MAY ELECTION VOTERS' GUIDE
City Council hopefuls address municipal issues

1. Traditionally, at-large representatives serve as the mayor and mayor pro-tem although this is not a Charter requirement. Last year, Phillip Spenrath, a freshman representative, argued successfully that the highest vote-getter should be mayor. If elected, would you support the top vote-getter, regardless of experience, as mayor? Why or why not?

Dornak - My answer is another question. Why hasn't the City Charter been changed so that all citizens can elect the mayor? Not just four persons. Nov. 20, 2000, as councilman, I asked the Charter commission to do this. Terry Roberts estimated that 90 percent of the home rule cities directly elected their mayors. The commissioner turned me down. They did not want the citizens to vote for a mayor for El Campo. I want to see the charter amended so that all of the voters can elect the mayor.

Edison - No, because that person that have highest votes might have that much experience, and we need someone with at least two years experience past or present to fill those offices.

Martin - First - I have never thought of selecting the mayor position as a popularity contest. Just because you might get the higher amount of votes doesn't necessarily mean you're qualified to be mayor.

Second - I will support a person only if I feel they are qualified to handle the job.

Roppolo - In lieu of changing the policy and letting the citizens vote for the mayor as a separate item, I would support the top vote-getter as mayor.

Ryan - The voters voted to elect the mayor in 1991. That's what I support. I believe the mayor should be voted on by the people in a separate mayoral election so the voters can decide who will head the city government.

Spenrath - While vote totals can be insightful, I will cast my council vote for mayor based on the candidate's experience, integrity and motivation.

During my second year, I sought the position of mayor in hopes of enhancing communication between citizens, city staff and state officials.

Our mayor must be capable of disseminating information, communicating concerns and facilitating the sharing of ideas between local citizens and city officials. A mayoral candidate should be knowledgeable of ongoing City projects; emergency relief protocol; parliamentary procedure; and be an individual who genuinely seeks to promote the well-being of our taxpaying citizens and is not seeking individual personal gains.

Young - Yes, I would support the highest vote getter to serve as mayor. My justification for this is that I feel a candidate who has received the most votes also has the most community wide support and should thus be given the opportunity to serve as mayor.

2. El Campo approved its first non-voluntary annexations in decades Dec. 11 saying the city must continue to grow despite most at public hearings speaking against the effort. Do you support an aggressive annexation policy? Why or why not?

Dornak - This annexation is not about growth. It is about increasing the tax base. Mr. Spenrath stated in his Viewpoint column of March 19, 2008, "Thus, we are forced to find new previously unrealized sources of income." He stated two solutions, but he left out the most important solution, cut city spending. There are two groups in this election. One group believes that four councilpersons must make all decisions for the city. My group believes that some major decisions need to be made by all of the people.

Edison - No, but I do believe in annexations and feel that the ones that we are trying to annex should be given the bigger picture on how it would help them in the future, because El Campo needs to grow to bring in more businesses.

Martin - Annexation for our city is a must. We need new tax dollars to continue our repairs to streets and infrastructure. The primary opposition at the hearings was from a few business owners against the annexation. It was no surprise they would speak up against annexation because it will cost them new tax dollars they weren't paying before. As far as "aggressive' annexation is concerned, I'm not exactly sure what that is, but I do think business owners who use city streets and services need to share in the costs. If shifting some of our tax burden onto these businesses is "aggressive," then I suppose I'm in favor of "aggressive" annexation.

Roppolo - I would support annexation but I would have to see an intense study on each area; looking at costs to provide services; looking at tax base and revenues that would be derived from taxes. This study should include households on fixed incomes, retired citizens and costs that residents of new areas would incur in service connections and destroying their old septic systems and all other costs involved with living in the city limits. The project should carry itself without taxing current residents. It must be an economic decision for the city and its new residents.

Ryan - I am not in favor of an aggressive annexation policy. While not against annexation, I believe annexation should be decided by vote of the people and not legislated upon them.

Spenrath - First, most speakers at the public hearings were not taxpaying city residents. The vast majority of El Campo city property owners fully support our ongoing annexation knowing it is necessary for keeping city taxes down while enabling our city staff to complete paving, drainage and other necessary infrastructure projects.

The term "aggressive" annexation is deceiving as our ongoing project was thoroughly researched and deliberated by hundreds of El Campo citizens well over eight years ago. As many citizens have stated, annexation would not be an issue today if officials had gradually followed the recommended plan throughout the past eight years.

Young - Yes, I do support continued annexation in accordance with the El Campo 2020 Comprehensive Plan. This plan is a long-range community planning effort that was developed by a broad cross section of the community and adopted by City Council in 2000. This plan has since been updated by the current council and is intended to be a guide for current and future councils to enable a degree of continuity to exist with our city leadership. This plan serves as a guide to bridge the gap of where we are currently and where we want to be in the future.

3. What do you see as the next major issue facing the city of El Campo and its citizens? How would you address it?

Dornak - Cost of living. Real growth. How do you grow a city that has stayed 10,000 +/- 1,000 for 40 years? It could be real simple, reduce county, city and school spending and let the citizens spend their money. How do you do that? Elect a group of people that have two qualities, common sense and guts. Will this happen? Probably not. Maybe 10 percent of the voters will vote in this election.

Gasoline is going over $4 a gallon soon. You want the city to spend your money or do you want to spend your money?

Edison - Housing. I have looked around some parts of the town and I've seen some of the conditions of these houses and they really don't look very good for the future of El Campo.

Martin - I don't know of anything major facing the city of El Campo at this time other than getting past the annexation. We will continue paving streets and repairing infrastructure as usual at the same time keeping a tight budget.

Roppolo - The next major issue facing the city of El Campo and its citizens is how the annexations are carried out. Why will citizens be taxed for two years or more before they receive two of the more important services (sewer and water)? Some areas annexed several years ago still don't have these services. Seems like taxes could be pro-rated based on the percent of services provided. I am concerned that our current water and sewer systems may not hold up to the extra load without significant changes. I would want a precise plan off action with specific time lines.

Ryan - Out of control property taxes and foolish spending are items that must be addressed by the next Mayor.

Spenrath - We need to guarantee the integrity and economic stability of our historic downtown Central Business District through the continued support of a permanent rail bypass around our city; reinstitution of the Main Street program; and offer incentives and support in demolishing and removing dilapidated buildings and other safety hazards.

Through grants and designated funding, we can provide historically appropriate street and historic markers; refurbish existing sidewalks and street curbs; clean-up downtown alleys; and offer assistance in restoring uniform store front awnings.

Initiating a festival and supporting restoration of our historic community theatre can also enhance the downtown El Campo experience.

Young - In accordance with the community input that is included in the El Campo 2020 Comprehensive Plan, annexation is and will continue to be a topic for discussion in years to come. I will address this topic by supporting planned growth that will spread our tax base in order to fund the Community's needs now and into the future. I will also follow in the footsteps of our current Council and work to control expenses and maximize revenue in a balanced way to avoid overburdening the community while providing the services we expect.

4. City Council is currently debating at least $1 million in repairs and renovations at the El Campo Civic Center. Staff has told Council a new roof and air-conditioning system are no frills needs, but discussions have also included everything from a new entrance and facade to sound system and automatic flush toilets. Cost estimates aren't available yet. How much revamping/modernization do you feel is needed at the facility?

Dornak - It appears that the city has so much extra citizen's money that the city council is talking about spending $1 million on the Civic Center. The Civic Center is not a core responsibility of the city. I saw no real need to spend this. The Rotary is a great organization. In fact, it is El Campo's smartest organization. They fixed up a new clubhouse and gave it to the city. The city pays all maintenance, capital improvements, rents the facility, keeps it in great shape, covers all the losses each year and it costs the Rotary $40 a month.

Edison - Well, I think that if we renovate just some part of the Civic Center that if will be costly to El Campo in the long run. If it is going to be renovated, let's do a complete job and it won't come back and bite in the behind later.

Martin - The El Campo Civic Center is a great asset. This facility requires little from the city in annual budget outlays. The visitors to the weddings, parties, events and fundraisers spend money at other local businesses when they are in town. These sales not only help local businesses, but also generate sales tax dollars. Because we have not done any major repairs since it was purchased from K-Mart, the a/c unit and roof are in dire need of replacement. We also need to modernize the facility. Ultimately, the project will benefit El Campo and surrounding areas and will help to generate additional sales and sales tax dollars.

Roppolo - I would like to see more bids and opinions on the roof and air-conditioning. If these are a real problem, fix them. The restrooms need to be brought up to ADA standards. The audio-visual systems of

Civic Center are poor and need to be updated. Some areas could use fresh paint. The new entrance and facade are frills that could be added in steps later. The flooring and ceiling tile are both adequate and do not hurt the functionality of the facility at this time.

Ryan - None. There has been enough automatic flushing of public funds.

Spenrath - Nineteen years have passed since our Civic Center's last significant renovation. While thousands have attended annual celebrations, this facility has steadily transformed from being a beacon of community growth and prosperity to an aging symbol of stagnation and complacency.

It is imperative that we remove the brown butcher paper from around the restroom sinks, repair the leaky roof, and eliminate the frigid gusts of wind shooting out of the ceiling's humongous turbo vents. Handicap accessible restrooms and adequate lighting should be considered needs, not frills.

Maintaining local infrastructure and improving quality of life are two of our key fiduciary responsibilities.

Young - I certainly agree that the roof and the air conditioning system are absolute necessities. I know Council has put some effort into identifying other items that need to be updated or improved to keep this great facility serving the El Campo Community well into the future. I would like to see Council appoint a committee of citizens to take the current ideas and sort through the list to make a recommended priority list for Council to consider. This list should address all the items that would need to be completed during the time frame that the facility will be out of service for the roof repairs.

5. The city of El Campo provides funding for several "quality of life" services including Little League, Boys & Girls Club, Museum, Chamber of Commerce, Northside Center and the Aquatic Center in addition to outdoor park facilities. With budgets continuing to tighten, should the city continue to support all of these efforts? Why or why not? What would be the first area you would cut? Why?

Dornak - Every "quality of life" service has value. Some more than others. To tighten the budget, rank each by who uses it, what does it cost and will cost in the future, its location and what good does it do. Then support the ones at the top and not support those at the bottom. This ranking will be voted on by all of the citizens after being given the facts of the service, not ranked by a committee of four council persons. The council can then act responsibly on funding with the citizens in agreement.

Edison - I know that the budget is tight and I would like to see all of these facilities to continue. But if they are tightening the budget, something is going to give. And I also think that the time is now to start looking into other areas to keep this from happening. But if there is no other way and there is no other alternative, it would be the Aquatic Center.

Martin - I will continue to support the funding to all the services listed. The only area that I would consider cutting is the Aquatic Center hours of operation during the winter months. Everyone knows that the cost of operating the Aquatic Center is far greater than the revenue coming in. This is a hard decision as it enhances the quality of life for our citizens. It's a great facility, but we just need more participation to help pay for the cost of operations.

Roppolo - I am big on all the amenities our city provides, especially those that are dedicated to keep our youth, tourism and commerce thriving. These do enhance the quality of life of our citizens. I do not know of any that I would cut, but I would consider looking at ways to cut cost of operations of each area. Each budget item must be looked at carefully to keep costs of operation to a minimum. With working capital at $5.7 million on a $7.5 million budget, surely we can find ways to keep offering these "quality of life" services.

Ryan - The City should support what it can feasibly support and say no to what it cannot, namely the Aquatic Center. It was voted down by the citizens and is the biggest "drain" on the public "quality of life" funds.

Spenrath - To the children being nurtured by caring adults at the Boys & Girls Club, playing Little League, swimming at our Aquatic Center, playing at our parks or learning at our museum; to the high school students and workforce being educated at the Northside Center to raise their qualifications for better jobs; to the seniors using the swimming pool for rehabilitation; to the families using our parks for celebrations, reunions, or soccer; let me make one thing clear, when the current litigation expires and we can complete our ongoing annexation project, none of these wonderful "quality of life" services will have to be reduced or eliminated.

Young - This list is a testament as to why El Campo is such a great community. Each of these "Quality of Life" services adds to El Campo, and I believe that a large percent of El Campo residents are benefiting either directly or indirectly from one or more of these. These are the types of amenities that an individual or business would look at in evaluating if El Campo as a place for them. As to cutting funding to any of these, only the budget process can answer at what level each can be funded.

6. In addition to electrical, mechanical and plumbing inspections, the city Inspection Department is responsible for enforcing weedy lot ordinances, junk vehicles, unsafe buildings, demolition and more. What areas would you like the city Inspection Department to crack down on in coming months?

Dornak - The city Inspection Department has been "cracking down" in this city for as long as I can remember, and that has been a long time. My grandfather (Red Hill Natatorium - swimming pool and dancehall), my father (Marine Supply Co.), myself (residential and commercial rentals), wife (Cupid's Corner) and my sons have all lived in El Campo and have worked with the Inspections Department (except grandfather). No special areas need to be targeted. They just do what they are charged with doing.

Edison - I think the city is doing very well with what they have on their agenda at this because loading the Inspection Department will not help the budget.

Martin - The Inspection Department has a tough job in the enforcement of weedy lots, unsafe buildings, and demolition. The problem is trying to find the current owners and their heirs for the buildings. You cannot remove a building until you get permission from all the owners and heirs to the property.

Roppolo - There are many ordinances that are great, but there are also many that were adopted for cities like Rosenberg or Houston. This is El Campo; there are things that apply to Houston that are not applicable here. Common sense can take the place of review boards or variance committees in many instances. Inefficiencies in the whole process are detrimental to growth. Hold ups on new construction can make it not worth the effort. First, I think the city should hide or clean up its area between Higbee Street and South Wharton Street and lead by example.

Ryan - I do not see any area requiring a City "crack down."

Spenrath - As a city property owner, I would encourage our inspectors and local contractors to work through a system of discussions and evaluations to help resolve their concerns, needs and past discrepancies. Honest, open communication is the key to improving overall relationships, productivity and reducing hours of heartache and misunderstanding.

Our City's Internet Website should be updated for accessibility of construction regulations, permits and local building codes.

The demolition and removal of old dilapidated buildings and junk cars should be emphasized by both city staff and individual homeowners. Together, we can work as a team in improving El Campo's safety and beauty.

Young - I don't necessarily think the Inspection Department needs to single out any particular ordinances to "crack down" on. If you make the assumption each of these ordinances the department has been entrusted to enforce were necessary to begin with, they all need to be enforced.

7. The city of El Campo has an Aquatic Center, several parks featuring walking trails, picnic tables, basketball courts, playgrounds, soccer fields and more. What do you think should be the next community service addition to the city? Why?

Dornak - The next community service addition may have to wait. A recession could be in the cards for the short term. If this happens, there is the possibility of drastic reductions in city expenses so as to save citizens. Question 5 implies a reduction of funding for services.

But we do need to do something that was turned down on Nov. 20, 2000. A charter amendment that requires all "gifts" to the city be revenue neutral, therefore no red ink "gifts." Without this amendment, the city could be given a golf course, a bowling alley, an airport, another clubhouse, etc.

Edison - No comments at this time.

Martin - I really don't think we need to add any more community services to the city at this time. If we can keep everything updated and in good working condition, we can then focus our efforts on maintaining and improving the wonderful quality of life projects that are already in place.

Roppolo - We have several really good things now that I support. Having facilities that keep youth occupied and offer citizens a place to exercise and relax is important.

We do need to continue with the Heritage Center effort to accommodate our retired citizens and keep them involved with activities and fellowship.

Ryan - What the City needs is a city government representative of the people and reflecting the wishes and desires of the people because democracy and Article 1, Section 2 of Texas Constitution demand it!

Spenrath - El Campo's extensively researched and judiciously prepared 2020 Comprehensive Plan recommends the timely creation of a 5-10 acre City Park near our northwestern boundary that could potentially accommodate a skate park, bicycle trail, covered pavilions and possibly even a regulation Little League baseball/ softball complex.

As this region flourishes with retail stores and residential housing developments, we must continue promoting "quality of life" opportunities by constructing and sponsoring recreational facilities designed for social gatherings, fitness routines and all-around family entertainment.

Financial contributions can possibly be generated from government grants, civic organizations, the Little League, private non-profit foundations and other community advocates.

Young - Currently there is an ongoing community effort to remodel portions of the old Northside School property to make a facility to provide for the recreational, social and physical needs of our senior citizens. I would like to see the community continue to stand behind this effort to see to completion this worthwhile project.

I am also aware that the El Campo Little League Association is working to gain community support for a multi-phase plan that would upgrade the existing facilities to meet the growing demand of our youth. I believe that both of these endeavors involve facilities that do and will serve many in our community.