Jackson Free Press

Three Ward 1 residents are jumping up to replace former Council President Ben Allen, since the councilman retired over health issues June 22. Allen abruptly resigned his post days after reporting chest pains, saying his doctor had advised him to reduce his stress level.

Allen left a considerable hole on the council that the three Ward 1 candidates are eager to fill.

Real estate manager John Ditto, 36, has politics in his blood. His father is former Jackson Mayor Kane Ditto. Ditto said he is running for the seat because he feels the city is at a critical juncture that requires a steady mind with a head or business.

"This is a chance to get involved in something I feel passionate about," Ditto said. "I had considered the idea of a run, but plans like that are hard to keep together. You never know where life will take you. This came up, and it seemed like a great opportunity to get involved, since the betterment of the city is already something I'm involved in."

Ditto said he wants to put an emphasis on crime prevention.

"Crime has to be the main issue that we struggle with. I know a number of people who have moved out of the city, and crime is one of the top issues, right behind job transfers, for their moving. That just kills me. I always hate to hear that," Ditto said, adding that he thinks he can make a difference by supporting the right people.

"Government is like business in that you need the right people in the right places. I think, as a council person, you educate yourself on the candidate, and you vote on the basis of the qualifications of that candidate. If you have a great police chief, you'll have a great police department," Ditto said.

WMPR talk-show host David Archie, 43, also wants a whack at the title. Archie, who actively campaigned for Mayor Frank Melton, said he plans to focus on housing issues, including expanding code enforcement and addressing dilapidated homes.

"I don't know what the city budget is at this time, but we have a lot of vacant property, and I think the mayor is moving in the right direction in terms of getting some of that property cleared out," Archie said, explaining that the city should be able to capitalize on a growing market for affordable real estate.

"After clearing property, it should be easy to sell it again. There are people out there who need property to buy to do business. They should just sell it at a reasonable price, maybe have an auction on the steps of City Hall, add a stipulation that you have to have some type of building or construction plan going up in the air within a year, I think we would see a huge reversal in our city," Archie said.

Former state court prosecutor and Jackson attorney Jeffrey Weill, 50, said he wants to keep his ward a "profitable place to have a business and a safe place to raise a family."

Weill said his background will help him address the city's crime problem.

"Crime is on everybody's mind. With my background in working with law enforcement and the courts, I think I can help address that major issue, because until we do something about the crime problem, the other issues are secondary.

Weill said he also wants to push for enforcement of municipal laws and codes. "I know (New York Mayor) Rudy Giuliani brought New York back (from the brink) by enforcing codes. That would be a great thing for the city of Jackson, too," Weill said, while explaining that he would also like Ward 1 to see the benefits of more of its tax dollars.

"Ward 1 pays for a largely disproportionate share of city government, and we want to protect our tax dollars and get more stuff back in Ward 1 in the form of street repair and infrastructure," Weill said.

Weill has mediated more than 200 cases as an attorney and says he would serve a mediation role on the council, using his talents to bring the combative council back into alignment. Since Allen's departure, the council has broken into two factions on some divisive issues, with half the council voting religiously in favor of the mayor's prerogatives.

Neither Weill or Ditto would comment on the battle the council has had with the mayor on payroll issues, the city attorney's contract or the potential legal ramifications of some of the mayor's activities. Neither would comment on the mayor's demolition of a privately owned duplex on Ridgeway Street last year, though Archie said he "understood what the mayor was trying to do," but felt "the mayor could have gone about it in a different way and accomplished the same thing."

Ditto and Weill do predict themselves being a potential swing voter on some issues, however, much in the spirit of Allen.

Talk of another municipal tax increase recently followed a council debate on budget shortfalls, and all three candidates stand against an increase.

Archie said he wanted to increase city revenue by targeting the city's unpaid municipal fines, including traffic and code citations.
"If we could just enforce our laws and impose the collection of the subsequent fines I think the city would be in better shape. I think we need to do what we need to do to get the right people on staff to make that happen," he said.

Weill said he was not sure how to address city revenue losses but was stalwart in his opposition to a mill or fee increase.

"There is no way that I would vote for a mill increase. I think a lot of our problems aren't on the revenue end, but the spending end, and that's what I want to address," Weill said.

While Ditto did not say he would automatically deny a vote on a mill increase, he did say that he did not believe a tax hike would be the answer. "We've got to keep our taxes in line with competing surrounding municipalities," Ditto said. "Raising it could turn into a downward spiral. We need to look at government and make sure we're operating as efficiently as we can and that we're not wasting any money whatsoever. All the money that we can funnel toward infrastructure and police protection, though, we need to be doing."

Ditto said he would be a voice of moderation. "I honestly believe there are good people on the council and good people can work out their differences, but I would hope to stand up for what I believe in," Ditto said. Weill said, like Ditto, that he expected to consider every issue despite whatever personality backed it.

"I'm going to look at each issue as it comes down the pike. Whoever's for it or against it is completely secondary. If it'll help the city move forward, grow business and grow jobs and the tax base, then I'm for it, and I'm not going to be allied with any particular group or person," Weill said.

Archie said he would avoid getting into "personal battles" on the council. "We need to get away from our personal differences and do what's better for Jackson. I'm not giving a vote that's not best for the city of Jackson or my Ward, even if I don't like the councilman or person who came up with the idea."

Previous Comments

ID

67873

Comment

Ditto and Weill sound like neutral candidates for sure. Archie already sounds combative when he said this: I’m not giving a vote that’s not best for the city of Jackson or my Ward, even if I don’t like the councilman or person who came up with the idea. I wonder who he doesn't like.

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2007-07-06T07:41:52-06:00

ID

67874

Comment

Is the JFP planning on doing more lengthy interviews with the candidates? It would be great if y'all could.

Author

Justin

Date

2007-07-10T19:32:00-06:00

ID

67875

Comment

Yes. The issue before the special election will focus on the race. We have a lot of other races to worry about between now and then. ;-) But we're on it.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2007-07-10T19:58:24-06:00