-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Framed by his water bottle with one of his caricature campaign stickers on it, Ward 2 City Councilman Cameron Nelson answers a budget question Thursday night during a candidates forum in the Triton Cafe at Iowa Central Community College.
The potential for getting more police officers and more economic growth in Fort Dodge were discussed Thursday evening by six candidates for the City Council.
There was broad agreement that the community could use more of both, but how to achieve that remained open to debate.
Also during the forum, Ward 2 candidate Shannon Crouse proposed creating a Southside Betterment Committee to get people in her ward more involved in the community.
At-large candidate Eugene Newsome called for repealing laws against marijuana.
About 45 people attended the forum held at Iowa Central Community College. It was sponsored by the college and the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance.
-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Richard HIggins, who had dropped his bid for the Fort Dodge City Council at-large seat in early September, listens during a candidates forum Thursday evening in the Triton Cafe at Iowa Central Community College.
One at-large seat on the council and all four ward seats are to be filled during the Nov. 7 general election. However, only candidates in contested races participated in the forum.
Those candidates were Newsome and Councilwoman Megan Secor in the at-large race, Jen Crimmins and Scott Davis in Ward 1, and Crouse and Councilman Cameron Nelson in Ward 2.
Adding more police
As the City Council was working on the 2023-2024 budget in January, a plan was presented that would add eight police officers to the 40 member force over about four years. The plan was set aside by the council on the grounds that it was unaffordable.
“I think the taxpayers would prefer a balanced budget rather than overspending,” Secor said.
-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Ward 2 City Council candidate Shannon Crouse listens as another candidate answers a question Thursday evening during a candidates forum in the Triton Cafe at Iowa Central Community College. Ward 2 Councilman Cameron Nelson listens at left.
She added that citizens have a role to play in helping to stop crime and violence in the community. She singled out the efforts of Next Gen, a group formed this year after a spate of shootings that consists of volunteers who want to steer young people away from violence.
“We as private people, not as a City Council, need to look to ourselves and really try to help kids out of this situation,” Secor said.
Newsome said ” If we need more police officers, we will find them.”
But most of his answer to the question about adding more officers was instead focused on marijuana laws. He said if he is elected he will pressure state and federal leaders to “stop criminalizing marijuana.”
“If someone wanted to get some weed and go into their house and smoke it, that’s fine with me,” he said.
-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Fort Dodge At-Large Councilwoman Megan Secor listens to another candidate answer a question Thursday evening during a candidates forum in the Triton Cafe at Iowa Central Community College.
He admitted that he smoked marijuana in 1968.
Crimmins said she understands that the city’s money comes from different sources and that there are limits on how those funds can be used.
“Yes, we want to give everyone everything all the time, but it has come from somewhere,” she said.
Davis said finding the money to pay for those additional officers would be “a top priority for myself.”
“I have a few ideas, but I don’t know how to work it,” he said.
-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Eugene Newsome, who’s running for the Fort Dodge City Council at-large seat, answers a question Thursday evening during a council forum in the Triton Cafe at Iowa Central Community College. Megan Secor, who currently holds the seat, listens to his left.
Crouse said she believes City Council members need to do a better job of communicating budget issues so that citizens don’t think that something like the Police Department is being shortchanged while money is being spent on other things.
She added that a compromise plan that would add one or two officers should be pursued.
The candidate also called for citizens to be more involved in their city and offered her idea for a betterment committee as a way to do that.
Nelson said adding police officers continues to be a priority.
“It was something every single one of us on the council supported and worked toward,” he said.
-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Jennifer Crimmins, a candidate for the Fort Dodge City Council Ward 1 seat, introduces herself Thursday evening during a candidates forum in the Triton Cafe at Iowa Central Community College.
He blamed the plan’s failure on a new state law that changed the way that commercial property is taxed.
“That cut back the amount we could budget exponentially,” he said.
Retail and economic development
The candidates agreed that the transition of the old Crossroads Mall into Corridor Plaza is going far slower than hoped.
“I thought we would be a little further with the mall than where we are,” Davis said.
Secor noted that Corridor Plaza is a privately owned project.
“We have to be patient,” she said.
She said in her opinion economic development is “bringing people into Fort Dodge and keeping them here by increasing the quality of life.”
Newsome lashed out against a planned sports pavilion at Corridor Plaza.
“COVID 19 changed everything,” he said. “People aren’t into basketball that much anymore.”
Crimmins said Corridor Plaza is a “giant project,” and added that she is excited that a private investor wants to build a sports pavilion there.
Downtown has grown a lot, she said, and projects along the Des Moines River will bring more people to Fort Dodge.
Crimmins agreed that bringing people to Fort Dodge by improving the quality of life is a major component of economic development.
Davis said he doesn’t have a lot of answers on economic development, saying “This is all new to me.”
Crouse said she would like to see more back-to-school shopping options in Fort Dodge. She said in her opinion, economic development is about creating jobs.
“It does seem like it’s a slow-moving process,” Nelson said of Corridor Plaza.
“I do believe the mall is in a good spot,” he added.
All the candidates said they would be in favor of incentives from the city government to expand the availability of child care in Fort Dodge.
“If you don’t have child care, you can’t go to work,” Crouse said.
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