Candidates talk growth, vision ahead of election

WELAKA – Local residents gathered at Shrimp R Us & More on Wednesday as they listened to four Town Council candidates try to win their votes in the March election.

Kim Dugger, Tonya Long, Marianne Milledge and Sandra Walker answered 14 questions from the crowd that touched on potential growth in the town, revitalizing downtown Welaka and bringing in small businesses.

Dugger and Walker have not served as council members before. Long and Milledge, however, are running to keep their seats on the council.

As of Wednesday, 699 Welaka residents were eligible to vote on the March 7 Election Day, Putnam County Supervisor of Elections Charles Overturf III said. The two candidates with the most votes will win spots on the council.

The vote-by-mail deadline is 5 p.m. Feb. 25th, he added, and there will be no early voting.

The group Friends of Welaka live-streamed the forum but here are a few questions and answers from the candidates.

Question: What are your thoughts on increased tax rates affecting property taxes in Welaka? The mayor voted not to increase (them) last year.

Dugger: Change sometimes brings about property tax increases, she said, but it would not happen overnight. Dugger added that it would be a process in which residents would be involved.

“I won’t count it out but … everything I do will be for the voice of the people,” she said.

Long: Last year, Long voted to keep the rates the same because property values have been going up about 3%. Moving forward, Long said, she would like to keep tax rates as low as possible.

“But I do promise that I will take the money that we get from your taxes and I will spend it as wisely as I can,” Long said.

Milledge: The town has been fortunate to see increases in its tax base since Milledge has lived there, she said. New people moving into the town, increases the tax base, she said.

“And that’s what we want to see in the future, but it has to be, again, manageable,” Milledge

Walker: She agreed with what the other candidates said, adding that town leaders could revisit whether to increase taxes every few years. She suggested the council look for other sources of money before increasing taxes.

“I think that a lot of homeowners would love to look other places,” Walker said.

Question: What are your goals and opinions of the changes/vision for the town?

Dugger: Town leaders are currently developing a vision for the town, she said. Once the council knows what residents want the vision to be, she added, they can work to maintain that.

“One of the goals I have for that vision is to continue to stay safe in my home, feel very safe,” Dugger said.

Long: As the town looks to revitalize its downtown district, Long said, the community needs to figure out what that will look like. One of her personal goals would be to develop a community center where residents could hold events.

“But that is my personal goal for the town,” Long said. “If that is not what the rest of the town wants, then I will not be pursuing that. Overall, my goal is to keep the town the way it is but still moving forward.”

Milledge: She echoed some of the other candidates regarding a town vision and developing the downtown area. One personal goal she suggested was adding pathways for people riding in golf carts or walking so they can get safely across County Roads 308 and 309.

The town has a vision workshop coming up in March, and she encouraged everyone to attend.

“It’s important to hear what you, the people of Welaka, feel about the vision,” she said.

Walker: Many residents, she said, moved to Welaka for its “hometown feel,” the river, fishing and to be able to ride their golf cart around town. Walker said she believes people want to keep that same feeling.

“My goal for the town, in my opinion, is that Welaka moves forward in growth at the pace of what the residents want,” Walker said.

Question: How do you plan to bring business into town and keep them from closing?

Dugger: Welaka has plenty of talented residents, Dugger said, and town leaders could help incentivize people to start small businesses with small business grants and tax incentives.

As the town works on its downtown revitalization plan, she suggested they look at zoning to help businesses.

“I think as we grow, there will be a potential for more small businesses, and we have to designate places for them,” Dugger said.

Long: The Town Council needs to come together and discuss bringing small businesses to Welaka, she said. The first five years are crucial for a new business, Long added, and if the town could waive water bills or assist businesses in other ways, that could help.

“The need has to be there and then we all collectively, as a town, have to support that small business,” Long said. “Even with all the different tax breaks or incentives, it’s not going to work without our support.”

Milledge: When Milledge moved to town in 1990, there were restaurants and motels, she said. But as time went on, Milledge said, people moved or no longer had the desire to run their businesses. Bringing new business is tricky because there are not many buildings available to lease in Welaka, she added. If people do come in, purchase a lot and build a business, the town and its residents need to support the business, she said.

“That’s what keeps them here and that’s what keeps us revitalized,” Milledge said.

Walker: She said a business will thrive if it’s the type of company residents would want to come to Welaka. If the business is what people want, they are more likely to support it, she said.

“Then, once it’s here (and) they support it, it’ll be able to thrive and keep going,” Walker said.