Editor’s note: The following report covers most parts of a Tuesday forum for the city’s mayoral candidates.

The candidates’ responses appear as in order at the forum.

DAPHNE, Ala. — Daphne’s mayoral candidates on Tuesday echoed their campaign platforms discussed at prior public appearances, and related some of their stances to issues in the TimberCreek subdivision.

“We will either be a corridor … or we will become a destination,” Ernest Berger said during opening remarks, adding that the city’s crop of hotels — and the likely development of more — suggests Daphne is a mere pit-stop between cities like Fairhope and Mobile. The notion of making the Jubilee City a free-standing community has been a recurring theme throughout his campaign.

“It’s because of the quality of life that we have in the city of Daphne,” Harry Brown said, of why he’s seeking another term as the city’s mayor. Brown — who’s touted his 47 years as a resident, and three previous terms (1992–2004) as credits to his campaign — said he hopes to establish a business leaders coalition to help stabilize revenues, and use the city’s extra $2 million in reserves for road resurfacings downtown, in the Lake Forest subdivision and in TimberCreek.  

“We’ve had a pretty good government in City Hall,” Fred Small, the incumbent, said, citing strides such as negotiating with the Baldwin County Board of Education for better facilities, and opening Fire Station 4 near TimberCreek. “We’ve had a great four years.”

The forum — presented by the TimberCreek Property Owners Association — used the most frequently asked questions from a group of residents. WPMI-TV 15’s Emily Turner as moderator allowed each candidate five minutes to answer a question, and two for closing remarks.

Among the issues discussed was the candidates’ attitudes toward establishing a city school system.

“I think it’s absolutely inappropriate, wrong,” Berger said, adding that the city should establish an “unprecedented relationship with SEEDS.” Supporting Educational Enrichment in Daphne’s Schools — the organization he was referring to — works with Daphne’s five public schools — and Christ the King Catholic — to award “mini-grants” for certain teachers. The organization in its four years of existence has become a prominent force in Daphne schools, with its character education initiatives and fundraisers, such as the annual Mamma Mia Cook-off.

“I think that was a foolish, foolish move, to try to go to city schools,” Brown said, citing exhorbitant costs as one deterrent of secession.

Leaving the Baldwin County School System and forming an independent school system annually would cost more than $20 million, according to a 2006 feasibility study.

The city council — which two years ago hired an education consultant for $16,500 to study the pros and cons of a city school system – ultimately decided to maintain the schools’ leadership under the Baldwin County Board of Education.

“Why change if we have a wonderful school system?” Brown added.

Small, however, said the city’s actions had merit.

“Six years ago, schools were in need of repair,” he said, adding that he believes the city’s secession efforts served as a call to action.

Improvements to Daphne East Elementary, new roofing at Daphne High School, the purchase of a DHS fine arts center and W.J. Carroll Intermediate’s just opened, 68,800-square-foot facility can be credited to the city’s actions, he said.

“I think a lot of that came from the tough negotiations that we had with the school system,” Small said. “These improvements did not start until the city council stood up and tried to get their voice heard.”

Asked for views on an ordinance that bans billboards, Brown said, “I don’t want any flashing signs; I don’t want any billboards.” But fairness is key, he added. Brown recalled  efforts from his time in city government when Daphne tried to enforce business compliance with the city’s sign ordinance — and the resulting grandfathered-in signs.

“I do think that we need to move into the 21st century,” Small said, adding that the city shouldn’t be “littered” with signs, but that some businesses could use larger signs.

“I think some … shopping areas (should) have some electronic signage — if the aesthetics are done right,” he said.

 “We’ve got to stop these people that are going through our town, and get them to shop in our stores.”

Berger disagreed that larger signs can attract more customers.

“No one … cruises (Interstate 10) and says, ‘Golly, I think I’m gonna buy a fancy car,” he said.

Still, he’d consider supporting whether businesses could have have large signs, if a legitimate reason could be argued. But the Internet — on which many customers likely compare prices for big-ticket items — preclude most needs for billboards, he said.

Asked their goals for the reported $2 million in reserves, candidates expressed different ideas.

The city needs a comprehensive road resurfacing program that could improve problem rights of way in Lake Forest and on Whispering Pines Road, Small said, adding that turn lanes are needed near Baldwin County 13, to relieve traffic associated with Daphne East Elementary and Daphne’s middle and high schools.

Berger said the reserve “has nothing to do with the efficiency of government — at all,” adding that the surplus comes from lodging and other revenues the city collected, having received an influx of people from Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

“The roads need to be resurfaced now,” Brown said, adding that some 15-year-old TimberCreek streets need immediate resurfacing or they’ll deteriorate, prompting more expensive improvements.

“We need to provide the services … that you can’t provide for yourself,” he added, referring to police, fire, garbage and roads.

Asked their views on  connecting three public TimberCreek streets that dead-end near commercial areas, the would-be mayors gave varied answers.

“No — unless there’s just no way to get out of (doing it),” Brown said.

Small said he wouldn’t support such connections, adding that the city, for the past three months, has worked on a comprehensive plan that aims to prevent similar conflicts between residential and commercial interests.

Berger said the decision ultimately would depend on motorists’ habits.

“That’s going to have to do with the traffic patterns,” he said, adding that the city first needs a strategic plan with heavy public input, a budget and government transparency.

Asked whether they would allocate lodging revenues from hotels near TimberCreek for public road improvements near the subdivision:

Berger said the city first needs a 10-year strategic plan because, “right now … those hotels are confirmation that you’re a corridor” — echoing past sentiments to establish Daphne as a location unto itself.

Brown said the lodging tax was created for the purchase, development and maintenance of bayfront property, so the city would have to adopt a revised ordinance that could allocate funds to relieve traffic in specific areas.

“There’s several things that need to be done with that money,” Small said, adding that resurfacing the downtown streetscape is another option.

The council must work closely with Daphne residents if they want to find the solution to allocating the requested lodging revenues for road improvements near TimberCreek, he said.

Determining the right plan is a process, according to Small, who said the city has learned from mistakes in a comprehensive plan that disregarded items such as hotels’ proximity to residences, and specific instructions on buffers.

“There’s a lot of undone business that we need to continue on,” Small said, in closing remarks. “As your mayor, I will be there to help complete that.”

“The manner in which we govern has to change,” Berger said. “Pride and vision and energy cost not one tax dollar.”

He concluded, in part, with keywords that have underscored his campaign: “Full-time, full speed, black and white, rich and poor, young and old.”

Brown said he believes that residents should “put the leadership back in City Hall … so that we don’t have any environmental fiascos.”

He has said he would consult the Corps of Engineers’ and other organizations’ input with each new project, to better protect the environment, especially in Yancey Creek.

“I want to continue to provide the quality of life that we have here,” he said.

Absentee voting is available at City Hall Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.  See front-page  breakout for details.

Municipal elections will be held from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Aug. 26. Locations are as follows:

•District 1 — Boys and Girls Club on Johnson Road

•District 2 — Nicholson Center at  College Avenue and Captain O’Neal Drive

•District 3 — Fire Station 2 on Main Street

•Districts 4 and 5 — Daphne  Civic Center on Whispering Pines Road and U.S. Highway 98

•Districts 6 and 7 — Trojan Hall at Daphne High School

Staff Writer Jessica Jones contributed to this report.