The two candidates for mayor of Brentwood, Barbara Clements and Chris Thornton, met Monday at the Brentwood School District conference center in a congenial League of Women Voters forum. There was often agreement in the 28 questions posed by audience members, read from cards by a LWV moderator.
Around two dozen residents came, maybe a few less than attended the forum for the Brentwood School Board last week.
The moderator alternated who answered first. Some of the questions, and answers:
Brentwood’s biggest challenge? Clements: mitigate the flooding on Manchester. Thornton: how to benefit from the city’s past investments in a capital project, making sure tax base doesn’t suffer from nearby commercial competition.
What new businesses would you like in Brentwood? Both said more restaurants, specifically ice cream.
How to handle pressure from developers, balancing needs of residents? Clements: Committees, such as planning and zoning, has a say in this. Thornton: the comprehensive plan, now in the works, is the best tool the city has.
Speeding in residential streets? Thornton: Public safety committee to finish traffic calming measures plan. Clements: speeders are often residents
Opinion on the proposed apartments at Brentwood and Hanley? Clements: gut feeling is that there would be too much traffic, against it. Thornton: any development will bring more traffic, and traffic engineers approved it.
Dog park? Both 100 percent behind it.
Deer Creek flooding mitigation? Thornton: a massive plan to control flooding is two years in the works, and there would be enormous benefits if done. Clements: There must be a less expensive way to accomplish flood mitigation, possibly work with MSD.
City employee compensation? Thornton: Brentwood’s city employees are mostly the best paid of 14 cities in a comparison. Compensation would pass revenue if not checked. Bring salaries down to be in the top 3 of the 14 cities. Clements: Compensation should match performance, why should it be capped?
How to bring resident participation in city committees beyond Ward 1? Thornton: happy to do it, but he has to twist arms to get residents to serve, and most come from Ward 1. Clements: Agrees.
Willing to make Brentwood a sanctuary city (city where police will not pick up undocumented immigrants)? Both said if an immigrant is undocumented, all should follow the law, and the immigrant should be picked up.
How to promote a culture of civility in board of aldermen meetings? Thornton: It has come a long way. He said he implemented Roberts Rules of Order, and would continue that. Clements: Was on the board for 19 years, and doesn’t remember having problems, said some on the board now served with her.
Biggest public mistake? Thornton: Making committee nominations without talking to the aldermen first when he first became mayor, said communication has improved since then. Clements: Retiring, and she’s now trying to rectify that.
What’s the best quality in your opponent for mayor? Clements: Thornton is Dapper Dan — he’s a nice person. Thornton: Clements’ love of Brentwood is so deep it’s not even funny.
The candidates’ opening statements:
I sure wish I would have known about this yesterday, I would have attended.
Doug, you should think about posting about upcoming events maybe a calendar in the side bar about everything going on that day.
My biggest issue is the flooding and Thorton is at least starting something, Clements sounds like she wants to scrap the deal and start over but I don’t think she has a better idea. I don’t think MSD is going to help us they already have there hands full with their own problems with the creeks
Correction: line 10 : CANDIDATE CLEMENT’S IS CORRECT. SHE IS REFLECTING THE WISDOM OF THE “THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLED”–AND using EVERYTHING UP FOR A QUICK FIX
Should read “AND NOT using everyting for a quick fix.” Sorry for the error and sincere apologies to Candidate Clements. The current mayor is the “quick-fix” —for everything. If you trade on the stock market, Chris uses the “churner method” of boosting his position. That is, he makes unnecessary and very expensive deals—to promote HIS seeing the money come and go…
Again apologies to Candidate Clements. (Is ANY ONE paying attention to the schemae of Chris’ “bulldoze” B’wd for profit and then duck the repercussions. this is so egregiously unseemly it is pathetic. BUT IT IS WHAT IT IS. Check me….
lifted q&a: How to promote a culture of civility in board of aldermen meetings? Thornton: It has come a long way. He said he implemented Roberts Rules of Order, and would continue that.
RESPONSE: NO CHRIS—IT HAS NOT CHANGED. YOU ARE NOT A GOOD MAYOR AND A GREEDY AMBITIOUS POLITICIAN LOOKING TO SELF-PROMOTE AT ANY COST.
Brentwood’s biggest challenge? Clements: mitigate the flooding on Manchester. Thornton: how to benefit from the city’s past investments in a capital project, making sure tax base doesn’t suffer from nearby commercial competition. RESPONSE: CANDIDATE CLEMENT’S IS CORRECT. SHE IS REFLECTING THE WISDOM OF THE “THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLED”–AND using EVERYTHING UP FOR A QUICK FIX. (CHRIS–YOU ARE THE SAME “GLAD HAND” AND “SLICK PROMULGATOR” OF WHAT IS N-O-T IN B’WD;S best interest. You are beginning to GLOW radio-active re unbalanced plans.” i remind you B’WD IS NOT YOUR CITY, AND YOU ARE JUST PASSING THROUGH.
How to bring resident participation in city committees beyond Ward 1? Thornton: happy to do it, but he has to twist arms to get residents to serve, and most come from Ward 1. Clements: Agrees. response: maybe the CITIZENS are not feeling like they count—-and are too humble to raise a stink about the crap the Mayor as levied on B’wd. Candidate Clements is experiencing the breakdown after affects of a City that does not TRUST the mayor. think of an earthquake and the might of damage caused in after shocks.
Biggest public mistake? Candidate Clements had THE ONLY good answer. Vested residents who will not have to face the hostility of the mayor’s $$making agenda may indeed not retire. There may also be an internship with credits for local Brentwood students. The mayor has TRASHED the valuable history of B’wd–where he has NO residential longevity or values “standing’. CLUELESS.
What’s the best quality in your opponent for mayor? Clements: Thornton is Dapper Dan — he’s a nice person. Thornton: Clements’ love of Brentwood is so deep it’s not even funny.======== RESPONSE; completely agree. Thornton —self-serving mayor—but very good family man. this alone puts Clement’s concern for BRENTWOOD right up there with the sadly missed Louise Charbonne (sp?) BOTH WOMEN STOOD FOR HONEST BALANCE IN THE B’WD CITY—- not so, Chris.
sorry out of order: Deer Creek flooding mitigation? Thornton: a massive plan to control flooding is two years in the works, and there would be enormous benefits if done. Clements: There must be a less expensive way to accomplish flood mitigation, possibly work with MSD. Response: Clements is correct. the error of “big fixes” with no eye for unanticipated consequences is the HALLMARK OF the mayor. Find out all the details that are operational in any given project and coordinate and build substantive LT plans, including contingency options, and ALSO BUILD GOOD WILL with people who respect what it has taken to build B’WD in the first place. thank you for letting me have my say. under Chris, B’wd is being sold out as if a pimp had a young girl to sell. AND NO I AM NOT SORRY. Good luck to Candidate Clements Look at WHAT WE WANT–versus the $$$$vision of Chris. This has always been obvious–now it glows in the dark. I am finished and hope i do not feel compelled to post again.