Ben Schachtman: So Aaleah, you were at the NAACP candidate’s forum this week – I know it’s technically non-partisan, but since people always ask about party affiliation anyway, can you break that down?
Aaleah McConnell: Six of the eight candidates were there: Democrats Cassidy Santaguida, Chakema Clinton-Quintana, incumbent Mayor Pro Tem Clifford Barnett, and JC Lyle; and Republican candidates Richard Collier and Sean Guerrero. Republicans Kelly Roberts and incumbent Luke Waddell did not attend.
B: OK, so you told me WECT’s Jon Evans covered a lot of ground as host — especially affordable and workforce housing.
A: So, that seemed to be a recurring theme throughout the night and tied into many of the other solutions the candidates posed in the areas of homelessness and public safety.
Most of the candidates said they would push the city to seek partnerships with developers and non-governmental organizations. Santaguida mentioned establishing a local housing trust fund, so more affordable housing could be built without raising taxes. Collier said he would review zoning laws to find incentives for affordable housing and Guerrero echoed that.
B: I’m guessing homelessness was on a lot of people’s minds, since it’s kind of a related topic.
A: Definitely – so the candidates were asked how they would support the unhoused while keeping businesses safe for patrons and employees.
Clinton-Quintana was the first to tackle this question, pointing out that a number of non-profits could help quickly resolve the issue before it becomes a bigger problem. Guerrero, Barnett and Lyle had similar responses. So did Santaguida and Collier, who both cited the need for more emergency shelter beds and collaboration between law enforcement and social workers.
B: What about the flipside of housing – which is wages, and economic opportunity?
A: Most of the candidates mentioned increasing support for local businesses and raising the minimum wage in general. Santaguida said, specifically, that she would work to match the average household income with the cost of housing in the city, which she said could raise some wages to $30 per hour.
B: Another important topic brought to the table was the issue of Community health.
A: Yes, so some of the things the candidates mentioned, again, was building community partnerships and funding programs that offer certain social services.
Specifically, Barnett mentioned how he already works with organizations like SmartStart, and said he would work to build a more resilient community.
Clinton-Quintana said she would prioritize access to healthier food options for all residents and would work to create a grant or incentive program to improve access to childcare.
Guerrero also talked about implementing more incentives for youth-centered programs, as well as improving partnerships with organizations that focus on homelessness, childcare and healthcare.
And Collier made similar points with an emphasis on youth-based and Christian programs.
B: Did any of the candidates surprise you with their answers?
A: Great question, well Evans posed a question about immigration and local law enforcement agencies collaborating with ICE. Most of the candidates said they disapproved of those agencies performing immigration enforcement except for the two Republican candidates, which is sort of expected.
However, Guerrero said his father, who is of Dominican descent, migrated to the states many years ago and went through the legal process to gain citizenship.
Guerrero said his father, “did it the right way,” and said if law enforcement is following executive orders to perform immigration enforcement then he would support that.
B: You told me the last question Evans posed to the candidates was about the one issue they would absolutely prioritize if they were elected, and what did they have to say?
A: Yeah, that was a great question. Santaguida and Clinton-Quintana said their top priority is the housing crisis. Lyle’s is strengthening housing stability. Guerrero’s priority is suppressing the overdevelopment of the city.
Updating and maintaining infrastructure is Collier’s top priority. Barnett said his top priority is building partnerships at the county, state and federal level, and working more with the Endowment.
B: Okay, well, we’ll have links on the page so people can check out a recording of the event.
A: And details on early voting, which starts October 16!
B: That’s right, but for now, thanks for your reporting Aaleah.
A: Of course Ben, always a pleasure.
Anyone who missed the forum can watch the full recording here.
For more on this year's municipal elections check out our elections page.
Early voting information can be found here.
