Council hopefuls answer Brunswick residents' questions at forum
| Originally published July 28, 2010 | ||||
Brunswick -- High water and tax bills, sidewalk repairs, and a perceived lack of communication between the Brunswick City Council and the community were the topics of the night Monday as residents met with candidates vying for seats on the council during a forum at the Green Country Inn. Councilman Tom Smith said he was surprised by how many people expressed concern about openness between the council and residents. "I always thought we had pretty good communication, but it looks like this is something that needs to be addressed," he said. Councilwoman Beth Johnson said she has heard many of the same concerns, but that budgetary constraints often limit how the council can address quality-of-life issues such as roads and sidewalks. "They are things we're not fiscally able to do at this time, but they are things we are going to try to do," she said. While grants can help replace some sidewalks, residents are responsible for repairs in many cases, Smith said. The city has the option of repairing the sidewalk and charging the homeowner, he said. Six candidates are vying for three open seats on the council. The event was hosted by the Greater Brunswick Area Chamber of Commerce and moderated by chamber President Ellis Burruss. The candidates also addressed questions about economic development and what they would do to help revitalize downtown Brunswick . A number of candidates cited the efforts of Brunswick Main Street and the Greater Brunswick Economic Development Council and expressed optimism that those efforts would succeed. "I believe we have a lot of good programs," said candidate Andrew Alger, who appeared via the internet. "It brings people into Brunswick and brings people into our businesses." First-time candidate Angel White said Main Street and the EDC have the city's prospects headed in the right direction, but beautifying the city to make it appealing to potential businesses is also key. Johnson said high rents are also an obstacle to revitalization and that property owners need to be more proactive in bringing businesses into their spaces. The candidates also discussed the possibility of "pay as you throw" garbage collection, with most agreeing that the possibility should be considered if it would save money and residents support it. Smith said a similar program was considered several years ago but was abandoned after overwhelmingly negative feedback from residents. Councilwoman Mary Elizabeth Bowie and candidate Ellen Renfro were not present at the forum. |
