ELECTIONS Q&A: Meadowlakes City Council mayor, places 1 and 3
The city of Meadowlakes has three contested races on the May 4 ballot, one for mayor and two for seats on the council. Early voting is from April 22-30.
Mayor Mark Bentley is being challenged in his re-election bid by Aaron Codispoti. Place 1 is an open seat sought by Don Wheeler and Mike Barry. In Place 3, incumbent Jerry Drummond faces challenger Carolyn Richmond.
Wheeler opted out of answering DailyTrib.com questions.
“Thank you for extending an invitation to participate but as always I feel these are issues best discussed within the Meadowlakes community and not in a general public forum or publication so I respectfully decline,” he replied in an email to Editor Suzanne Freeman.
Challenger Barry’s responses are below.
Richmond was out of town and did not receive the questions in time to answer by the deadline. Drummond chose not to answer.
Those who did reply also came into the KBEY 103.9 FM Radio Picayune studio to talk to Operations Manager Ben Shields about the issues facing their community. Those interviews will air at noon on Monday, April 15.
MAYORAL RACE
QUESTION 1
Voters in Meadowlakes recently approved a bond to fund renovations to the city’s clubhouse and pool. Did you support this bond initiative? Why or why not?
MARK BENTLEY: Yes I definitely supported the bond initiative. The facilities that we are replacing were built in the early 1970s on the cheap. It became obvious to the city when we bought the facilities in 2008 that they needed to be replaced sooner rather than later.
Moreover, this is a beautiful city, and its homeowners are conscientious about keeping up their homes and property. The city should do the same. We should have facilities that our citizens can be proud of.
The timing was key. We knew in 2022—and even before that—that we were going to pay off the 2008 bond in September 2023 and we envisioned a seamless move into a new bond that would not cost taxpayers any more than they had been paying.
It turns out that cost increases and interest rates kept us from accomplishing that goal, but the calculations show that a homeowner of an average-priced Meadowlakes home will pay only in the range of $100 to $125 per year more than they were paying for the 2008 bond, depending on where interest rates land when we sell the bonds.
AARON CODISPOTI: I am a strong proponent of the bond initiative. Our infrastructure is aging, and we need to invest if we want Meadowlakes to remain the wonderful place that it is.
We live in one of the nicest cities in all of hill country. We have a beautiful 18-hole golf course, tennis/pickleball courts, restaurant, pool, and a lake. Many families can only dream of living in such a friendly community. New homeowners choose Meadowlakes for its amenities and its safe and friendly atmosphere.
I believe we must continue to modernize our facilities to ensure this city continues to be the gem it is. The golf course, restaurant and courts bring revenue and visitors to the city, but to keep our standing as an excellent place to live and play, it requires investments and future improvements. We need to continue to improve on what we have. We all benefit from this.
QUESTION 2
Demographics have shifted in Meadowlakes since the town’s inception as more young families join what was once mostly a community of retirees. How should the city manage this shift in the city’s population?
BENTLEY: I believe that the seismic shift toward a lower median age is a blessing for Meadowlakes. But as the question implies the recreation facilities now in place were not geared toward younger families, we are taking a giant first outreach step by seeking funding for the planned new swimming pool as part of the bond, which should include areas for small children and toddlers.
It is important to understand that the POA is in charge of all the city parks, which many residents may not be aware of. In their meetings, the POA has discussed such things as basketball goals, and other recreational amenities in the parks. However, there are occasional headwinds as a few residents living around parks point out that noise inevitably accompanies added park facilities.
I personally favor additional recreational facilities in our parks. The adolescent-aged crowd currently uses Lakeside Park consistently during the summer. The lake itself is the attraction.
One additional point is that as mayor, I would like to encourage the involvement of younger families in civic activity. Their unique perspective would go a long way toward better decisions by city leadership.
CODISPOTI: I have heard this since I moved to Meadowlakes, and that is why I am running for Mayor. I am the middle generation of the community and I want to see more people my age and younger get involved, take on leadership roles, and fully enjoy the benefits of our facilities. Bringing new voices and getting our younger families involved is good for our community. It brings diversity and innovative ideas, and ultimately, those families become more devoted to our common goals—a thriving community where people want to live.
QUESTION 3
City Manager Johnnie Thompson is retiring after serving the city in various leadership capacities since 1978. The retirement will trigger the city’s first search for a city manager since 2006, when Meadowlakes incorporated and hired Thompson. What is the ideal skill set for the position? What would you tell the new city manager that their priorities should be?
BENTLEY: Johnnie is an indispensable resource who has served the city with more dedication than anyone should expect. The question presupposes that the entirety of his skills cannot be fully replaced. In my brief time as mayor, the most important priority that Johnnie brings to the table, and his successor must have, is knowledge of municipal government procedures, deadlines, and protocols as well as being able to prepare and defend the annual budget.
This not only involves delegating, but also seizing the keyboard and making the entries into the budget software. We are not a big city that can afford to hire an administrative assistant who can do what others may consider trivial stuff. Johnnie does, and his successor will be required to do the little things that have to be done for a successful budget process.
CODISPOTI: First, I want to thank Mr. Thompson for his years of service to our community.
A new city manager should quickly learn and understand how Meadowlakes operates and have a good understanding of the community and its employees. He or she must develop a strategic vision for the future of the city. As a leader, rules and decisions need to be administered consistently and the concerns of the citizens ought to be addressed with thoughtfulness.
Priorities should focus on how to best apply the bond to modernize our facilities, address concerns about our aging sewer and water systems, and find creative ways to guarantee that our golf course, restaurant, and courts are profitable. If not profitable, how do we continue to invest to make sure Hidden Falls is the top place to live and visit?
QUESTION 4
If elected, what will be your top priorities? Why?
BENTLEY: First, I believe that performing all duties in an ethical manner consistent with state law should be paramount. Just as important as ethics is safety. The city must ensure that our workers are given the tools to work safely as well as to work effectively.
The city’s facility upgrade project has stimulated public interest, and it is vital that the job be completed on time and within budget. I have been hands-on in promoting this initiative and will continue to be deeply involved. This project will benefit the city for the next 50 years and should be viewed through a long-term lens.
CODISPOTI: I want to see the community come to an agreement on the proposed improvements to the golf course, tennis courts, restaurant, pool, and pro shop. Moving forward on this initiative is extremely important and will make our community a better place to live. I know some people believe that the building plans are excessive and there are others that feel we are not doing enough. Either way, we need to agree that something needs to be done to address the buildings that are over 50 years old.
We need to modernize and plan for the future. As Mayor, my priority will be to build facilities that will last well into the future and bring people from all over the state and beyond to enjoy our facilities and aspire to become homeowners in this great city.
CITY COUNCIL PLACE 1
Don Wheeler opted not to answer the questions for this open seat. Candidate Mike Barry’s answers are below.
QUESTION 1
Voters in Meadowlakes recently approved a bond to fund renovations to the city’s clubhouse and pool. Did you support this bond initiative? Why or why not?
MIKE BARRY: I support the residents of our community. Five hundred and fifty-five of our voters approved the $7.5M Certificate of Obligation, and I support that vote.
One of the most important of the several issues involved in the community vote was the construction or remodeling of our community clubhouse, restaurant, and golf shops.
The swimming pool has been an ongoing issue for years. This project has been discussed to be a phase of the new Certificate of Obligation. Now is the time to move forward on the construction of a new community pool.
The need for restructuring our golf course irrigation system has been discussed for years. The distribution of the effluent collected is critical, and our current system was outdated long ago. We should not try to continue to patch problem areas as they develop. The entire system is dangerously delinquent.
I believe these major issues can be addressed within the $7.5M budget. Determining where, when, and how to commit to this Certificate of Obligation is a major issue facing the City Council.
QUESTION 2
Demographics have shifted in Meadowlakes since the town’s inception as more young families join what was once mostly a community of retirees. How should the city manage this shift in the city’s population?
BARRY: One of the major issues facing our City Council is to carefully analyze the metrics of our residents. There are young families moving into Meadowlakes, however, there is also a multitude of seniors and older families who have lived here for years.
One of the first and most important steps to be taken by our City Council is to determine effectively what are the present dynamics of our population in Meadowlakes. There are several factors that can determine these most important criteria in establishing an objective analysis for us.
Instead of constantly discussing these issues with no factual data, the City Council should employ an outside agency to collect and analyze the diversity that exists in our community.
QUESTION 3
City Manager Johnnie Thompson is retiring after serving the city in various leadership capacities since 1978. The retirement will trigger the city’s first search for a city manager since 2006, when Meadowlakes incorporated and hired Thompson. What is the ideal skill set for the position? What would you tell the new city manager that their priorities should be?
BARRY: How do you replace a legend?
The ideal “skill set” for this position is a female or male who has served an appropriate internship or paid position in a governmental entity that functions with tax dollars and other governmental grants and/or aid.
Questions should be asked of the applicants to determine their leadership skills in the following areas: People, Resources, and Time. The priorities upon accepting the leadership of our community would be dealing with our people, our resources, and the individual’s time constraints.
This position requires a person with honesty, strong morals, an upbeat and friendly personality, and the ability to listen.
QUESTION 4
If elected, what will be your top priorities? Why?
BARRY: My top priority would be to listen without having any preconceived or “set in stone” absolutes. There is always a learning curve with any new undertaking, however, interacting with our community and other elected Council Members is a necessity.
Listening to others and discussing items that are important to everyone in our community should be our first priority. Badgering or snapping at each other should never be tolerated. Being able to “disagree agreeably” is a powerful tool and is very important to me. It is the first step in being able to come to a positive outcome.
The two very important responsibilities of the new City Council will be to hire a new City Manager and to make critical financial decisions in connection with the $7.5 million Certificate of Obligation. I would like very much to be a voice of experience and careful consideration in making these decisions. The goal is always to strive to have a unanimous vote in which everyone has been heard.