By Tomas Kassahun | Reporter
@TomasKassahun
The 2017 Clovis City Council Candidate Forum was held on Monday, Feb. 6 at the Clovis Senior Activity Center.
The forum featured incumbent Lynne Ashbeck and former Clovis Planning Commission chairman Vong Mounoutoua, who are vying for the four-year seats.
Retired Clovis police Capt. Drew Bessinger and healthcare executive Paul Soares also participated in the forum as they are vying for the two-year seats.
Soares said his main focus will be on improving economic development.
“We have to focus on job creation, so that the great residents of Clovis have the opportunity to stay and work in Clovis, and help us grow,” Soares said. “That’s definitely something we can focus on while working to maintain our core values.”
He added that he wants to bring in companies who can provide well-paying jobs.
For Bessinger, one of the main priorities is to revitalize old neighborhoods in Clovis.
“As we move to the to the north and the east, some of our older neighborhoods are left behind. Those neighborhoods are not kept up as they should be,” Bessinger said.
In regards to economic development, Bessinger said he will focus on talking with businesses to attract them to Clovis.
Mouanoutoua said Clovis has always addressed the needs of people from all backgrounds and he plans to continue that legacy.
“Clovis never said ‘What does a Hmong think? What do the Latinos think? What do the blacks think?,’” Mouanoutoua said. “We always say here’s an issue, let’s sit at the table and solve it. When problems happen it doesn’t just hit one community or one demographic.”
Ashbeck said the City of Clovis is already doing many great things, but the challenge is to keep up with the development as the city continues to grow.
“The City of Clovis is a place where local government works,” Ashbeck said. “We do the basics of local government better than anybody around. We have the best public safety, we have the best land use planning. We always need to be mindful of what those skills are as our community continues to grow.”
Ashbeck added that it’s important to help local businesses grow by giving them incentives.
In regards to safety, the candidates talked about the importance of building a healthy relationship between residents and police.
Ashbeck said police must be able to respond quickly in order to gain the public’s trust.
Soares said he wants police to be proactive and to listen. This way the people can feel like they are heard when they call for police.
Bessinger emphasized the importance of building a good relationship with the public by being transparent.
Mouanoutoua said Clovis has been a safe city because residents teach their children about the importance of respecting police officers and staying out of trouble. He said he hopes to to see that continue for many more generations.
The next candidates forum will be held on Feb. 23 at 6 p.m. at the Clovis Veterans Memorial District. The City Council election is March 7.