COUNCILMEN VIE FOR MAYOR'S POST

Cape Girardeau voters Tuesday will choose between two different personalities in mayoral candidates Melvin Gateley and Al Spradling III.

Spradling, a local attorney who has served six years on the Cape Girardeau City Council, sees himself as a tough negotiator with a platform of specific issues he intends to address if elected.

His opponent Melvin Gateley, a retired public school administrator and a two-year veteran of the council, says his strength is his ability to bring divergent groups together to reach agreement on difficult issues.

Both hope they'll get to use their skills as the leader of the council and not merely serve out the remainder of their terms as council members.

Spradling has focused on city finances during the campaign, vowing to ensure the city neither allows its debt load to become unmanageable, nor spends revenues off-budget.

He also has pledged to cap fee increases at 5 percent. Any fee hike that exceeds the cap will be submitted to the voters.

"I also think it's very important to provide a financial safety net by establishing a rainy day fund with excess revenues," Spradling said.

Gateley said he also is concerned about the rising cost of city services. He said one of his priorities will be to "get a handle on trash fees.

"I've been working with that for some time," he said. "There are a lot of individuals concerned about the rising costs there, and I look forward to coming together and resolving this issue."

Gateley said he'll also take a close look at the city's inspection services department. He said many building trades contractors have expressed concern that the city's inspections and building code enforcement are having an adverse effect on development.

"I have heard some concerns expressed that the codes are driving up costs," he said. "We have to also be cautious so we don't have delays for craftsmen, as far as approval of plans and inspections."

Spradling lauded the city administration, saying they're "as good as you can find anywhere." But like Gateley, he said the city needs to take a close look at inspection services.

"We've made some strides trying to improve it," he said, "but there's still a lack of confidence from the citizens. We've got to get to the root of why that lack of confidence exists."

Both candidates agree that housing has become a key issue in the city. Council action is pending on a minimum property maintenance code to mandate regulations for existing property and the establishment of public housing in the city.

Spradling said he opposes both measures.

"I think we need to look at other alternatives to public housing and a strict property maintenance code," he said.

He said the city council should draft an ordinance that adequately addresses health and safety concerns in existing buildings, without adopting a draconian national code.

Spradling said there also are options to public housing.

"Our Community Development Block Grant program has renovated many older homes for low-income residents," he said. "That program should continue, along with efforts by private enterprise to develop low-income housing."

Gateley said such programs like Habitat for Humanity and Sweat Equity Inc. help low-income residents afford housing. But, he added, if those measures are insufficient to meet the city's low-income housing needs, he favors public housing.

"I agree with our Housing Task Force," he said. "We certainly have a need for more low-cost and affordable housing."

Gateley takes a similar approach as Spradling's to a minimum property maintenance code.

"We definitely have to upgrade our substandard housing," he said. "But I'm not in favor of going across-the-board" with the Building Officials and Code Administrators version of a national code. "I think BOCA's an excellent model, and we should be able to glean some things from BOCA, and put our own ordinance together."

Spradling said that as mayor he won't look to government to solve everybody's problems.

"I am basically opposed to big government and expansion of our existing government," he said. "I don't want to add to anything we have. If anything, I want to reduce the impact of government on local citizens.

"There will still be some basic services we have to provide -- police, fire and, in my opinion, trash, as well as the water utility."

Both candidates support the capital improvement sales tax extension and sewer revenue bond issue also on Tuesday's ballot. The tax will finance the bonds, which will fund separation of the city's combined sanitary and storm sewers.

But Spradling said his experience in finance and business, and his negotiating abilities, make him the better candidate for mayor.

"I've got six years on the council, my opponent has two," he said. "I've been through more budgets, I've worked longer with the city administration, and I have a background in dealing with people on a negotiating basis.

"Every day I work in an environment where I have to hammer out contracts, and I think that prepares me well for a leadership role on the council."

But Gateley said he will be a tireless, full-time mayor.

"I definitely have time to provide leadership in these areas," he said. "I'm going to be on the firing line more than every two weeks when the council meets. It's going to be a day-in and day-out affair until some of these problems are taken care of.

"I love to do this type of thing -- do things for people, listen to their problems -- and I have the time to, not just delegate, but to go with people in a one-on-one scenario."