Forum brings mayoral candidates together for first time

ALBANY — Challenger Lane Rosen set the tone for what at times was a spirited mayoral candidates’ forum at Darton State College Friday, telling an audience of around 65, “Let the record state, I’m here on time. Your time is valuable, and I know you want to get to your Friday activities.”

Rosen’s remarks came at a little after 5 p.m., the scheduled starting time of the forum that, for the first time, featured all three mayoral candidates. Fellow challenger Tracy Taylor said he’d been delayed after getting off work, and incumbent Mayor Dorothy Hubbard said an unexpected traffic jam slowed her arrival.

Once the forum started, the candidates spent almost 90 minutes answering questions posed by the Darton D.I.R.T. (Democrat, Republican, Independent Team) club. Dawson homeschooled dual enrollment student Erin Battaglia, 17, who plans to major in Pre-law once she becomes a full-time college student, served as moderator for the forum.

“There should be a plan of action in place to put people in our community back to work,” Taylor said during his opening comments. “As mayor, I plan to take the initiative to lead. I’ll do whatever it takes to bring jobs to our area.”

Darton alumnus Rosen said he’d “come full circle” being back at the two-year college. He said improving Albany’s economic woes is a matter of “now or never.”

“Our city has a $265 million budget in the fourth-poorest Congressional district in the nation,” the businessman said. “That money’s being raised off the backs of our citizens. We live in a city where people are doing without food or medicine because they’re having to pay such high utility rates.”

Hubbard lauded her efforts in office to address four specific community needs: education, crime, economic development and elimination of blighted property.

“We’ve worked with our education leaders to move the city forward; we’ve worked with other agencies to bring additional jobs to our region; we’ve given our police department everything they’ve asked for to fight crime and our crime rate is the lowest it’s been in 24 years; and we tore down eyesores like the Heritage House and the old Shoney’s restaurant,” Hubbard said.

The candidates’ most heated exchange came after responses to a question about increasing home ownership.

“This is something I’m already doing,” Rosen said. “This is a part of my vision for the city. We need visionary leadership.”

During rebuttal, Hubbard said, “I’d like to see any numbers on this. Because if it’s something that could increase home ownership in the city, it’s something I’d be in favor of us doing.”

Rosen quickly responded.

“This is my program; this is what I’m doing right now with my own properties,” he said. “I guess if the city’s willing to use my program, I’d be willing to sit down and explain it to them.”

When Hubbard started her response to Rosen’s comment by saying, “There have been no housing studies …” Battaglia cut off the debate by telling the candidates, “Our rebuttal time is over.”

Responding to a question about changes to existing city boards, Taylor said, “I’d like for the city to restore the power back to the Utility Board that it took away. I believe we need an independent authority involved in the process of setting utility rates.”

While Taylor suggested using the $125 figure being touted by Electric Cities of Georgia as the average monthly residential utilities cost in the state to establish a “fixed rate” for household utilities in November and December, Rosen refuted the figure.

“Nobody’s buying that,” he said. “It’s complete hogwash. Nobody’s buying that figure just like nobody’s buying the comments made to the paper about Albany having low utility rates.”

The challenger then turned to Hubbard and said, “I’d like for you, as mayor and chair of the Utility Board, to promise that there will be no more rate increases in the next four years. Can you do that?”

While Battaglia asked for order, Hubbard responded, “No, I can’t. No one can do that. We buy electricity, we don’t produce it. The rates are set by our suppliers.”

Noting the predominantly young audience, Hubbard said she wanted to see more participation in the city’s government by its young citizens.

“We need more young people involved in this process,” she said. “Those of us who are serving now are laying the foundation for future generations. I want to see some of you involved in our government when I get ready to settle down in my rocking chair.”

The city’s municipal election is scheduled Nov. 3. Early voting is being conducted weekdays through Oct. 30 at the Elections office downtown.