Politics & Government

BLOG RECAP: Ward 3 Alderman and St. Louis County Assessor Candidates Speak in Clayton

The forum is happening at The Center of Clayton.

Candidates for Ward 3 alderman and St. Louis County assessor met Tuesday for a forum sponsored by the Clayton Chamber of Commerce. This is a look at the discussion in reverse chronological order.

12:50 P.M.: Wood said he received a letter of apology from the St. Louis County Council for filing a lawsuit in error with regard to the payment of his taxes. He said that while he was late in the payment of his taxes, the lawsuit was filed months after they had been paid. He said the Zimmerman camp has wrongfully attacked him on the issue in two postcards. The forum has ended.

12:48 P.M.: Zimmerman said in his closing remarks that he wants to work to make an assessors office that people can "feel like is committed to giving them a fair shake."

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12:46 P.M.: Zimmerman said the office needs to make its priorities clear in a time of economic downturn.

12:45 P.M.: Wood says he would give assessors within his office a docket each of parcels to assess. Assessors would be individually responsible for those assessments. "Folks ,the assessors want it that way," he said, noting that they want to do a good job.

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12:42 P.M.: Wood asks for a question to be repeated following a response from Zimmerman, then says: "I think one of us is applying for the wrong job."

12:41 P.M.: Wood and Zimmerman both said they voted in favor of having an elected assessor. "That was comic relief, I want you to know," Berkman said.

12:39 P.M.: Zimmerman said that if people look at his work and say he got it right and treated them fairly, he will have done his job. Wood said he has a list of volunteers whose job it will be to equip people in need of an appeal with the tools to do so in an easy way.

12:38 P.M.: Question: How will taxpayers to be able to assess your job at the end of your tenure, if elected?

12:36 P.M.: For 25 years, Wood said, the assessor's office has been dominated by politicians and bureaucrats "who don't get the numbers right."

12:33 P.M.: Question: How would you gain proficiency in the skills needed for this office. Wood said he has been working in real estate on the issue of assessment for 30 years. He said he is the only candidate with that kind of experience. Zimmerman is saying that his work representing the people of St. Louis County against such issues as consumer fraud would benefit him.

12:31 P.M.: If elected, Zimmerman said, his first order of business would be a top-down review of the office's systems. The goal would be to make sure that if property value goes down, so does the value of the assessment. Wood said he wants to reform the appeal process of assessments. "I can fix that," he said.

12:29 P.M.: Wood says the office does not set tax policy. Zimmerman said a culture change can happen at the office, meaning, "There's somebody on the other end of the phone who's prepared to work with people rather than against people."

12:28 P.M.: Question: How can candidates reduce the property tax burden on property owners?

12:25 P.M.: Wood brought a poster to show, but the moderator has said no visuals are allowed.

12:24 P.M.: The Board of Aldermen forum has ended. The assessor candidates are making their way to the front of the room.

12:23 P.M.: Singer said he wants to continue the city's history of doing great things. He said The Center of Clayton is an example of projects that can stem from cooperative efforts.

12:21 P.M.: Holtzman is describing himself as a lifelong Clayton resident who wants to represent those on fixed incomes and those just starting out in the city, in addition to those with children in grade school. He said he wants to create a new perception of Clayton as a business-friendly city, a change that must start at City Hall.

12:20 P.M.: Candidates are giving their closing statements. Winings has emphasized that he would bring a different perspective as a father with young children and someone with experience in various areas of relevance to the Board of Aldermen.

12:18 P.M.: "I believe that development should be on a team basis," Singer said. At the same time, he said he supports the Clayton Board of Education's opposition to 100 percent abatements. He said it's not a good idea for the city to give away dollars that other entities such as school districts rely upon.

12:16 P.M.: " I think tax incentives for individual projects should be measured and discussed with the school board, but overall as alderman, I have to consider the city and what's best for the city," Holtzman said in response to a question about such incentives. Winings said he is sensitive to the interests of the school district and would want to work with them as an alderman in terms of incentives.

12:13 P.M.: Candidates are addressing what changes they would make during their first three months in office. Singer, Winings and Holtzman have said they wouldn't make significant changes other than learning about the office and their responsibilities.

12:10 P.M.: Candidates are addressing whether the city should pursue a management audit of services and programs. Winings said it would be worth considering. Singer said city services are well managed by the city manager and alderman. Holtzman said he would call for such an audit if elected. He said it would be beneficial for department heads to review their staffs to determine where reductions might be made or could take place when, for example, retirements occur.

12:06 P.M.: Holtzman says he can't say whether he would raise taxes, lower them or keep them the same during the course of his three-year tenure if elected. He said the nuances of the circumstances would need to be understood before making such a decision. Winings said he would like to keep taxes at the same level as they are now, though he can't guarantee that. Singer also said he would look to keep taxes level, though it would be important to review the city's fund balance to determine whether a tax reduction might be worth considering at some point.

12:05 P.M.: Winings said he would focus on establishing a regular Ward 3 meeting, communicating via social media such as Facebook and Twitter and always being available to meet with constituents.

12:03 P.M.: To communicate with consituents about proposed tax increases and other important issues, Singer said, he would institute informal Ward 3 meetings such as coffees. He would also focus on community engagement. Holtzman said he would send emails to people and be willing to meet on a regular basis with constituents.

12:00 P.M.: "My background is full of positions where I have spent a lot of time in the development process," Holtzman said. He formerly served as vice president of Grand Center. He now works for St. Louis County as economic development director. In that position, he manages 77 municipalities.

11:59 A.M.:  Candidates are now addressing what qualifies them for the position of alderman. Winings said his job in law prepares him to handle issues of the aldermen such as budgets and financial issues. Singer is describing his work as the president of the board of The Center of Clayton, where Tuesday's forum is happening. He said he has experience working with budgets and engaging the community.

11:55 A.M.: Singer says the Board of Aldermen needs to address the city's parking issue. He said he spent 20 years as an independent retailer, and he said he would spend a lot of energy on it. People aren't inclined to shop if they have to pay for parking, he said.

11:54 A.M.: "It's a great challenge, but I think there's a great opportunity here," Winings said. He described the issue of attracting business to downtown as perhaps the single biggest concern for the city at this time. He said focusing on marketing, engaging the community and continuing to make the city an attractive place will be beneficial.

11:52 A.M.: Question now turns to how the city can attract downtown business. Holtzman suggests forming a coalition of business owners and developing a business retention program aimed at building goodwill and attracting additional support.

11:51 A.M.: All three candidates have said they would not be in favor of commercial or residential tax increases at this time. Instead, Holtzman said, the city should tap into its fund balance.

11:48 A.M.: The first question, in part, is: Would you support any additional commercial tax increases in the Central Business District or any other portion of the city?

11:45 A.M.: Candidates will answer two questions from the Chamber followed by audience questions, as time permits. The first half will focus on the Clayton Board of Aldermen position followed by the assessor position. Candidates will get 1 minutes and 30 seconds a piece to answer each question.

11:42 A.M.: Feder is making introductions. He is chairman of the legislative committee at the Chamber.

11:37 A.M.: Looking for background on the candidates? Be sure to check out our . The forum has not yet begun. Joan Lee Berkman is serving as moderator for Tuesday's event.

11:30 A.M.: Assessor candidate has not arrived, so Gary Feder is serving as his stand-in for a coin toss to determine who will speak first.

11:28 A.M.: Candidates present so far include , , and .

 


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