Verlinda White and Connie Fitch Taylor, candidates for the City Council Ward 1 position, participated in a community forum Thursday.
After the two candidates opened the forum with a brief introduction, both candidates answered questions about student housing, infrastructure, neighborhood watches and the need for affordable houses in Ward 1.
Better Infrastructure and Affordable Housing
When asked about her vision for the Ward 1 area of Auburn, White, who is the sitting Ward 1 councilwoman, said there is a need for more housing options, road improvements and lighting on streets, citing concerns over security and safety.
She added that plans for such improvements were being made, but she hopes to expedite the process.
Taylor emphasized the importance of affordable housing to not only the Ward 1 community, but to the greater Auburn community as well. She wanted to make sure that parents were given information about the resources available for their children. She also spoke of the need to add more lighting as well as sidewalks, which was a suggestion made while she was campaigning. She later said she wanted to make sure opportunity grants to help northwest Auburn were being used properly.
The moderator asked the candidates about their plans for building affordable homes or adding more Section 8 housing.
Taylor suggests that stipulations be put on buying property to best serve the needs of each ward.
“If there is a need for affordable homes in this particular area, that should be the focus,” Taylor said. “It should not be student housing. That’s not the focus of Ward 1. Affordable homes is the focus of Ward 1.”
White said that developers will only build homes if a profit can be made. She said that people need to be educated on how to become home-owners. She said there is a lot of work to do to help get more affordable housing in northwest Auburn. However, she acknowledges that progress is being made.
“I know there are a number of houses that have been built in Ward 1 in particular in the last years,” White said. “And that was before I was asked to be back on the council, so there is housing development, and there are persons who are building houses throughout northwest Auburn.”
When asked if Ward 1 should be concerned about student housing, White said that student housing impacted all of Auburn. She suggested working with Auburn University to show them the effects of student housing on the neighborhood.
Taylor said that student housing is one of her main issues, particularly because it has affected her own neighborhood. In her experience, parking becomes scarce even for the non-student residents. Taylor said she doesn’t have a problem with student housing, only the location of student housing. According to Taylor, student housing is only coming to Ward 1 and some of Ward 2, which she said is a concern for the community.
The moderator also asked the candidates if a schedule existed for paving streets and if they would support one if it didn’t. White answered that many streets and sidewalks are flagged to be resurfaced, but they aren’t getting done.
“What is the holdup?” White recalled recently asking. She said she will continue to ask that question until progress is made.
Taylor said she would make paving streets a priority. She said a street she has been living on for over 20 years has been recently paved for the first time.
“If it took 30 years to pave the street because they put a $280,000 house there on my street, that’s a problem to me,” Taylor said.
She said that if they pave a street after a certain group of people move in or the neighborhood changes, there should be a schedule for paving streets.
Neighborhood Watch
Both candidates were asked if they supported a neighborhood watch, which they both did, and they were asked a follow-up question about how they would encourage constituents to use them.
"The theory of it is great,” White said. “The reality of it is we’ve got work to do in terms of making people feel secure to report concerns that they have and be free from retaliation.”
She emphasized working with law enforcement to promote safety and security.
Taylor was concerned that neighborhood watches were being used to profile individuals. She suggested that officers talk with neighborhood residents and get to know them.
“We just want them to watch our neighborhood and make sure that we are getting the same responses from law enforcement that other wards in our district get,” Taylor said. “Neighborhood watching does not mean profiling.”
White said that her previous experience on the City Council gave her exposure to the political environment and would help her with her political duties if she was elected.
Taylor said that her 25 years of experience at Auburn University and Tuskegee University in Construction and Facility Management make her qualified to be on the City Council.
Residents can vote for their candidate on Aug. 28, 2018.
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