Candidate forum held at Hot Springs Senior Center

HOT SPRINGS – Hot Springs High School government class hosted a candidate forum Monday October 7 at the senior center. The forum featured mayoral candidates Randy Woods and Karen Evans and Ward II candidates Leslee Smith and Ed Persico. Dick Adams gave up his time to the candidates in contested races.

The candidates answered questions submitted by the students and presented answers on a wide array of topics ranging from tourism and budgets to animals roaming the streets and a cell phone tower for Hot Springs.

Woods addressed the issue of tourism as a means of getting people to visit Hot Springs and promoting the assets the city has.

“One idea I have for the airport would be sky-diving clubs from Spokane or where ever to come here,” Woods said. “Other air fields get so busy and we have a great location.”

Woods would also like to see the city run and maintain a trailhead that would promote wintertime activities such as skiing and snowmobiling.

“We have the infrastructure put in place,” said Woods. “It would be up to us to maintain and promote it.”

Woods’ opponent had a different take on the role government should play in promoting tourism.

“I think we should be fair to all businesses that want to operate in our town,” Evans said. “But the government shouldn’t run tourism.”

Evans said that she believes the city should keep to the budget and ensure clean streets and homes for the residents of Hot Springs.

She thinks the issue is in the hands of business owners and the chamber to promote tourism in Hot Springs.

“It is more of a chamber matter, a community matter, not a government matter,” Evans said. “The government should be running the town of Hot Springs. Your town should be presentable to the people promoting the tourism.”

Candidates in Ward II also tackled the issue of tourism in Hot Springs. Smith discussed her involvement in promoting tourism through her business and work with the chamber in her efforts to drive tourism in Hot Springs.

Persico had a different take on tourism. He did not see the added benefit for the residents of Ward II, citing the benefits for the business owners but not the residents themselves.

The other hot button issue for the mayoral candidates was the introduction of a cell phone tower for the city.

Woods had mixed feelings on the issue, certain that it would have both advantages and disadvantages based on materials presented to him from concerned citizens with regard to health issues associated with cell usage.

Evans said that she personally liked not having a cell phone and that it gave the town a nice feel that people could escape from the rest of the connected world.

“People come here and I’ve heard many tourists say they like not having that service,” Evans said. “However they can check in, the Internet works, we have WIFI, there are many other ways that they can keep in contact.”

Evans also reiterated her support for the free market when it comes to the cell phone issue.

“If businesses come here and the people want it, it’s free market,” Evans said. “But we can’t subsidize it.”

All of the candidates agreed a full budget overall was not in order but should be looked at and studied to see where money is coming in and going out. Persico said that he believes in taking time to study issues and research before making any decisions.

Debate time was limited to one hour with many audience questions going unanswered, however, audience members were encouraged to ask questions at the conclusion of the forum in a less formal setting to promote community participation.