CENTERTON ALDERMAN , WARD 3 POSITION 1
Posted on Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Candidate's name: Thomas Laird Background: Three-year Centerton resident Employment: Charlie Craig State Fish Hatchery Family: Married and has three children Candidate's name: Rodney Meisenbacher Background: Eight-year Centerton resident Employment: Keeling Co.
Family: Married, has one child.
Question No. 1: What do you think of Centerton's current growth rate ?
Laird: To be honest with you, I think that's one of the problems with Centerton. The growth rate has drastically outpaced the infrastructure of Centerton. You know, Centerton has a small tax base, and I think that's one of the keys to the future of Centerton - to increase the tax base by getting more businesses here. You know, they're having all these homes - a lot of people say it's a bedroom community of Bentonville, and we have all these homes and these people that are here, and we have roads to maintain and a fire department and a police department, but the money is just not there to maintain the number of people we have. So I think that's key right there. The No. 1 issue for Centerton is increasing its tax base so we can increase services to the public. I see growth, from my standpoint - this has nothing to do with the question - as an issue, because it concerns the hatchery. From Centerton, I think it's kind of a double-edged blade - it's good, but it also has disadvantages. And I think that's the key right there. Infrastructure-wise, Centerton suffers.
Meisenbacher: If you are talking about the city's growth rate today, since part of that is measured in home sales, today it's growth rate could be better. We have a lot of empty homes just like every other city. If you are talking through the last two to three years, then our infrastructure as a city is now having a chance to catch up to the number of citizens it has increased by in the last five years.
Question No. 2: What can the City Council do to attain and maintain the correct pace for growth ?
Laird: I think that one of the keys is, just like I said a while ago - and I hate to beat a dead horse, but it is - we need to bring in more businesses so we can increase that tax base, and that way they can improve the services they have. Because right now they're having issues maintaining the roads. We're having issues maintaining the roads. We're having a lot of these developers come in. And they'll build the road initially, then the city has got to maintain it once they leave. And like I said, the tax base is just not there to do that. And I know there are other issues coming up with the city. I know they're fixing to have issues with sewer, too, because I think it's 2010 or 2012 that the city of Bentonville has told them they have to make a decision on what they're going to do with the sewer system because we can't keep allowing Bentonville to take our sewer for us. So that's another hot button, I think, that's going to happen in the next two to four years - deciding what's going to happen with that.
Meisenbacher: Continue to meet as an advisory council, assisting in the decision-making of governing, and providing a safe, clean family-oriented city. If you have an attractive, safe city for people to live in, people will continue to want to live there.
Question No. 3: What should the city do to meet citizens'need for water in the years to come ?
Laird: I have (addressed it ) on the sewer side. I think when they had the Two Ton loop that came through, I think that was a big benefit because it helped increase the - what's the word I'm looking for ? I don't want to use infrastructure again. It just made it where it was more diverse, and they had more lines down. Just to give you an idea, I used to not be in the city limits. And they came in and installed water lines on us. We are now. And we now have city water. So I think that's been a benefit, where they can supply water to more people. In the future ? I'm just not knowledgeable enough in that to answer that question.
Meisenbacher: Continued dedication to the citizens, including from the city of Centerton Water and Sewer Department, will continue to provide for all the citizens' needs.
Question No. 4: What need of the city's should be the top priority of the City Council during the term you are seeking ?
Laird: I see the No. 1 need as increasing the tax base, increasing the number of businesses coming in, whether that's through me serving on the Planning Commission - I know there will be a couple of openings in that - whether it's serving on the budget committee. But I see that as the No. 1 problem. I think the second leading problem will be, eventually, sewer. Then you've got things like police and fire and the city Road Department, maintaining things like that. All of it's key to me because I use these roads every day with the job I have, and I see how bad they're getting.
Meisenbacher: Utilize the slower growth rate as a time to continue to improve and build our infrastructure to improve the lives of our citizens.
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