks what they want to hear except try to keep it accurate and factual.
As far as Kenneth Everitt goes with regard to taxes, being very candid and factual, he is a hypocrite. he raised taxes and fees, voting in favor of all three, when he was mayor. kenneth wants us to think he has suddenly gotten no tax religion. You wonder if he and Seagle will say whatever it takes to be elected…shameful.
I totally disagree with the last post. schmitz was well spoken and answered questions with specifics…. the car salesman jab is just that….a rude jab. I can’t imagine many people saying seagle sounded better….in any forum. While I support Schmitz, I also say that I certainly hope I get NEW representation in District 5.
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