Loganville City Council Candidate Debate Held at SALT Triad Meeting

The Loganville Senior and Law Enforcement Together (SALT) Triad group held a city council candidate debate during its monthly breakfast Friday (Oct. 4) at Southern Plantation. 

The mayor's seat and three at-large council seats are on the ballot for the upcoming November general election. Participating in the debate were incumbents Mayor Dan Curry, Vice Mayor Mark Kiddoo and Councilman Rey Martinez, as well as candidates Linda Dodd, Chuck Bagley and Amanda Soesbe. Candidates Eileen Waring, Pedro Vega and Jerry Price, who's running for mayor, were not present for the debate. 

Each candidate had two minutes to answer the questions. Here are the highlights:

The Mayor on Water Bills: When asked if the water bills will come down when the Hard Labor Creek Regional Reservoir Project is completed, Curry responded that he's not going to promise a reduction since it would be many years before the project is completed. He hasn't heard any plans regarding a reduction since the price of chemicals and piping keeps going up. But he'll try to keep the water bills as low as possible as long as he's in office, he said. He added that this year is the third consecutive year that water rates have not seen an increase. 

On Alleviating Traffic: 

• Kiddoo informed the crowd that the Georgia Department of Transportation is favorable for Loganville to see improvements at the intersections of highways 78 and 81 and Highway 78 and Main Street after studying the area. 
• Martinez echoed Kiddoo. 
• Bagley said the city needs to place traffic by businesses to increase revenue in the city. 
• Soesbe said her job as the executive assistant of the Evermore CID has allowed her to study traffic and transportation everyday. There are some studies at the state level that Loganville could benefit financially from, and the city could pursue grants. 
• Dodd admitted that she is new on how to fix traffic in town, but she knows that there are more roads that need to be addressed than the two previously mentioned intersections.

• Bagley was first to answer and said that he can keep them informed, answer questions and educate them on issues, which is why he's held town hall meetings for seven years. He added that the city has had a lot of misinformation on zoning. 
• Kiddoo echoed Bagley's availability, and he also promises to stay consistent in his decision-making on the council and to treat everyone and every business equally. 
• Dodd said she wants to meet the concerns of the citizens, and she would like to see the city's growth spurt continue. 
• Martinez emphasized on how approachable he is and how property taxes, water fees and garbage pickup costs have stayed the same while he's been on council. 
• Soesbe said she's passionate about economic development, transportation and technology, and she'll work on improving these issues.

• Martinez said he's been to every meeting except for the January city council meeting. Even when he was deployed, he attended the meetings via phone.
• Kiddoo said he's never missed a meeting or session. 
• Bagley said he's been to 35 to 40 of the meetings. 
• Dodd didn't give an exact number, but she explained that she's active in committees and has attended council meetings. 
• Soesbe admitted she's not quite as active in the meetings as she should be, but she reads the minutes from the city website.