Monday's Internet Edition, October 13, 2008.
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The first question given to candidates was “What qualifies you to be a city council member?” and was published in last week’s paper.
This week, we asked the candidates “What do you feel is the biggest challenge facing the City of Copperas Cove? What aspect of the city needs improvement?”
Candidates’ answers appear alphabetically.
Ray Don Clayton:
The biggest challenge facing Copperas Cove is funding the needs of our city. The police, EMS and fire department need a new communications system.
The fire department needs a ladder/pumper truck. Several of the city’s buildings, i.e., the civic center, senior center, police department and city hall are in dire need of renovation and repairs.
Finally we need infrastructure in skyline valley to develop city streets, curb, gutter and three homes to the acre rather than just one. It makes a larger tax base rather than a smaller one with the city providing the same services for less tax dollars.
I feel that we as the current council have tried to keep watch on our city. There is always room for improvement and I feel that our city manager, Steve Alexander, has made great strides in the efficiency of our city.
Roger O’Dwyer:
We need an economy that is not based on the “Great Cash Cow to the East.” The City and CCISD are both more than 40 percent dependent on Fort Hood for fund sources. We must get off that dependence by bringing light, clean industry to our city. We have enough vacant space that has lain fallow in some cases for ten years, not bringing in a dime. So why not let it be eleven years, the last year of which is with a payroll producer in them? Cove is a great city. Cove needs to improve its diversity of tax base. We will tax ourselves out of existence if we don’t.