Dorian Hunter, a third candidate, withdrew.
The commission seat vacancy was created when new Mayor Rob Rue, elected in November, took office almost immediately because of the retirement resignation of Mayor Warren Copeland for health and personal reasons.
Commissioners joined community members in the audience to hear presentations and a question-and-answer session with candidates selected as finalists from an initial pool of 25 people.
City Manager Bryan Heck served as moderator. As the program started, Hunter withdrew.
“With deep prayer and thought, I am withdrawing due to capacity reasons,” Hunter, vice president of business development and marketing at Elliott Insurance Agency, told those assembled. “I do want to express appreciation for the support and consideration given me.”
Bridget Houston
Houston, a diagnostic imaging key account manager with Philips Healthcare, said
she moved to Springfield five years ago with her husband to start their professional careers and launch a small business.
“Moving here was one of the greatest decisions of our lives,” she said. “We both grew up in Mansfield, which is demographically very much like Springfield …We found Springfield to be very welcoming and an excellent place to raise a family … we bought a house and love our neighborhood.”
She said they enjoy the summer arts festival and events downtown and noted pride in the growth the city has seen in the last five years.
She credited the city with “continually reinventing and developing itself to create a better future for those living here.”
Houston’s top priorities for the city include attracting and retaining new business and a skilled labor force; addressing the housing shortage; keeping city streets safe and free from violence, and ensuring city infrastructure is adequate and adaptable for a growing population.
In addition to her full-time job and new business, Houston serves on the Springfield Arts Council and the United Way Planning Committee. She cited her business experience and personal perspective as valuable attributes she can bring to City Commission.
“At my age, I know that I don’t have all the answers, but I am a driven, results-oriented person who will be a positive force on the commission in problem-solving situations,” she said.
Chris Wallace
Wallace, who serves as a mentor supervisor at Springfield City Schools, was the second presenter. Born in raised in Springfield, he relocated to Florida for a time and returned to the city in 2009 to assist his mother in providing care for his ailing father.
Before that, Wallace had applied for the head coaching job at Springfield High School and was asked to define his vision for the school when he was interviewed for the post.
“I visualized the city being one. I visualized driving down South Limestone Street to Evans stadium, where the games were still being played at that time, and seeing people, businesses and organizations all moving together as one, as a community,” Wallace said.
Since returning to his hometown, Wallace has become part of the school district and coaching team. He has seen his vision become a reality with the city uniting behind the championship football teams over recent years.
He said, “We’re on our third trip of going to the state championship and we will be riding down Limestone, and there will be all types of businesses and the police escort, everyone together as a community … you get a sense of pride in Springfield. That was my vision before.”
Wallace is proud of the role he’s played with My Brother’s Keeper, an initiative to address opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color and to ensure that all young people can reach their full potential. The program was launched in Springfield in 2017.
“We started with 10 kids and now have over 200,” Wallace said. “We do a lot of literacy workshops … and mentor not only kids, but parents.”
Wallace is currently serving on the City Planning Board.
“I don’t know if I’m the best person, or if I’m the best qualified … All I can tell you is I love people, I love this community and I am interested in helping my community in any way I can,” he said.
Online questions
Both candidates responded to 5 questions generated online from members of the community. Asked to identify his top priority for the city, Wallace addressed the need to tackle gun violence, especially among youths.
“We have to make our community a safe place for people to live … a lot of the gun violence is with our youth … if you set a precedent and set an example, kids strive for discipline.”
Houston said the biggest issue facing the city is attracting new business and creating a skilled labor force for good-paying jobs in Clark County. She would like to turn the tide on young people leaving the area for jobs elsewhere.
“Sometimes we miss the boat by not keeping them here in Springfield, where there are a lot of opportunities … It’s important to spread the message that you don’t have to go to college to have a good job in this community.”
Both candidates indicated approval for the use of economic incentive tools such as Community Reinvestment Areas, tax abatements and other such tools to encourage growth and development in the community.
“We may forgo tax income in the short term. But it is a long-term investment in this community that will ultimately pay off,” Houston said.
Wallace said such programs deserve to be considered individually on the merits. “I wouldn’t make a hasty decision,” he said. “I would do my research.”
Asked about the growth of the immigrant population locally, Wallace shared stories of interactions he’s had with members of that community.
“All I have encountered are people trying to do things the right way … If they are willing to come be part of our community and part of our city we should welcome them … If they’re here, we’re here to help.”
Houston said the community needed to be educated about immigrants who have chosen to come to Springfield.
“We can make the community aware of who controls immigration on a broader level … A large part of the Haitian population are here legally under Temporary Protected Status, and the city of Springfield has no control over that,” she said. “I think the Immigration Accountability Task Force is a good effort to make sure no one is taken advantage of, for example, there is no indentured servitude or human trafficking.”
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