Council candidates Black, Garner meet in forum prior to Aug. 25 vote
The two candidates in the only contested race in the Mountain Brook municipal election took part in a virtual candidate forum on Thursday night. The election is to be held Tuesday, Aug. 25.
City Councilor Philip Black, holder of Place No. 2 on the City Council, faced off against his only challenger in the race, Gerald A. Garner.
The candidates, along with moderator Jack Royer of CBS-TV 42, met at City Hall.
Black and Garner each offered opening and closing statements and also responded to a series of five questions posed by Royer.
The men discussed why they are running, as well such topics as infrastructure, city budget priorities, how to support local businesses and ways to improve the Lane Parke development in Mountain Brook Village. They also clashed regarding some aspects of the campaign.
Black, who also has experience on the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) and the Planning Commission, said that he wants to continue to serve the city.l
He said that he is part of what Mayor Stewart Welch recently called the “dream team,” referring to the wide array of skills sets on the current City Council.
“We have two gifted attorneys, an accountant, an investment banker and with me, an architect, all of us bring our own skills sets,” Black said.
This range of skills is a “real asset” for Mountain Brook residents, Black said.
Black said that some of the most important priorities facing the city are improvements to the Lane Parke development in Mountain Brook Village and continued improvements to the city’s athletic facilities.
Garner, who served on the Parks and Recreation board for over a decade beginning in 2007 and recently became a full member of the BZA, said he’s running for City Council because he wants to see some things change in the city.
In summing up his goals, Garner said the city needs to continue to make improvements to its sidewalks, parks, athletic fields and other facilities. “We need to wave the flag for our local businesses” and promote “smart economic growth,” he said. Garner also said the city should make its streets safer by increasing funding for police, fire and emergency medical services.
Garner said that he has worked for 22 years in the financial service business, giving him expertise he can use to serve the city. He said city officials have an obligation to “be prudent” in the use of taxpayer dollars.
Regarding Infrastructure needs, Black noted that Mountain Brook will have to spend about $20 million over the next 20 years to replace or repair bridges. The city is planning to replace one or two over the next couple of years, he said. In addition, Mountain Brook is “a landlocked city” and needs to acquire more land for expansion of its athletic facilities.
Garner said an immediate infrastructure need is to continue to improve the Lane Parke commercial development in Mountain Brook Village and make it “more functional.” He suggested creating some green space that can be used for concerts, outdoor movies and other events that will draw more people to the facility.
The candidates expressed disagreement over one of the city’s key responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and its possible effect on local businesses.
Garner said he was disappointed in the City Council for passing an ordinance June 29 stating that businesses require patrons to wear face coverings to help stem the COVID-19 pandemic. The ordinance followed a similar order by the Jefferson County Health Officer.
He argued that it was unfair to put additional pressures on merchants, who already face the normal risks inherent in operating a business. As a government, Mountain Brook “should not overreach and put additional pressure on them,” Garner said.
The city should “push back” against any county or state restrictions and allow businesses “to open completely and fully,” Garner said.
Black responded that the Council worked closely with the Chamber of Commerce and local businesses in creating the ordinance and that there are some “misconceptions” about its purpose.
“The businesses needed our help in having consistency in how the mask mandates were applied,” Black said, and noted that Gov. Kay Ivey issued her own mask mandate shortly after the city passed its ordinance.
Regarding the city’s budget during the pandemic, Black said the city is currently going through the process of crafting its budget for Fiscal Year 2021 and should be able to adjust to a drop in sales taxes created by COVID-19.
Black said the city is “very conservative” in its financial planning. For example, he said, the city maintains a reserve fund with enough money to cover its expenses for about 6 months.
Garner said that even in tough financial times the city should provide ample funds for the police and fire departments and emergency medical services, as well as public works and parks and recreation.
He also said the city should continue to help the Chamber of Commerce, and that local businesses are “the lifeblood” of the community.
One of the most critical issues facing the city is supporting its “fantastic schools,” Garner said.
He said that he was glad that children had the option of attending school virtually if they don't feel safe during the pandemic but that the schools should be opened up “completely and fully.”
Like Garner, Black said the city needs to work to make Lane Parke more successful and that the development should open its second phase this fall. He said the development should be able to “reach critical mass.”
He said that the city should seek approval from the state legislature to establish an entertainment district in that area. The city should also work hard to purchase more land for athletic fields.
The nature of the campaign itself was a point of contention between the men.
In his opening statement, Black said that an email supporting Garner had circulated in the city prior to the candidate forum and contained language accusing Black of representing “the values to Jones and Biden,” referring to Doug Jones, a Democrat running for reelection as a U.S. senator from Alabama, and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
“There’s no basis for that,” Black said. He said this tactic could “divide the city” and that the City Council’s decisions do not “pass through the U.S. Senate.”
He said that Garner had assured him the day of the forum that he was not responsible for the email and that he believed Garner. However, Black complained that Garner had not issued any sort of retraction.
In his closing statement, Garner said that the email was likely the work of an “overzealous” supporter and that he could not retract something that he did not create or produce.
“I would not support something that put anyone in a negative light,” Garner said.
He also said he was disturbed that Mayor Stewart Welch and the other members of the City Council were “aggressively” campaigning actively against him.
The entire forum is now available for viewing at the Chamber Facebook page. To watch, go to facebook.com/mtnbrookchamber.
To read the election preview from the August issue of Village Living, click here.