Chamber Hosts Forum for Aldermen, Mayor Candidates

Candidates seeking office in the Mountain View city government spoke at a candidate forum hosted by the Mountain View Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, March 1. 

There are three alderman seats up for election on April 5. 

A one-year unexpired term in the East Ward is contested by incumbent Laura Wagner and Terry Gunter. Jeremy Phipps told Howell County News he will not be actively running. His name will appear on the ballot, however. Phipps was not present at the forum Tuesday night. 

A two-year term in the East Ward is a race between incumbent Judi Colter and challenger Murray Anderson.

In the West Ward, incumbent Punkie Stevenson is not seeking reelection. His seat is contested by Rick Thornton and Lindell Vandevort. 

Incumbent mayor Donnie Pruett is not seeking reelection. The mayor’s seat is contested by John Krasuski and Randy Reese. 

The assembled citizens asked the candidates about the possibility of bringing natural gas to the town, police policies, paying utilities online in the future, snow plowing, and improving communications in emergencies. 

The candidates for the mayor’s seat answered a question about whether the new administration will hire a City Administrator. Krasuski said the decision is ultimately up to the Board of Aldermen, but his suggestion would be not to hire an Administrator right away. Krasuski said the role is not the same as a mayor. 

“That’s not what a mayor is,” he said. “We have got to get our ducks in a row before we start hiring… We don’t want to be a desperate town looking to hire anybody.”

Reese took a different tack. 

“We need a City Administrator,” he said. “We should look for one immediately… and look for one who is interested in this town, not a job… This town needs to be run by the City Council, not the mayor.”

When asked about the most pressing issue facing Mountain View, all the candidates agreed that infrastructure, specifically the sewer, and streets are the biggest concern. Vandevort added that attracting industry to Mountain View was crucial. Anderson added that having a “team of city workers who work together” is crucial.