H1
Sunday, April 24, 2016
EDITORIAL: Voters must make hard choices. VIEWPOINTS, F2 HERALD STAFF REPORT
T
he candidates for important Killeen city and school positions are talking to you in this section and online at kdhnews.com. For the Election Guide, the Herald compiled questions and emailed them to candidates for Killeen’s mayor and three council positions and candidates for three Killeen Independent School Board seats. The candidates’ answers are below. Some were trimmed for space, but expanded answers are available at the Herald’s Center for Politics, kdhnews.com/centerforpolitics. Want to talk join the Twitter conversation? Use #KDHPolitics or search for that hashtag on twitter.com. Go vote! Early voting begins Monday and extends through May 3. Election Day is May 7.
KILLEEN MAYORAL RACE: VYING FOR THE VOTES
Two former City Council members and a candidate seeking change are vying for the mayor’s position. Elizabeth Blackstone, a retired educator, and Jose Segarra, a real estate business owner, resigned their council seats to run for mayor, as required by the city charter. Segarra was mayor pro tem. Hal Butchart, a retired Army officer and property owner in North Killeen, is seeking the mayoral seat on a platform of change.
What do you think are the top three issues affecting Killeen?
What are you looking for in the next city manager?
Elizabeth Blackstone
Hal Butchart
Jose Segarra
Among the top issues facing Killeen are keeping city services and infrastructure on par with the rapidly expanding population; bringing new businesses and industry to our area; and hiring a new city manager. Because Killeen is among the state’s fastest growing cities, we continue to have a need for more roads, more utility connections, more parkland, and other city services. While these needs are already being addressed, there will continue to be ongoing concerns. New citizens will also need good, better paying jobs and increased service and retail businesses. All of these fall under the work of our new city manager and council.
1.) Economic Diversification Killeen as a city and a people cannot continue to depend solely on Fort Hood. Most job opportunities in the Killeen area are limited to retail that pays $7.25 per hour and seldom more than $12 per hour. 2.) Transparency in City Government There is very little transparency in Killeen City Government — even the smallest matter seems to take a Freedom of Information Request. 3.) Enforcement of Fair Business Practices
#1 is going to be getting a new city manager in place. #2 is always public safety and Quality of Life. #3 is roads and transportation.
The next city manager must have experience working with city services, budgets, and employees. He or she must be able to interact with our growing, diverse population and with all elected officials. Good people skills are a must! The city manager should be organized, well-spoken, and intelligent. A background knowledge of the military would be a great plus.
The next Killeen city manager should have had recent experience in management of a city of similar in size to Killeen, of between 100,000 and 250,000 residents. The person should have a four-year degree or greater in a field of finance, business, city management or a closely related field. The person being a veteran, being not necessarily from Killeen, being able and open to work with many different types of personalities and not being “thin-skined” to criticism would also be desirable traits.
Someone that can help create a positive image for our city and be effective and results oriented in the role of city manager.
The city of Killeen’s current policies of almost total records secrecy is a disgrace. It makes it appear that the city has a great deal to hide from its own citizens — who are paying the bills. Transparency gives government its legitimacy. Without transparency, faith, trust and confidence in the city government, closest to the people, are lost and the citizens no longer participate, care or take part. The entire present public access to records policy needs to be looked at.
A process is already in place and a new council can always change or update the process.
The city belongs to its people, and these same people pay for the work of the city with their taxes and fees. Thus, citizens should have access to the business of the city. Our council meetings are televised, our council members have always been available and involved, and our city staff makes records public through our city information office. All lines of communication should be open to citizens when appropriate.
What will you do to ensure the public has access to records?
What actions will you propose in your first 90 days in office?
In my first 90 days in office, I plan to be involved with hiring the new city manager, with training of any new council members, and with setting the plan of work for the council. I would propose that citizens continue to be involved with city business through appointments to committees and through several listening sessions. It would also seem appropriate to begin a review of the city charter, as it has been about three years since the last review was done.
The actions that need to be taken immediately by the city’s elected officials are: A review and questioning of the city budget and how the city auditors are selected and what is the scope of the auditors’ findings? A meeting of elected officials with all city department heads and ensuring that all department heads meet together at least monthly.
First work on getting a new city manager and work on the budget that will be due by September.
How involved do you plan to be with oversight of city finances?
I plan to be, along with council members, continually involved with city finances through planning for the 2017 budget, through monthly financial updates, and through examination of expenses. Finances are of utmost importance to citizens, to the council, and to employees.
City finance is the most important oversight that elected city officials perform; since it calls for the effective stewardship of public tax dollars and other city monies. The city staff is in the business of spending all the funds allocated to them; the city council and mayors’ job is to see that these tax dollars are spent effectively, efficiently and fairly. This is why the financials from the city manager (another city employee) must be timely, correct and unambiguous.
As much as possible while using the resources and experts that are available to me and the entire council.