City Council candidates say concerns of city residents extend beyond sewers and what to do about the aging Roberts Stadium.

Speaking at a candidates forum Wednesday evening at the C.K. Newsome Center, candidates said as they meet residents throughout the city, they hear concerns about neighborhood swimming pools, revitalization and other infra-structure improvements.

"In my particular area on the Southeast Side, it's not bad sidewalks, it's no sidewalks," said 2nd Ward candidate Carla Hayden.

"The children walk down the middle of the streets to get to their bus stops," she said. "They have to stand there at the edge of their street waiting for the bus, and it scares me every morning when I drive through and see those kids out there. I'm afraid someone's going to get hit. I consider that a major issue."

Hayden's opponent, Missy Mosby, said some of the issues she sees and is told about include pools and revitalization.

"We have a lot of trash issues and abandoned cars and things of that nature that we really need to work together to combat," she said.

Hayden and Mosby were two of the nine candidates who participated in the forum sponsored by the local chapters of the NAACP and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Other candidates were Stephen Melcher, who's running for the 3rd Ward council seat; 5th Ward candidates Marty Amsler and John Friend; and at-large candidates, Dan Adams, Dean Brane, Keith Jarboe and Joe Kiefer.

Elexica McAlister, financial secretary of Delta Sigma Theta, said the sorority sponsored the event so the community would have an opportunity to see where candidates stand on the issues.

"I think it's important for our entire city to get all the information they possibly can from each of the candidates," she said, "but I think also it's more important for the African-American community to get additional information so we can all make better and more informed decisions."

Kiefer said it's difficult to find solutions.

"Sewer problems, how do we pay for them? Sidewalks, how do we pay for it? Neighborhood revitalization, how do we pay for it?" he asked.

"My belief is that we need to expand our economy; grow jobs, grow people living in our community," Kiefer said.

This article was provided by: Courier Press
Written by: Lydia X. Mccoy