Little separation at mayoral forum

TOUGH TIMES

Yes, there are tough times ahead for the city's budget, but there've been many tough budgets in my 29 years here. I have sat through meetings and knowing that my job could be on the line because cuts needed to be made.”

Melinda Blind, candidate for FM Mayor

CHEERLEADER

We do have some nice things… As mayor my primary job would be to be a cheerleader for that.”

Tom Schulz, candidate for Fort Madison Mayor

FORT MADISON -  Five candidates for Fort Madison mayor outlined their visions at a Chamber of Commerce forum Thursday night. The field includes former councilman Tom Schulz, longtime city staffer Melinda Blind, four-time mayoral candidate Rodney Hoskins, and newcomers Carl Rippenkroeger and Roy Woodsmall.
Fort Madison Chamber of Commerce Director Savanna Collier moderated the event sponsored by the Chamber and posed questions around visions, city budget constraints, volunteerism, and the candidates' vision for the role of mayor.
Rippenkroeger said the mayor is a conduit to communication about the city.
“The most important role is talking and listening to the community,” he said.
Woodsmall added, “A leader should have honesty and integrity and be open to the public.” Schulz pointed out in Fort Madison’s form of city government, the mayor doesn’t even have a vote.
“Their job is to bring in public input and work outside the community to bring value into the community.”
Candidates agreed that transparency and accessibility are crucial aspects of the job.
“I would like to set regular office hours and meet people at their places,” Blind said.
Schulz proposed regular town halls, weekly meetings of the council, and interactive meetings, while Hoskins agreed that communication is vital to the post.
Budget challenges dominated the discussion. Schulz advocated for quarterly budget reviews. “City government has abdicated that responsibility to city staff and that needs to change,” he said, adding that the budget needs to be stripped down to 0 and rebuilt prioritizing funding.
Blind pointed to declining property values, rising costs, and the challenges that new state legislation has created for Iowa cities. House File 718 capped property tax growth and has handcuffed cities' most prevalent revenue stream.
"Yes, there are tough times ahead for the city's budget, but there've been many tough budgets in my 29 years here. I have sat through meetings and knowing that my job could be on the line because cuts needed to be made," she said.
Woodsmall suggested ‘skimming’ through the budget for non-essentials and eliminating those as a way to help curb deficit spending.
The city has a budget of just over $8 million annually and is projected to have deficit spending for at least the next three years.
Looking ahead, candidates highlighted economic development and community projects. Rippenkroeger called for downtown revitalization and Blind praised improvements to schools and parks in creating a better Fort Madison. Schulz said, “We do have some nice things… As mayor my primary job would be to be a cheerleader for that.”
But Schulz said downtown revitalization is a complicated endeavor with prices that are cost prohibitive. Blind said upcoming mandated sewer separation projects will help with some of the beautification because those projects will require resetting some curbing and sidewalks downtown.
Woodsmall said the Old Fort needs to be reset and said the facility was a “good source of revenue” for the city. Woodsmall, a high school senior at Fort Madison, said he volunteered at the Old Fort and it was the best summer of his life.
The general election is set for Tuesday, Nov. 4.