Mayoral Debate at the UAW

Thank you to Dustin Dunbar for moderating this event and filming this for all of us to view.
Well, for those of you that were unable to attend the Debate at the UAW Hall last week, thanks to Dustin Dunbar you will have the opportunity to view it here.

Listed below in the fullpost view, you will see that the debate is broken up into 14 pieces so that it could be easily uploaded to youtube and made available to everyone. This debate was moderated and filmed by Dustin Dunbar. Thank you to all the candidates for showing up to help bring additional clarity to our mayoral race.

I will reserve comments until after everyone has had an opportunity to view the debate. Enjoy!

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Part 9

Part 10

Part 11

Part 12

Part 13

Part 14

Overall You Tube Directory:

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2009 Campaign Finance Disclosure Forms

Ward 2 Alderman and Candidate Jonathan Duda has posted most of the Campaign Finance Disclosure Forms that were due yesterday on his site http://www.voteduda.org/.

Follow this link to go to the Candidate Campaign Finance Disclosure Forms that were filed yesterday for the Pre-Election Deadline.

All Mayoral Candidates were required to file, as well as any alderman candidate that has spent or received more than $1,000. Judging from all of the signs around town, it appears that some candidates may have missed the deadline...

Tennessean has a brief article here: Jobe leads in campaign funds raised

Full article follows...

Jobe leads in campaign funds raised
By Jill Cecil Wiersma • The Tennessean • April 3, 2009

SPRING HILL — Mayoral candidate Cindy Jobe remains roughly $6,000 ahead of the pack in terms of campaign contributions for the April 9 city election.

Jobe raise $7,307 this reporting period, bringing her total contributions to $17,867 since she announced her candidacy last October. Alderman Michael Dinwiddie raised $11,768 this period, bringing his total to $14,768. Derek Merrill, who had not raised any money in the first reporting period, has since raised $850.
Also by the Thursday deadline, candidates were required to report how much money they had spent since the first reporting period in mid February: Jobe spent $8,847.23, Dinwiddie spent $$7,978.44 and Merrill spent $747.

Candidates in the four aldermen races are only required to submit campaign disclosures if they take in or spend more than $1,000. None of the 15 candidates hit that amount in the first period, but four did this time around, said Todd Baxter, administrator for the Maury County Election Commission, which is overseeing this race for both the Maury County and Williamson County side of the city.

Those candidates came from just two races. In Ward 2, incumbent Jonathan Duda raised $2,371 and spent $857.24 while challenger Charles Schoenbrodt raised $1,923.12 and spent $1,418.17.

In Ward 4, Allen Hall raised $2.710 and spent $2,547.41 while James Cichoraki raised and spent $1,079.78.

Baxter said candidates carrying a balance must submit a quarterly report, which will be due in July.

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"Meet and Greet" at Oaklawn

Oaklawn, located on Denning Lane, was built by Absalom Thompson in 1835. According to the Middle Tennessee Visitors Bureau, Confederate General John Bell Hood established his command post at Oaklawn in 1864.
Here is an article from the advertiser news. Please take this opportunity to visit on of our GREAT historical sites (Oaklawn) and get a chance to meet the candidates running for office in this election. This really should not be missed!

Also, at some point today I will post the video from last night's Mayoral debate moderated by Dustin Dunbar. Remember that name for future elections!

See you tonight!

Open House at Oaklawn for City Election Candidates

From Staff Reports The Advertiser News

Ron Shuff, a Spring Hill property owner, is hosting an open house at the historic Oaklawn plantation from 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 1.

He invites all mayoral candidates, alderman candidates and area residents to attend. Light refreshments will be served and Jimmy Campbell, the property manager, will share history and tours of the home.

Oaklawn, located on Denning Lane, was built by Absalom Thompson in 1835. According to the Middle Tennessee Visitors Bureau, Confederate General John Bell Hood established his command post at Oaklawn in 1864.

“We hope all mayoral and alderman candidates can come,” Shuff said. “It’s an opportunity to meet and greet with them and talk to them on a personal level. It’s also an opportunity for people who have not seen Oaklawn to come have a tour.”

Ron Shuff, a Franklin resident, said he believes all Spring Hill property owners should have a keen interest in the city election. Oaklawn is located at 3331 Denning Lane, off Kedron Road.

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Tonight: Mayoral Candidate Debate - UPDATED!!

Mayoral Candidate Michael Dinwiddie has organized a "debate" this evening at the UAW Local 1853 ballroom from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Dustin Dunbar will be moderating the "debate". No word yet on whether Mayoral Candidate Cindy Jobe will be attending. 3/31 4:05PM Update: From the Tennessean: All three mayoral candidates on board for debate tonight in Spring Hill Looks like all three candidates will be there after all...

Mayoral Candidates Spar Over Debates

As the April 9 city Election Day approaches, one mayoral candidate has organized a series of three debates, which the other two candidates may not attend.

Mayoral candidate and Alderman Michael Dinwiddie said he organized the debates to take candidate Cindy Jobe up on a debate offer that she proposed in January. City Mayor Danny Leverette, who has not publicly endorsed any mayoral candidates Dustin Dunbar, has been named as moderator of the first debate scheduled from 7-8 p.m. Tuesday, March 31 at the UAW Local 1853 ballroom. Mayoral candidate Derek Merrill agreed to participate, prior to finding out that Jobe is choosing to refrain from all three of the debates...

More info from The Advertiser News: Mayoral Candidates Spar Over Debates

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Crystal Ball

Very quietly, I have been listening to voters, keeping a mental note of trends and who voters are talking about. Saturday morning I decided to take a trip to the polls to see how things are shaping up. When I returned home, I decided to take a look at the ol' crystal ball. The entire picture is certainly not clear yet, but some things are starting to come into focus. Here is what I see right now (for what it is worth).

1. The mayoral race has only 2 horses. I like some of the ideas coming from the Merrill website and in his speach, but there seems to be very little action behind it. Dinwiddie and Jobe vote totals will dwarf Mr. Merrill. Based on the debate this morning on 950 AM and some of the interaction between the 2 candidates, there is no doubt in my mind now that of the 3 candidates, Mr. Dinwiddie is the most prepared to be our next mayor. He is also out working Mrs. Jobe in a big way. Considering where this race started (with Cindy Jobe the clear cut favorite), this is a pretty amazing turn of events. Crystal Ball's guess---Dinwiddie

2. Ward #1 is shaping up to be divided between 3 candidates. Wurth, Cleveland, and Rolfson are active and making an impact. Unless the rest of the pack are about to unveil some kind of huge quiet surprise, I do not see any of them being a huge factor. Crystal Ball's guess---Cleveland 3/31 Update: It would appear from the poll at left and the various emails I have received that either I have severely under-estimated the popularity of an additional candidate (Keith Davis), OR the technical savy of a few people with similar IP Addresses have taken my poll hostage (C'mon folks, if you are going to JUICE a poll, at least place a vote for all wards and the mayor...) Either way, for a Ward that many of us were wondering if there would be ANY candidates in, the race in Ward 1 is shaping up to be somewhat of a dogfight. Crystal Ball's guess remains the same simply because Mr. Cleveland has been knocking on doors all over this city.

3. If Jonathan Duda is defeated in Ward #2 it would truly shock me. I know for a fact that there are quite a few citizens that may be upset with some decision Mr. Duda has made over the past 4 years in his many roles, but when all is quiet in the voting booth, it will be hard to vote against him. There are those that TALK and those that DO. Everyone in the city should be able to agree that Mr. Duda DOES what he says he is going to DO. Our city should be thankful to have him, and he will win handily. Crystal Ball's guess---Duda

4. Ward #3 is without question a 2 man race...David Williford v. Keith Hudson. That is about all that I know. Crystal Ball's guess---Hudson

5. Ward #4 is shaping up to be a nail biter. The issue that I am having is that I am not sure who is running in the Cichoracki camp, Jim or his wife... I expect and appreciate a supportive spouse, but my experience (and from listening at the polls on Saturday), folks tend to be saying the same thing - the most vocal of that pair is by far Diane. Is that what we should come to expect if he were alderman? Having said that, Mr. Hall needs to start talking about himself and not his opponent. If he wants to the the next Alderman of Ward 4, he better be a good closer because this race is starting to slip away from what I am hearing. Crystal Ball's guess---Even.

I will post another poll tomorrow for everyone to vote again to see if you all have a different outcome. I will have some additional information this weekend. Stay tuned...

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City Financial Update:

For those interested in the latest in regard to our city finances, please read the message below from Alderman Rick Graham, Chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee for the City of Spring Hill. Thank you for the update Mr. Graham!

Enjoy!


Friends,

It has been a long time since I have communicated to you by email. I wanted to take a minute and update you on our city finances and remind you to vote starting today.

First the finances, today in the Williamson A.M., we have the major headlines, "Spring Hill budget on track." After seven months we actually have a $2.1 million dollar surplus (revenue minus expenses) combined over our five primary budgets. This is great news because the remaining five months we have some annual expenses to pay and with little property taxes revenues remaining; we are on target to achieve budget and maybe have a surplus. We will be watching it very closely for the next five months.

The Budget and Finance Advisory Committee (BFAC) has been meeting once or twice a month since December 2007. The City has made many, many changes to put in place the tools to keep us financially sound and correct the deficiencies from our state audit. As you will see below, the City department heads have spent and cut their department expenses to allow us to achieve this year's budget. We analyze "line by line" all revenues and expenses for the City each month.

SPRING HILL FINANCES- July 08-January 09- 7 Months Actual:

· Over all Revenue 8% Off budget - Over all Expenses 25% Less Than Budget

· Over all we have a surplus of 17% or $2.1 Million

· General Fund Revenue $223k off budget but $1,861,539 more than prior year

· Adequate Facilities Development taxes Revenue off budget by $438k

· Water Sewer Revenue off budget by $506k & $861k less than prior year

· General Fund Expenses 13% less than budget or $854k

· General Fund has a surplus of 29% (Revenues minus Expenses) or $630k

· Adequate Facilities Development Taxes Expenses or 61% less than budget (right on budget with revenue minus expenses)

· Water Sewer Expenses 36% Less than budget or $1,413,996 with a surplus of $907k or 42%

· Property Taxes collected through January (not Feb) is $2.1 million vs. $1.9M budget = $206k ++

· Local Sales Taxes $163k less than budget (catching up due to The Crossings and much more than prior year)

· State Sales Taxes $177k less than budget

· Police Expenses $25k under budget

· Fire Expenses $170k under budget

The BFAC meets the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 4 pm in the City Hall. It is open to the public and I invite you anytime to witness our very progressive agenda. Jim Smith, City Administrator, Alderman Eliot Mitchell, April Goad, City Recorder, and myself make up this committee. It has been a big learning curve these two years and the learning experience has been valuable in my service these two years and moving forward for the next two years.

We start the budget process for our next fiscal year (July 2009- June 2010) in our April meetings with a new Board of Mayor and Alderman (BOMA). We will have at a minimum three new aldermen and a new mayor of the nine member board after this election. It is very important for Spring Hill that you vote because we have much more work to do for the next few years.

I am asked often who they should vote for in this election. I always tell people I would not tell them how to vote, but I would share with them who I am voting for between today (early voting starts today) and election day April 9th. Remember, you get to vote for four aldermen (even the ones out of your ward) and a mayor.

I am voting for Cindy Jobe for Mayor (www.cindyjobe.com), Alderman Jonathan Duda for Ward 2 (www.voteduda.com), Keith Hudson for Ward 3 (www.keithhudsoncares.com), Les Cleveland for Ward 1 ( lescleve@bellsouth.net), and Allen Hall for Ward 4 (www.HallforAlderman.com). I will not elaborate on the reasoning for my vote choices but please contact me at aldermangraham@gmail.com with any questions, and I will respond as soon as possible. I believe these individuals will be strong additions to our board and assist in achieving great things for Spring Hill.

Early voting is from today, March 20th until April 4th at Evans Park (Winchester Community Center) from 8 am to 4 pm (Monday - Friday) and 8 am to noon (Saturday). Election Day voting on April 9th, is at the above for Maury voters and Fire Station #3 in Campbell Station from 7 am to 7 pm for Williamson voters.

Please contact me anytime. God's blessings to you and Spring Hill

Rick Graham

AldermanGraham@gmail.com

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First Endorsement - Jonathan Duda

“I have been very impressed with the maturity and devotion to responsibility of our youngest Alderman, Jonathan Duda. Not only has he been vocal in meetings but has been eager in seeking out information to bring to the Board in an effort to bring about positive changes. Neither does he seem to be trying to draw attention to himself in his activities.” - Charlie Schoenbrodt

Early Voting Begins this Friday! I will not be voting early this time (for the first time in a long time) because there are still FAR too many unanswered questions. I think that we actually have a lot of very good candidates in this election, but I am not very sure about the top of the ticket quite yet and I am fairly sure I will walk in to the voting booth somewhat mixed in my decision.

At this time, there is only one person that I can publically support. I am sure that it will come as no surprise to many of you that have been paying attention for the last 4 years, but that person is Jonathan Duda.

I am still somewhat saddened that Mr. Duda is not running for mayor, because he is by far the most qualified, intelligent, thoughtful public servant to lead our city right now. I think Southern Exposure Magazine had it right in declaring Jonathan Duda is “One of the four individuals who most exemplified leadership in Williamson County.” As one commenter stated recently, Mr. Duda will not publicly tout his accomplishments on our BOMA, Planning Commission, and Historic Commission, so I will do it here for him.

Lets take a quick look:

• Mr. Duda personally executed his own audit of city finances, and started the state audit. All of this information can be viewed on the city website. We all owe him a debt of gratitude for bringing this to light and bringing about this transparency and the measures that have since resulted. Had it not been for Jonathan Duda, I am not sure if we would even be aware of the situation our city is now in and working out of as we speak.

• He along with Eliot Mitchell were the catalyst on the BOMA for Re-apportionment. This has created tremendous activity and excitement in this election and the previous one, re-shaping OUR representation and involvement for the better.

• Mr. Duda and Mayor Leverette were the two most active and involved members of the BOMA in our fight for a Spring Hill Hospital. I cannot count the number of times Mr. Duda visited other municipalities and county government meetings to plead our case with well prepared facts and figures to urge neutrality or outright support for our cause. This was in my opinion even more important than the petition drive (which he was also an active member).

• Mr. Duda led the charge for the development of a Historic Commission, preserving our historical heritage. He is now Chairman of the Historic Commission. This was a tremendously controversial topic with our previous BOMA.

• Mr. Duda was the driving force behind the need for a comprehensive city plan, and thoroughfare plan. These changes have brought the City of Spring Hill out of the dark ages in terms of our long term planning. This was also an extremely controversial topic with the previous BOMA and City Manager Ken York.

• Mr. Duda was the driving force behind making our city government as transparent as possible though the use of our city website. He personally scanned every resolution and ordinance, as well as other applicable documents dating back years in order for it to be provided on our website for citizens to view. He was also instrumental in posting agendas on the website for citizens to view in advance of a public meeting.

• Mr. Duda was also intimately involved in changes on the Planning Commission that would require INCREASED notification by the developer to nearby citizens that might be affected. This has and will bring about increased community involvement in our city.

Quite frankly, I could talk to each of you for as long as you care to listen about why we should re-elect Jonathan Duda to represent us as Ward 2 Alderman without even mentioning his opponent. I will however close with this quote from one of Charlie’s newsletters…

“I have been very impressed with the maturity and devotion to responsibility of our youngest Alderman, Jonathan Duda. Not only has he been vocal in meetings but has been eager in seeking out information to bring to the Board in an effort to bring about positive changes. Neither does he seem to be trying to draw attention to himself in his activities.” - Charlie Schoenbrodt
I am not sure that I could have said it much better myself.

Please check back later this evening as I will start to discuss the other great races in this city election, including our Mayoral race. It should be interesting!

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