Tony Ducker
I married my wife Kim and moved to the Friendly City in 1998. After spending a few years as a TV news reporter I landed in insurance and have have owned a small business in the heart of Petal.
Please explain your views on COVID-19 restrictions and what you intend to do in the shifting landscape.
I am comfortable following the guidelines set by the state. I trust businesses and residents to take the proper precautions as they see fit to protect themselves. We can and should be a conduit for information so residents can make informed decisions.
With development happening on the Evelyn Gandy Parkway, what are your ideas/plans for preventing Main Street and the downtown areas from becoming rundown and full of vacant buildings?
The city is limited to what we can do on private property but we should play a role in what is in our purview. We have offered $1000 tax incentives for downtown businesses to do facade improvements in the past. I am not opposed to those types of things but we should be careful not to use tax dollars to pick winners and losers. We should also be consistent with code and make sure city owned properties and right of ways are kept clean.
In what ways, and to what extent, would you involve the residents of Petal in the decision-making process of our city, and would you please provide an example?
For the past 20 years I have had a small business downtown. So, being in touch with residents has been second nature. Being available and around those we serve is crucial to the exchange of ideas and information.
If it came down to raising taxes or cutting the budget and that meant cutting employees, which would you favor? And if you cut employees, would you first cut from recreation or from the fire department, or across the board in all departments?
I am not for raising property taxes and it is a core value of mine. As a city we are also not an employment agency but we need to have the right amount of personnel to do the job without breaking the bank. Each situation is different but I am not usually in favor of across the board cuts. As elected officials, we are hired to review each situation and make the tough decisions in keeping with our core mission.
Have you ever written a Grant? Do you see grants as a useful tool in obtaining funds for projects for the city?
I have not written a grant. Grants are great under the right circumstance. I am in favor of seeking grants that are for things we have to have anyway. Sewer, water, lighting, Police and Fire grants come to mind. The down side is most grants require a match and the city inherits the ongoing cost. A good example is the lights on the Gandy. We had to match 20 percent and now pay 60k per year to keep them burning. So too many grants for the wrong things can create a budget nightmare.
Do you support annexation of any area surrounding Petal?'
This has been recently answered via an attempted annexation that did not favor the city. There were 6 parts to it. I thought 4 parts made sense but 2 where not in what I thought would be beneficial. I do think our future growth is toward I-59 but with the recent case done, I think it will be years before it comes up again.
In the face of ever tightening budgets and budget shortfalls, what are your plans to increase community and infrastructure standards while keeping taxes low?
Some of the money issues will improve over the next few years via state monies. We should prepare for tight budgets until some of our bonds are paid off as well. I have ran my own small business for the past 20 years, and I believe we should take a business like approach to our budget every year.
After a turbulent year in our community, how do you plan to address race relations in Petal?
Those wanting more government involvement in order to bring about unity will be disappointed in my opinion. Unity in the community takes place in our churches, schools, and neighborhoods. The city should dispense it’s service in an impartial manner. No matter the location in the city or race involved. In essence we should be color blind. While the city does represent the community, we should not play favorites.
What new services do you plan to implement for the city and how will they be funded? (recycling, online bill pay, etc.)
I will add a drop box for water bill payments as well as extending water department business hours during high volume times. As for recycling, Hub City Recycling currently offers service to Petal. I prefer private entities that can offer services such as this do so.