Norfolk Daily News

Monday – April 28, 2008

The three candidates for Norfolk mayor were asked to identify the top three issues in the race.

TOM SCHOMMER
1. Economic Development
As mayor, I will help Norfolk become the most business friendly community in Nebraska. Pro-business equals growth. Growth equals higher paying jobs for Norfolk.

As mayor, I will sit down with and learn from progressive, forward thinking leaders of other communities like South Sioux City and Columbus, who have had recent success with economic development projects.

I will be very deliberate about recruiting new business and industry to Norfolk that will create higher paying jobs.
I will work closely with organizations like Norfolk Area Recruiters to recruit a talented workforce to fill positions created by our economic development program.

Buying local. As mayor, I will make sure the City of Norfolk leads by example and does all it can do to responsibly support the local tax paying businesses in Norfolk with its purchases of goods and services.

2. Respectful Community Relationships
As mayor, my efforts will be to work with community leaders and citizens to encourage strong relationships with the city that are built on trust and fairness — relationships that contribute to long-term hope and optimism, not pessimism.

I pledge to develop a one-team, one-goal style of administration where all levels of city staff function in an atmosphere built on open communications, relationships, mutual respect and accountability.

3. Parks, Recreation and Public Safety
I will work cooperatively with citizens and existing committee members to accomplish the necessary improvements to Memorial Field and Ta-ha-zouka Park.

As mayor, I will resolve the ongoing issues regarding our city pools by working openly with citizens as well as other stakeholders in the community.

Provide police and fire departments the necessary resources and support to properly do their jobs.

SUE FUCHTMAN
1. How can we continue to grow Norfolk and be the kind of community that people want to stay in and the kind of city that people are going to want to move to? I believe that, first of all, we need to take care of young people. You can do that through making sure that you have good schools to prepare them and a safe community that helps to grow Norfolk from the talent that develops here.

We can provide support to our youth and schools through innovative ideas, such as developing community learning centers, which can be implemented through the 21st century grant without increasing our local taxes. I will continue to study this and other approaches that would provide the tools to help make our kids and families more successful.

2. We need to continue to make Norfolk the kind of place where people want to grow their business and that attracts new businesses and good jobs to Norfolk.

We can make sure that Norfolk can attract new business and retain our existing businesses by having the kinds of things that are important to business, like strong schools that provide prepared and exceptional employees and community amenities that make Norfolk an attractive place to locate business.

3. We need to make sure that we are growing Norfolk in a way that is responsible to the people of Norfolk. We need to make sure that we are using our tax dollars and resources responsibly. Everyone needs to have a voice and a place at the table as we make the decisions that will help Norfolk be the most important city in Northeast Nebraska. We need to make sure that we invest to benefit all the different groups in Norfolk.

LARRY SWEIGARD
1. Get council to work closer and hear consensus of people who pay their wages.

2. Shared facility for administrative office.

3. Hopefully, interstate system can be finished.