CRESTVIEW — From widening roads in Crestview to paving roads in Laurel Hill, addressing crime statistics in Crestview to the very existence of Laurel Hill as an incorporated city, winners of Tuesday’s elections face issues of concern to their respective communities.
Here’s what insiders feel are the biggest issues facing both communities.
CRESTVIEW
From Crestview City Clerk Betsy Roy's perspective, the new council and mayor will immediately face one of the city’s biggest challenges.
“Obviously one of the first items is next year’s budget and that will be starting very quickly after they take office. That’s always the biggest thing. It’s probably the hardest thing that faces new council members,” she said.
Other issues that have arisen during the mayoral campaign, such as crime statistics and the perennial problems with State Road 85 traffic, also hinge on the budget, she said.
“Everything is brought by the different departments, so I can’t really comment on what they might bring. It’s brought on an item-by-item basis.
“The budget is the biggest challenge because it encompasses everything.”
LAUREL HILL
The Rev. Mike McVay is the first to say, “I don’t have a dog in this race,” but as pastor of one of the city’s largest congregations, he has an interest in Laurel Hill’s well-being.
“I think one of the biggest things is this discussion concerning the dissolution of the city,” McVay said. “That’s one thing I think a lot of residents would like to have the opportunity to discuss.
“And we all know that the streets are in terrible, terrible shape, but without any revenue coming in, the chances of them being repaired aren’t very good. How is the city going to fix them?
“And then there’s the issue of what kind of businesses we allow to come in. That’s been a big sore spot for a lot of people over the last two years; not being able to get a credit union but at the same time we got a liquor store.”
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This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: What’s at stake in Crestview's, Laurel Hill's elections