Meet your candidates

By Danica Baker
Herald Staff Writer

October 27, 2007 01:45 am

— CLINTON — The regular city election for Clinton City Council will take place Tuesday, Nov. 7. Polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
According to County Auditor Charlie Sheridan, Clinton is a run-off city, which means that candidates must garner at least 51 percent of the votes cast. If any candidate in a ward does not get 51 percent of the votes cast, a special election will be held for that ward on Dec. 5 to declare a winner.
Citizens may vote for council candidates representing their individual ward. All citizens may vote for candidates in the mayoral and at-large election.
Mayor
Rodger E.J. Holm
Age: 64
Residence: 1302 N. Fourth St.
Occupation: Financial Consultant
Political Experience: Four years Clinton City Council
Education: Two years College, multiple professional designations
Family: Married, two daughters and six grandchildren
Web site: www.rodgerholm.com

What are the three most important issues in this race?
1. CSO sewer separation and Water Treatment Plant
2. Infrastructure-streets
3. Economic development and quality of life issues.
What is your approach to these issues?
My approach is pro active. I have given annual presentations in Washington, D.C., and Des Moines as both a private citizen and a council member on each of theses priorities. City government must continue work in conjunction with other local organizations and elected officials at the state and federal level to insure that we will continue to improve our quality of life in Clinton.
How do you differ from your opponent?
I differ from my opponent in three ways. Knowledge: of the workings and operations of city government. Experience: in the business and financial world. Enthusiasm: that is controlled and goal oriented.
The City Service committee, of which I am chairman, has made tremendous strides complying with unfunded mandates from the EPA concerning our Sewer Separation and Waste Water Treatment Plant. As is quite apparent around town, we are and will be completing $4.5 million in street repair and resurfacing with more then $2 million additional still on the drawing board. We are hiring an outside engineering firm to assist our City Engineering department complete all these urgent projects.
When revenues increase from new construction, I will fight for the reduction of property taxes as well as increasing the quality of life. I am a personal and commercial property owner that is totally committed to the city of Clinton. I understand the effect of property taxes on our personal and business bottom lines. I was appointed mayor pro tem two years ago and understand the responsibilities and nature of the position of mayor.
Clinton's future has challenges in it. However, Clinton's future has far more opportunities in it. Challenges must be viewed as questions that are unanswered. We have a five to ten year window to capitalize on these opportunities while understanding that during the same period of time we need to create future windows of opportunity for our children and grandchildren.

Joshua Meyer
Age: 31 Residence: 653 Second Ave. South
Occupation: Pastor of Discipleship, First Baptist Church
Education: 1994 Clinton High School graduate; Clinton Community College, A.A.; Judson College, B.A. Business & Leadership
Family: Wife- Jocelyn (married 5 years), Son- Ezekiel (17 months old)
Web site: www.meyer4mayor.com

What are the three most important issues in this race?
Road Improvements, Communication, and Economic Development
What is your approach to these issues?
1. Road Improvements: "Road improvements have to be at the top of the city’s priority list. The city of Clinton needs to implement a comprehensive road improvement plan. I would endorse that a certain amount of the new ADM tax money be put toward road improvements and continued maintenance every year, no matter how long it takes."
2.Communication: “Communication between the city and its residents has to be improved. No resident should feel marginalized in our city. A listening ear can mean a tremendous deal to residents, and our city officials must lend that ear. I would endorse using all means of communication (T.V., newspaper, an improved city web site, ward chat sessions, radio call-in show) to reach out to the citizens of Clinton.”
3. Economic Development: “The completion of the Liberty Square project and the potential for more businesses on the west end are important to our city’s future. Without additional jobs located in the west-end and throughout the town, we will lose more qualified Clinton natives to other areas where they can find more desirable jobs. The Lyons District has experienced many exciting changes with many more to come. The new Sawmill Museum will be a destination for residents and tourists alike, and I will support continued economic growth on Main Avenue. We have to think outside of the box when it comes to Clinton’s downtown area. Housing has already led to improvements in the downtown area. Along with housing, new businesses and events could liven up the downtown area. In order to facilitate economic development I would endorse a "Plan the TIF, TIF the Plan" proposal. The city has to set parameters of what types of incentives will be available for new and existing businesses, along with establishing where TIF districts will be located throughout the city of Clinton.”
How do you differ from your opponent?
“The major differences are our styles of leadership and my belief that the city government should be more open and transparent.”

Second Ward
Pamela Graboski (write-in)
Age: 61
Residence: 326 S. 18th St.
Occupation: Teacher
Political Experience: Second Ward Council Representative from l993 to l999
Education: BA summa cum laude
Family: Husband, Joseph; daughter, Anna; son, Justin
The City Council must make some hard decisions about what the city can afford to do now. The Liberty Square Project and the extension of 19th Ave. N to the Mill Creek Expressway should completed as soon as possible for their potential economic benefits. Until I see the city budget in January and know more about the city’s present bonding capacity, I can’t suggest other projects. We must not raise the city’s portion of the property taxes, especially now that the school board is proposing an increase.
I am concerned about the city’s giving TIF’s (Tax Increment Financing agreements) to every developer that asks for one. New developments place new demands on city services, and in a TIF agreement the new taxes pay for streets and other improvements for ten years while the taxes of the rest of the citizens pay for those extended services. Mr. Kearney pays no property taxes or water, sewage, and garbage fees, so how can he understand the situation of most tax paying homeowners?
Quality of representation is the main reason for my opposing Mike Kearney. Mr. Kearney has alienated too many people to represent the Second Ward effectively. How can he work with the council when he is not on speaking terms with half of them and the other half avoid him? Don’t take my word for this; call a council member. How can Mr. Kearney represent the Downtown area when he has angered so many people who work downtown?
I care about the people of Clinton. Public service does not mean using council membership as a position of authority. I will not make promises and then break them. I won’t tell someone what he wants to hear, rather than my true assessment of an issue, to win a vote or to pacify him. I represented the Second Ward for six years, so I have worked with the city employees and know where to find information for any decision before the council. I will work hard for the city of Clinton.

Michael J. Kearney
Age: 67
Residence: 200 Fifth Avenue South #304 Clinton, Iowa 52732
Occupation: Retired banker
Political experience: Currently serving as Second Ward Councilman
Education: Clinton High School 1958
Washington University St. Louis BSEE 1962
University of Pennsylvania, Wharton Graduate Division Philadelphia
MBA 1964
Family: Children: Bridget, Andrew, Patrick
Parents: Vincent J. & Evelyn L. Kearney (deceased)
Brothers: Edward (deceased), Bud (Raymond J.)
Web site: none

What are the three most important issues in this race?
1. Taxes
2. Streets
3. Economic Development and Quality of Life

What is your approach to these issues?
1. An increase in the city's tax base is forecast. Part of the additional revenue from this increase will be used to begin the process of eliminating the emergency levy that was imposed when the machinery and equipment tax was eliminated.
2. For the first time in about a generation, the City has a significant street project underway now. The City is currently doing an objective evaluation of every mile of street in the entire City and will allocate future road investment where it will do the most good.
3. A key reason for the relatively high taxes and quality of life issues in Clinton today is the loss of good paying jobs over the last generation. Without job growth, Clinton will continue to shrink in population, leaving the people with the fewest options behind. In addition, employees transferred to work in Clinton often choose not to live in Clinton. These people tend to buy more expensive homes which pay higher taxes. The loss of these people for Clinton means not only the loss of their civic involvement, it means the rest of the City has to pay higher taxes to make up for the loss. Good progress in turning this around has been made in the past few years. This work needs to be continued and intensified.

How do you differ from your opponent? I am the only registered candidate for the Second Ward.

Fourth Ward
Charles Horner
Age: 71
Residence: 1337 Main Ave.
Occupation: Retired Plumber/Pipefitter
Political experience: City councilman two years.
Education: High school, Five-year apprenticeship plumber
Family: Married 53 years, five children, 13 grandchildren, four great-grandchildren.
Web site: None

What are the three most important issues in this race?
Roads, taxes, job opportunity.

What is your approach to these issues?
First of all, I think we need a plan to put aside funds for road repairs and use it for that purpose only. Taxes are too high now and it seems they go up every year and people are tired of this. We have to continue to go after grant money. The budget needs to be modified to take care of our obligations. The administrator is right - the departments need to be restructured to meet our needs.
With the bypass (parkway) in use now, it gives us the opportunity to bring in different businesses for jobs. We also have the land for industrial opportunities out by Lyondell (Equistar Chemicals.)

How do you differ from your opponent?
The biggest difference from my opponent is I am older and retired. I have time to take care of the needs of the people in the Fourth Ward. There may be issues they need help with and I feel the councilman should be there to assist them.

Paul Gassman
Age: 52
Residence: 96 Main Ave.
Occupation: I have a business, Collis Tool Corp. in Camanche, Iowa.
Political Experience: I was on the city council before. I’ve caucused and worked for the party candidates since I was a young person, starting out delivering handbills and going to conventions.
Education: I went to Clinton High School and Clinton Community. I just spent the last 2 1/2 years up at Ashford, so I’m pretty current and I studied business management. I intend to go on after this and get a master’s.
Family: Wife, Susan, two sons, Michael and J.J., and two grandchildren Kyle and Kira. My parents are in Clinton. I have several brothers and sisters in Clinton.
Web site: none

What are the three most important issues in this race?
budgeting, sewers and streets, facilities.

What is your approach to these issues?
1. I think the city of Clinton as a whole has great opportunity to manage the city budget in a way so that it doesn’t increase taxes and stagnate the growth of the city. There is so much development going on in the Fourth Ward right at the moment. That’s why I am running and want to be a part of that. My experience on the council before has allowed me the opportunity to know how it works and know that you have to have a team effort... You have to have the cooperation and understanding of all the members.
2. The sewer project, we’re not the only city that has this mandated to them. And it’s our duty as council people not to leave the burden on just the citizens. We have to go back to the state and federal level and say we need help with these kinds of issues if it’s for the betterment of the community. As far as the streets, we’ve dealt iwth those issues for 30 years. We can spend so much money a year on it and we have to prioritize where we get the biggest benefit. Unfortunately, some people who live on roads that are not heavily traveled, never see their road improved.
3. The fire department, the library, the police department - a lot of those have been discussed for 10 years and that’s a matter of getting the people to support them. Take it to the people, let them vote. If it’s not that important to them to spend an extra 27 cents per thousand, then don’t do it, but it does hamper progress for the city. There’s projects that we’re working on, there’s other growth opportunities that when the tax money comes in, it’s less of a burden on the taxpayer.

How do you differ from you opponent? I can run faster than Chuck. The bottom line is that we all have the best interests of the city in mind. He’s retired and has more time, but I feel I can do a good job. I think my 35 years in business and the opportunities I’ve had, give me a better advantage in leadership and planning.

At-Large
Mark S. Vulich
Age: 50
Residence: 572 Worth Court, Clinton.
Occupation: Computer Consultant & Funeral Director (retired)
Political experience: Currently serving as Council-At-Large Councilman
Education: 1975 Graduate of St. Mary’s High School, Clinton
1977 Graduate of Mt. St. Clare College, Clinton with an AA Degree
1978 Graduate of Indiana College of Mortuary Science, Indianapolis with an AMS Degree
Family: married to wife Connie for 24 years
Web site: www.markvulich.com

What are the three most important issues in this race?
1) Property Taxes
2) Streets
3) City Government reorganization and technology upgrading

What is your approach to these issues?
1) The property taxes in Clinton must be reduced. We need long range planning on how best to spend our projected increases in revenue from our industrial/commercial development. We must not rest on our laurels. We must continue to seek out new businesses and industries to locate in Clinton. We need good paying jobs. The use of TIF and Enterprise Zones are valuable tools for recruitment of industry and business. The increase in business and industry has a marvelous domino affect. More businesses and industry means more jobs. More jobs mean more people. More people mean more homes and more money being spent in our community. End result, LOWER TAXES! Another benefit of the additional industrial/commercial development is that the "quality of life" will improve at the same time. The increased tax base will allow the city an increase in revenue thus allowing for more services and benefits for the community.
2) Currently 4.2 million dollars of street repairs and improvements are underway. Our new software that goes on line shortly will grade our streets showing us which streets need repair first, allowing the Council to develop a long range street repair/improvement plan. This will be a valuable tool in prioritizing repairs. I am committed to long range planning for street maintenance. The city is currently interviewing engineering firms to outsource addition staff to expedite street re-construction.
3) Clinton needs to take advantage of technology. We need a better web-site. The ability to pay bills online. The ability to access ordinances and other pertinent city information. The city is very understaffed. A complete review of all staff and our needs will be undertaken in the next budget. The public deserves good service from the city and it is possible. The future increases in our revenues will allow us to improve city services. Better services will result in better response to the private citizens and a more efficient, affordable government.

How do you differ from your opponents?
Currently hold the Council-At-Large seat on the City Council and I have experience and have proved I can do the job.

Connor Anderson
Age: 42
Residence: 1722 Pershing Blvd.
Occupation: Information Technology Consultant
Political experience:
• Campaign management experience in numerous federal and state elections 1987-2002.
• Advisor to pro-democracy parties in Czechoslovakia, 1990.
• Friends of Clinton Library 2003-2006, president 2006.
• Great Places Steering Committee 2005-Present.
•Clinton Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee 2007-Present
•Gateway Area Cultural Alliance 2006-Present.
Education: University of Iowa 1983- 87. Communications and Political Science
Family: Wife: Laura. Children: Molly (9), Liam (7) and Josephine (5).
Web site: www.andersonforclinton.org

What are the three most important issues in this race?
1) Managing city budget growth and lowering property taxes.
2) Planning for economic and social growth.
3) Restoring public trust and confidence in our government.

What is your approach to these issues?
1) Making hard choices about what projects the city can take on as our budgets grow. We must lower taxes to be competitive with surrounding cities. But we must also allow some growth in city's staff in order to take on the much delayed improvement to streets, sewers and deliver other services that are required by the voters and by state and federal mandate. This is a difficult balancing act with no place for business-as-usual or grudges. It requires progressive, creative leadership.
2) Clinton needs smart growth. We need to dust off and update the planning documents we have and to create new ones where none exist. Then we must stick with them. We need to work with the public to decide together the places where we want to encourage new development. Then only offer incentives to developers who will work within our plan and share the risks. We need to revitalize our tremendous historical capital in order to make Clinton a sustainable, attractive place to live and work.
3) Citizens need a local government that they can use. We need to make it easier for citizens to know what is going on. We need to deliver city services as efficiently and as professionally as possible. If we do these things, we will see the benefits through more involvement and growth.

How do you differ from your opponents?
Whether it was assisting with the transition from Communism to free-market democracy in the 1990’s or helping a local business increase their profits through web sites and electronic inventory; change and growth management are what I have done all my adult life. For the first time in decades Clinton faces the challenges and opportunities of growth and modernization. I am the candidate who can best manage our challenges and help lead us into the future.

Ginger Busby
Age: 44
Residence: 828 12th Ave. S.
Occupation: Crisis advocate at the YWCA and student
Political experience: I’ve been a youth leader, lobbited for the Children with Disabilties Act. I’ve been on a lot of boards for churches and organizations.
Education: I attended high school in Rock Island, obtained a GED through Clinton Community, an AA through the college. I have one semester at St. Ambrose University and in January, I plan to transfer to Ashford University to continue working toward my BA in criminal justice. I have lots of other training.
Family: Husband, Phillip; four children, Bruce, 26, Alisha, 24, Troy, 23, and Elizabeth, 14; and seven grandchildren.
Web site: None, but if elected I will get one.

What are the three most important issues in this race?
Sewers, roads and housing.

What is your approach to these issues?
1. I will definitely have to get more information on that. I don’t know much about it right now, but being At-Large, I know we’ll all work as a council.
2. Prioritizing what needs to be done first. Obviously they’re all not going to be done at once. We need to do it as the budget allows and try to make sure that we’ve made budgeted money available.
3. Housing is going to have to come with planning, through personal communication with citizens and kind of see what’s available and what options there are.

How do you differ from your opponents?
I feel like I’m more of a go-getter than a talker. Communication is key to learning what the citizens want and I look at conflict as a challenge and a positive thing. A lot of positives can come from conflict. The governement has so many different people in the seats and everybody has good ideas, you just put them all together and come up with the best formulas.