MAYORAL CANDIDATE URGES CITIZEN INPUT TO BOOST SCOTT CITY

Second of two articles

SCOTT CITY A candidate for mayor of Scott City said city government could benefit from more citizen input.

Rodney Holloway said he's talked to residents and they know what problems need to be fixed. And they have good ideas about how to do it, he said.

"Citizens know what needs to be done in their community," he said. "I'd like to see neighbors working with neighbors to get things done."

Holloway, 34, is one of two candidates for mayor. Larry Forhan also filed for the seat. Mayor Shirley Young is not running for re-election.

Holloway and his wife Karen own K & R Mobile Home Park in Scott City. They have three children. The Cape Girardeau native has lived in Scott City for seven years.

Like Forhan, Holloway said he'd like to see changes in the way the city council votes on city ordinances. He favors enactment of a policy that allows laws to be adopted only after review at two meetings.

But Holloway said that in talking with other citizens, he thinks one of the most pressing issues in the town is the problem of inadequate drainage. Heavy rains often leave parts of town flooded, including Main Street.

"People are concerned about the drainage problem," he said. "They're tired of the flooding and having to clean their houses afterward."

He said one of the areas most effected by heavy rain is south of the main railroad tracks that divide the town.

"People are calling me and telling me about this," he said. "We need to start at the interstate and clean out all the ditches, not just the main ones."

Holloway ran for a Ward 1 seat on the city council in 1990 but lost by 12 votes. This is his first attempt at running for mayor.

He said the current city government focuses too much on special projects and not enough on "taking care of the problems at hand.

"For instance," he said. "Most of out city maintenance equipment belongs in the salvage yard. I looked at some of the stuff. It's on its last leg. It's dangerous for the workers. We've been lucky that no one's been hurt."

But he said the city doesn't need to purchase new equipment in most cases, adding that repairs will take care of many of the problems.

Holloway said the city also needs to build a service road to the Nash Road industrial park so maintenance workers don't have to drive equipment on the interstate.

"That's just an accident waiting to happen," he said.

Holloway said the citizens of the town could help the city save money through volunteer work or by working with city officials to solve problems. He called this a "good neighbor policy."

"It's kind of an open door policy," he said. "People don't need to get the run-around when they've got a problem. And if they have a say in what gets done, they won't feel that way."

Holloway said he's making only one campaign promise: He'll do his best to represent all citizens fairly. "I'd like to have the job of trying to see their wishes are carried out," he added.