WARD 1 CANDIDATES SAY WARDS LINK PEOPLE AS POWERFUL FORCE

Cape Girardeau City Council opponents James J.J. Williamson and Frank Stoffregen have witnessed a dramatic increase in public response during their campaign as Ward 1 candidates.

"The ward system gives everybody a feeling that they count and are not just a number," said Stoffregen, who will square off against Williamson in Tuesday's city council election.

"As long as people feel like their needs are being heard -- that they have a voice -- the ward system will have a powerful effect on the way this city operates," said Williamson. "If I'm elected I plan to have a private line in my office that would be used only by the people from my ward," he said. "I want to know what they have to say so I can represent them the best way I know how."

Stoffregen said he would hold monthly or bimonthly ward meetings to encourage give-and-take sessions with members in his sector. "It might just be a matter of someone wanting to have a stop sign put up or a pothole fixed," said Stoffregen. "To that person it's important. But they might feel it's not big enough to take to the city council. That's where the ward system comes into play."

That said, both Stoffregen and Williamson have taken a hard look at issues that are on the minds of people who comprise Ward 1. "The three most important issues have to be riverboat gambling, the trash and housing," said Williamson.

Both candidates favor looking into alternative and volume-based billing as a means to provide lower solid-waste fees. "I think we need to study what's going on in other cities in order to provide the best service for our money," said Williamson.

Said Stoffregen, "There are people in Ward 1 who are on a fixed income and would welcome having the option to cut out some services to lower their trash bill."

Housing is an oft-discussed issue within Ward 1. Both candidates said they would push for programs that would give homeowners and renters a feeling of pride and respect for property.

"It's the difference between feeling like you're living within your own investment or someone else's," said Williamson. "If you rent a car you're not going to be as careful with it as you would something you have to maintain as an owner or potential owner. That's the difference between working with a government-run program and something that you worked on to have as your own one day."

Stoffregen believes a homeowner or renter must develop a feeling of self-reliance. "We need to have programs where people feel responsible for their actions and aren't dependent on someone forever," said Stoffregen. "If you are in a situation where there seems like there's no way out, you develop a feeling of hopelessness, and that's a bad situation."

Stoffregen would like to see money that comes from riverboat gambling earmarked for capital improvement projects or more immediate needs. "I think we need to take a look at how that money could pay for landfill closure and maybe take the burden off of the people in other areas," said Stoffregen.

Both candidates see crime as a key issue. Stoffregen would like to prolong the stay of effective police officers in Cape Girardeau. "It seems like we get good officers, but they only stay here three years before moving on to the highway patrol," said Stoffregen. "I don't know if that means they're looking for higher pay or that there's some reason why they're not happy, but it's worth looking into."

Williamson, who was a highway patrol officer for 14 years, stressed the need for the community to band together and work with the Cape Girardeau police force. "One of the best deterrents for crime is community involvement," said Williamson. "There's only so much a police officer can do. But if there's help from the community, it can make the job a lot easier and the police can become more effective."

Said Stoffregen, "Something as simple as noticing a strange license number or people looking out for each other can become strong preventive medicine."