With the general election right around the corner, the Greater Blackfoot Chamber of Commerce and the Blackfoot Senior Center recently hosted a candidate forum with the audience supplying the questions.

Former Blackfoot Mayor Paul Loomis gathered the submitted questions and organized them into nine questions for the candidates for the forum held at the Blackfoot Senior Center earlier this month. Each participant was provided three minutes to answer each question and then five minutes to give a closing statement with their final thoughts at the forum’s conclusion. The candidates’ responses to the questions are listed alphabetically.

What are your top two priorities?

Brent Arave: To control taxes and expenses, to bring businesses in for added city revenue and to bring back a pool. He also said the city should “shop locally” with bids it awards by giving the business to the local business if it is within 10 percent of the lowest bid.

Melwood C. Matson: He wants to make Blackfoot a destination city so others can see the gem it is. He also encourages everyone to get involved, saying, “You don’t have to stand tall — just stand up.” He feels the mayor runs the city government for everyone, to make sure it doesn’t go away.

Mike Oborn: He succinctly said his priorities are public safety, infrastructure, and parks and recreation.

Scott Stufflebeam: Water (Jensen Grove, pool, water pressure), infrastructure and park maintenance. He believes in doing infrastructure improvements without any tax increases — pacing the projects with what the people can afford.

Should the city address infrastructure before annexation or approving building permits?Arave: He wasn’t in favor of annexing until the town was filled in first and felt a review of the necessary infrastructure improvements was needed. He felt the key was to attract more businesses to bring in services and taxes, but felt the growth should grow in a natural way. One concern Arave has is Blackfoot’s fees for building are higher than other cities in the area.

Matson: He felt the expiration date is up on many roads and bridges, but funds are needed for the upgrading. He proposes hiring a city grant writer to get an expert looking for available funding, instead of each department seeking grants separately. He was also concerned 50 percent of the city is composed of properties not paying any property taxes and Blackfoot needs more tax-paying properties.

Oborn: He said, “infrastructure is everything,” adding there is a lot to be done and the city has the people to do it. He agreed a grant writer is a good idea.

Stufflebeam: He said annexation is a way to share the tax burden with more city residents; however, recent state legislation has made annexation “impossible.” He advocates thinking ahead and making sure the water and sewer infrastructure needed “gets done.” He said setting priorities is key. As to grants, he felt funding isn’t always available for all types of projects.

Can AI be used in the city government? How do you plan to lower taxes to keep mortgages low?Arave: After joking that, as a farmer, he’s used AI for a long time, though not the same AI being asked about, he moved onto the second question, saying he felt the city needs to look at the whole budget to find a long-term, sustainable budget solution. His concern is higher impact fees, expensive fees and a lot of regulations drive away the development needed to help carry the burden of infrastructure needs.

Matson: He felt AI is coming, and the city needs to get people who know how to use it — everything depends on “what we do with it and how we use it.” He feels the city isn’t prepared for growth. He feels Blackfoot needs to “look into the future and plan,” adding light manufacturing is a possibility here.

Oborn: He declared, “AI can’t be good,” because it has replaced jobs and has too much control. As to taxes, he felt keeping the city small means the taxes will increase. Blackfoot needs to have more high-density, low-income housing to spread the cost of handling the needs of the city.

Stufflebeam: He felt AI is only as good as the data put into it. As to taxes, he felt the city government spending needs cutting, but he doesn’t know where yet because he can’t study the budget unless he is mayor. He feels annexation is the answer since it will spread the costs with more taxpayers. He characterized city services and taxes as a conundrum — he promises “none of us will be satisfied — there are no winners.” The best can be done is to find a balance.

How do you feel about reviving the city pool, and how would you do so?Arave: He noted all three bonds to restore the current pool failed, perhaps because they never detailed the work to be done. He feels an outdoor pool is preferable and more affordable. He said a $1.5 million to $2 million outdoor pool near Jensen Grove can be done, hopefully through grants. He also mentioned the need to plan how to maintain it.

Matson: He feels the city needs a pool so people can learn to swim for their safety. He proposes finding grants to bring one back and to maintain it. He said Blackfoot lost the pool because it wasn’t maintained.

Oborn: He believes Blackfoot needs to think bigger and include plans to have lanes for sport competitions, space for exercise and water therapy and fun activity centers.

Stufflebeam: He believes a pool is essential as a safe place to learn to swim, as well as a place for the city’s aging population to get exercise. He cited the mistakes of the past in ignoring the design committee’s recommendation and building a dome instead, which was problematic in a northern climate. He feels private funding, grants and a bond should be used to bring a pool back to Blackfoot.

What would you do for Jensen Grove Lake?Arave: He feels the lake should no longer be used as a recharge basin. Instead, it should have the bottom leveled and sealed to allow incoming water to flow through.

Matson: He feels the lake is a “jewel” of Blackfoot and the city needs to find a way to fill it, improve it and maintain it.

Oborn: He said, “Jensen Grove needs to get resolved and be done with it.” It needs to be figured out and resolved.

Stufflebeam: He said this “gemstone” of Blackfoot was not filled this year because the Army Corps of Engineers changed how the river flows, such that the spring flows knocked out the city’s inflow system. He said the city needs to talk with the experts to find a solution. He also said Jensen Grove is a major attraction to bringing business into Blackfoot.

What is the Blackfoot Urban Renewal Agency, known as BURA? How would you support businesses downtown? How would you fund improvement projects without raising taxes?Arave: He said he doesn’t know BURA. He likes supporting local businesses and construction and feels a hotel downtown would bring taxes to the city and shopping to the downtown area. He feels there needs to be some terms set allowing some taxes to come to the city.

Matson: He said he doesn’t know a lot about BURA, but he feels the city should have a committee to seek out and encourage businesses. He can see more light industry in the city — ones employing 500-600 people. But the city needs to plan where it can be built. As to downtown, he appreciates the urban renewal grant to beautify it; however, there remains a problem with parking.

Oborn: He said BURA has a big budget, and it has been beneficial for Blackfoot. However, he is concerned if taxes are raised, new businesses won’t locate here.

Stufflebeam: He said he has learned of BURA recently, saying it centers its urban renewal plans around an anchor project, such as a hotel on Highway 91. He said a BURA district “makes the city forgo taxes” then going into a BURA district repayment instead. As to improving the downtown, he felt it doesn’t bring in any new businesses. He also said the city needs more people supporting downtown, which can be either “a great thing or a worse thing.”

How much is the city budget, and how much of it comes from property taxes? Have you visited any city departments? How will you oversee the departments so they are efficient?Arave: He says the budget is $28 million, and he believes he can make it lower “somehow.” He says he is familiar with the city departments, but hasn’t wanted to “bug” them as they work. He plans on having an open-door policy with the departments to get their input.

Matson: He said he is familiar with the budget process and of filling “needs” first before “wants.” As to departments, he says he knows and has worked with 12 of the 15 departments. He also said in his experience, he has not seen any wasteful expenses and he believes if you “chintze” your employees, you will lose them. He also said all the departments are running “really well,” and are doing regular training and cross-training.

Oborn: He believes safety is the top priority, which means supporting the city’s first responders. He would evaluate all departments with his ability to think outside the box for solutions others miss.

Stufflebeam: He said he has successfully formed budgets in the corporate world, finding money through consolidation and cuts. However, he says he has no agenda about the departments, other than to ask “what if” questions. He feels it is vital to build teams within and between departments. He wants to have better communication, greater transparency and to post a brief summary of upcoming meetings with the agenda.

What would you do about social issues such as domestic violence, homelessness, library censorship and federal troops in cities?Arave: He believes everyone should “be a good citizen and look out for each other.” He also doesn’t believe censorship is good for anyone. As to federal troops, he said he would be disappointed in Blackfoot if the city needed federal troops, but if it did need the help for public safety, he would ask for federal assistance.

Matson: He said “no one has the right to lay hands on anyone, whether they are mad or not.” As to federal involvement in the city, he said the city needs emergency management plans, and if help is needed, the city will ask for it. Otherwise, he said this is Blackfoot’s home, and it is a slippery slope to allow other agencies and troops to come in.

Oborn: He says there is no room for any domestic violence. He said he wasn’t aware of any growing problem — other than certain apartments in the city. He believes in supporting libraries.

Stufflebeam: He said the “hidden” problem of domestic violence is known to neighbors, and those neighbors need to step forward and let the courts enforce the laws. He says censorship is a federal issue. He pointed out there are federal laws allowing federal troops to come to the city if there is violence, and everyone needs to know and understand those laws.

The final statements of the candidates:

Arave: He said Idaho is the best state and Blackfoot is the best city in the state. He wants to focus on why Blackfoot can — not why Blackfoot can’t achieve its goals. He firmly believes in local businesses, saying the city has just as good businesses as Idaho Falls or Pocatello. His focus will be on street improvement, Jensen Grove, the city pool and making sure the police department has what it needs to do its job. He promises he will screw up, but he knows how to research and find answers.

Matson: He feels the city needs to prepare for growth by looking forward five to 10, even 30, years. He believes the city cannot leave it up to others to plan for the city. He challenges everyone to speak up, come to city council and speak up — there are no dumb ideas. He is clear the mayor works for the residents — not the reverse.

Oborn: He pledges to serve with transparency (call the mayor), make tough decisions (right now), be honest (admit mistakes), speak truth (he is Danish). He knows how to manage the city and relate to all. He ended by declaring, “I care about this city.”

Stufflebeam: He believes the city ordinances need to be cut, consolidated or rewritten. He also wants to remove all ordinances that are invasive, those taking away people’s rights. He believes in making Blackfoot better for the next generations and believes in doing that through faith, family and future. He concluded by asking the audience for its vote and its trust.

Current Mayor Marc Carroll is not to seeking reelection.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 4, and the polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Early voting at the courthouse ends at 4:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31. All absentee ballots must be at the county courthouse by 8 p.m. on Election Day.