With two joint gatherings last week, candidates for mayor and Town Council are getting their views out to the public.

The first of two public forums sponsored by the Civic and Cultural Association was held on Jan. 22, and a Senior Services sponsored event was held on Jan. 23.

Town finances, business vitality and hiring a new town manager were key topics discussed by the candidates.

Former Mayor Jerry Miles, who is seeking the job again, is emphatic that a proposed primary property tax headed for the ballot in May will fail – he believes two-to-one or even three-to-one.

Miles admits the new revenue source would be helpful to the town and acknowledges that eventually the town will probably need to enact one.

“I cannot conceive of a worse time to ask you to impose a new tax on yourself,” Miles said, citing current national economic woes. “When you go to the polls you are going to consider what is in your best interest, not the town’s.”

Councilman Jay Schlum, who is challenging Miles for mayor, said the current council is looking for a way to balance its revenue sources in the face of tough economic times. On Jan. 17, Schlum voted with five other council members to place the tax question on the May ballot.

“Eighty-four percent of our (General Fund) revenue is tied to state-shared revenues and sales tax,” Schlum said. “These are highly volatile revenue sources.

“We are not looking at spending more money. We are looking at finding a mechanism that is sustainable. We have been creative and looked at all of the facts.”

Schlum also said he would support looking at a reduction in the town’s sales tax rate if the primary property tax is implemented.

Council candidate Lina Bellenir said Mayor Wally Nichols has publicly stated the town is not currently in a fiscal crisis.

“So why now?” Bellenir asked. “Give business a chance to develop to bring in more sales tax revenue.”

Mike Tyler is currently the chairman of the Strategic Planning Advisory Commission, which had the lead in researching the revenue solutions.

Tyler responded to a comment regarding belt-tightening to conserve revenue.

“You can’t tighten it enough,” Tyler said. “It would severely impact the quality of life in the community.”

When asked about the equity or fairness of the current taxing system, several of the candidates indicated they do not think it is a valid argument.

“I can’t contribute to an argument that has us vs. them connotations,” Bellenir said. “We need to work together to find solutions.”

Cassie Hansen said she sees it as a little “insulting” to visitors to say they are not paying their fair share.

Tyler said the house next to his is vacant most of the time, but the owner would expect to receive fire protection or police protection even when they are not there.

The mayoral candidates were split on who should have the final say in hiring a new town manager – the current council, or the next.

“Who will they be working for?” Miles asked. “It will be the new council, and you will have at least two, and possibly four, new members.”

“This council has a pretty good idea what the community needs in a manager,” Schlum said.

He added that the public and council candidates in particular would be welcome to provide input during the process.

Dennis Contino and Bellenir want the new council to make the decision.

“The current council couldn’t fire the old (town manager), how are they going to hire the new one?” Bellenir said.

The remainder of the council candidates indicated support for input across the board.

“The new council needs input,” Kathie Kelly said. “We should both work together.”

Hansen, a former town employee, and in fact the first town employee, offered a staff perspective.

“From a staffing perspective it is beneficial to have the new council make the decision,” Hansen said. “I would hate to hire a new manager only to have them decide they don’t want to work for the new council.”

“It is not so much who makes the decision,” Tyler said. “It is whether you get the right person. It will take time to get through the process.”

Incumbent Councilman Keith McMahan wants the town to be a stronger supporter of business in the community.

“The Chamber used to be responsible for all economic development in the community,” McMahan said. “I don’t know why the town needs to be that involved.”

McMahan said he knows there has always been a segment of the population that is adverse to business expansion and self sufficiency. But he said that group is getting smaller.

“We need to address the codes,” McMahan said. “The code is too intrusive and too nit-picky.”

Contino said he would like to see things the way they were when bus loads of tourists stopped off at the Bazaar at Fountain Park.

“There used to be tour bus after tour bus stop there,” Contino said. “The problem today is not enough people want to buy here.”

“Business and tourism is a lot like a chicken and egg scenario,” Kelly said. “There is a need for collaboration between the town and business.

“The town needs a plan to go forward. Many times people wait until it is too late to act.”

The Jan. 22 forum is currently being replayed on the town’s Channel 11 daily at 7:30 p.m.

On Tuesday, Feb. 19, the Civic and Cultural Association will hold a second public forum for the candidates at 7 p.m.