I have sent the following letter by contact email to all of the candidates but three. One I submitted by a contact form on their campaign website, and two have neither a campaign website or even a FB page.
If you have an email address for Elbert Ross or Bradley Austin, please message the information to me.
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Hello from This is Smyrna.
We are a community website that tries to inform about events, get people involved, and make an attempt to improve our community. With that being said. I am extending to the candidates for Town Council of Smyrna, and the position of Mayor an invitation to write and open letter on any subject or length to describe why the Smyrna Voters should cast a vote for you.
Topics that keep coming to the surface are taxes, new parks, and jobs. These are the items that strike close to home for residents here.
We will post the letters unedited on any subject. This is a service we have done in the past and hope to keep performing in the future.
Gunner Miller
ThisisSmyrnatn.com
Website Administrator and owner
Our mission is to be a useful resource for the city of Smyrna, TN and surrounding areas.
4 comments:
WOW. Two bowls of crap to choose from. Both smell equally as bad. On the one side we have, lets go to Park Vista Resorts twice at tax payer expense and talk about laying off and tax increases and currently manages poorly mayor. And on the other, an individual sponsored by a former mayor that probably caused the town's budget issues and did managed poorly wants to be mayor. What to do, what to do. Good luck Smyrna.
Disagree with your comment regarding Park Vista Resorts. Many residents enjoy the variety of parks the town offers. In regards to the tax increase, rates rose 15 cents, putting rates where they were in 2009. Overall, the council is doing a fair job but there is opportunity for improvement. On the other hand you have a business man that is backed by the previous mayor. Collectively, they own a lot of land in Smyrna. Whenever Jefferson Pike and the Rocky Fork exit manifest, Hollingshead Concrete will be a beneficiary of this expansion. This alone makes one question the intent for running for mayor.
Nevertheless a live debate discussing the issues at hand and the plans to move Smyrna fwd would be beneficial to many. On 10/2, Mary Esther made this post on her Facebook Page - "I am excited and looking forward to the opportunity to debate my opponent in the Smyrna Mayoral race. Thank you to the League of Women Voters for the invitation. This is a great way for our citizens to make an informed decision. Once the date and time is decided, I will let everyone know. Thanks for all of your continued support and encourgement. Keep up the great work." Early voting starts in a few days and in order to have a debate there must be 2 participants. Mary Esther has made it public that she accepts. Has anyone heard if her opponent will or won't accept?
Uh...Park Vista Resort is a location in Gatlinburg, some 200 plus miles from here. The obvious choice of a location to keep our tax dollars local, would have been having their getaways at the Town Center so that all of us could see what business they were conduction on our behalf as our representatives.
As far as who has the better qualifications. Jeff is extremely young and needs some good life experiences and as for Mary Esther, well, supporting a 46% tax increase does not really support her position election to continue as mayor in this community. They are both equally toxic for Smyrna's future. And lets face it. The current council voting 7 and 0 for the sake of "unity" has done nothing for Smyrna.
The choices in this election are about as clear as mud.
Uh....Park Vista Resort is 200+ miles from Smyrna in Gatlinburg. That tax money spent on those two trip could have been better spent in Smyrna's economy. Say, maybe, the Town Center.
Jeff needs some life experience, set his sights lower, maybe councilman to start. And Mary Esther, well, supporting a 46% tax increase probably does not do much for her continued mayoral aspirations.
One thing is for sure, they both are equally toxic for Smyrna that for sure. There is way to much good ole boy politics and cronyism on both side to effectively get anything done. Public service is a privilege not a right. These two appear to feel it is there right.
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