Wade: “Tough decisions” on city budget, economy facing next mayor

Fourth Ward City Council Representative Jerry Wade, a retired MU professor and community development specialist, was the first candidate to jump into the mayoral race. Wade made the announcement in September, a month after Mayor Darwin Hindman said he would not seek a sixth term.
Wade, 67, was elected to the Council in 2007 and is giving up the Fourth Ward seat to run for mayor. In 1995, he was appointed to the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission and served as chairman until he was elected to the Council.
Wade left southern Illinois and came to work at MU in 1979, got his master’s and doctoral degrees and helped local governments in Missouri and other states develop economic plans and effective means of governance. He and his wife have one daughter and two grandchildren.
Wade holds “office hours” at Rendezvous Coffehouse every other Saturday, a practice initiated by Fourth Ward Representative Karl Skala, and is known for taking a measured, studious approach to decision-making.
What are the top three or four issues of your campaign?
“The budget: We all know these are difficult times. We have to work to build a city budget that allocates funding for essential services and the programs and amenities that Columbians expect. We have to make some tough decisions as we have seen our revenue decline.
Economic base expansion: We must continue to expand both the number and types of businesses that bring money into the Columbia economy. The emphasis must be on jobs that make it possible for people to support their families. We must support homegrown enterprises and bring new technology-based companies to town. In fall 2008, I formed a taskforce of educators, business owners and community leaders to assess Columbia’s adult technical training offerings and the kinds of training needed for today’s high-tech companies. Within a year, training geared to match the jobs in existing and emerging companies will be up and running.
Neighborhoods: Strong neighborhoods build a community from the inside out. The building of neighborhood capability must continue. At my request, two programs were formed and are now a regular part of the city’s neighborhood support efforts. The Neighborhood Leadership Program is a training program offered by Columbia’s Neighborhood Services Department. Participants are Columbia residents who want to hone their leadership skills as they work to improve their neighborhoods. Keys to the City is a series of workshops addressing issues affecting neighborhoods. City staff and neighborhood leaders work together to solve neighborhood problems.

Crime Reduction: Much is already being done. Downtown crime is down significantly. The Police Department needs to be able to use its resources for those actions that give the best results where they are most needed. Reducing crime means more than police enforcement. We must involve families, schools, churches, neighborhoods and other community groups in addition to our police force.”
You’ve been the swing vote that ensured the passage of several initiatives backed by the business community. Nevertheless, based on candidate petitions, leaders of the Chamber of Commerce and other representatives of the local “business establishment” are backing Bob McDavid. Why do you think they haven’t openly backed you, and what are you doing to get votes from the business community?
“I began my mayoral campaign as I did my Council campaign — by going first to family, neighbors and friends for signatures on the petition. It filled very quickly. Far too much has been made of who signed who’s petition. As a community, we can’t afford a mayor who represents a special interest group or has an ax or two to grind. As a councilperson, I have voted on issues after carefully weighing the facts, listening to the pros and cons, doing my best to understand the impact of the vote on Columbia and deciding what I believe would be best for Columbians in both the long and short term. As mayor, my approach to issues will not change.”

There’s a perception among some business leaders that the City Council has gotten too progressive and too tied into Smart Growth Coalition principles. Do you think the Council in the past year or so has reflected the mood of the public in terms of what development it allows?
“Smart growth principles are a set of good business practices. They promote quality, sustainability and efficiency. They might not be compatible with the development practices of the 1980s, but they are appropriate for today and tomorrow. The Council does not allow or deny development. We review proposals that come before us in the context of existing policy and ordinances.”
In Bob McDavid’s answers to the CBT Q&A, he said the City Council’s “vote against security cameras downtown is a disconnect with what the people of Columbia want.” Briefly, what’s your position on installing surveillance cameras downtown.
“If surveillance cameras prevented crime, we would have no bank robberies or convenience store stick-ups. We have and will retain cameras in parking garages because of their isolated secluded nature. When (Police) Chief (Ken) Burton says video cameras on Broadway are the best use of the taxpayers’ dollar for crime prevention, then I will vote to install them.”

At least one member of the city’s energy supply taskforce believes Columbia can generate the majority of its electricity through renewable sources after two coal-fired turbines are retired in a few years and the city must increase supply sources. The city manager and others disagree. Do you think the city should strive to surpass the renewable energy requirement approved by voters?
“Yes, of course we should strive to meet and surpass the renewable energy requirement approved by voters. Energy needs in the future will be met by a changing mix of energy generation sources and increased efficiency. The challenge will be to meet our energy demand in the most cost-effective and environmentally sensitive manner possible.”
Do you think that the mayor and Council members should get at least a stipend?
“Yes. A stipend will likely broaden the pool of potential candidates to include younger, civic-minded citizens who cannot otherwise afford the time or expense to serve. I don’t know of any other city of 100,000 or more that does not pay its council.”