BUCHANAN CITY COMMISSION LIVE FORUM

By DEBRA HAIGHT
BCR Correspondent

BUCHANAN – With the Nov. 3 general election a little over a month away, people got the chance last week to hear from the five people vying for two seats on the Buchanan City Commission. The candidate forum was held at the Buchanan Senior Center with people able to watch via YouTube and Facebook.

The two hour forum was moderated by John Ripley of the League of Women Voters and gave candidates the chance to voice their views on a variety of topics. Those who missed the broadcast can still watch it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdUOqeRPPfo&feature=youtu.be.

Candidates in attendance were Monroe Lemay, Larry Money, Patrick

Swem, Dan Vigansky and Jeccika Yoder. They are vying to succeed Mayor Patricia Moore and Commissioner Dale Toerne who are not running for re-election. The two open seats on the commission are each for four

years.

In opening statements, candidates stressed everything from their involvement in the community and their roots in Buchanan to past city commission experience and representing a new millennial generation.

Lemay read the city’s mission statement has her opening statement. Money spoke of his involvement in the community including his service in the American Legion. Swem said he felt a responsibility to step up and spoke of his family’s five generations of service to the community. Vigansky noted that he is the only candidate to have served previously on the commission. Yoder said she’s served on a few committees and wants to do more.

The first question asked candidates their views on how to make sure democratic principles are followed.

Lemay said she believes in the importance of transparency and communication to make sure people know what’s going on. Money added the importance of accountability. Swem also spoke about improving transparency and representing what the community wants. Vigansky said taxpayers have to hold commissioners accountable when they make a decision they disagree with. Yoder said there needs to be more transparency plus commissioner availability with information shared on social media.

Other questions touched on topics such as ways to promote economic development, whether to push a local tax on marijuana businesses, how to help businesses recover from the pandemic and how to unify the city’s different factions.

“I feel one of the biggest problems downtown is unification,” Lemay said. “We have failed to listen to each other. We’ve had an influx of people from Chicago plus local people. We have to bring everyone together, we have to stop looking at it as them and us … Commissioners are citizens like everyone else, we need to sit down and talk to people.”

“I don’t think it’s the city’s position to fund commerce but to create a place where people want to start businesses,” Swem said. “Infrastructure must be a top priority … We have a $25 million deficit for infrastructure needs and we can’t turn a blind eye to it. My first priority will be setting expectations and goals.”

“We need leadership, if we don’t have that, we have chaos,” Vigansky said. “We have multiple islands in the city with everyone having their toys and sandboxes and nobody wants to share,” Vigansky said. “We haven’t had true leadership here in in 30 years. The DDA is a prime example, there wasn’t any leadership and they disbanded it.”

“It all goes back to transparency,” Yoder said. “The commission is making decisions but not sharing their rationale. They need to share the reasons why they voted the way they did. Buchanan has a weird view on government, everything is so hush hush. There’s no reason for it, we’re the ones paying taxes.”

“Commissioners need to have an open ear,” Money said. “They need to be out there listening to what the citizenry has to offer and hear their problems, the same with merchants. We need to understand what’s going on with the citizenry and small business owners.”

On the subject of taxing marijuana businesses, candidates didn’t think it was a good idea with a number noting that the businesses have become involved in the community and sponsored events.

“The business owners are helping the city out,” Money said. “To turn around and up the taxes on them … is one of the things we can’t afford to do. They bought a lot of buildings, refurbished them and are bringing traffic in and out of town.”

With the COVID pandemic, candidates agreed that at least part of the answer is education and providing people with information about available resources. On the business side, suggestions were made to encourage people to shop locally and to help businesses find ways to succeed.

The forum ended with candidates making closing remarks. Lemay summed up the camaraderie and congeniality apparent to viewers. “No matter who you pick, we all want to serve the community and serve you,” she said. “This is a good time to come on board with a new city manager, a new superintendent and a lot of new city people. You cannot make a bad decision here, it’s a matter of what speaks to you best.”