TWO VIE FOR WARD 1 BRITTON COUNCIL SEAT

    An election will take place on Tuesday to decide the Ward 1 representative on the Britton City Council. Vying for the two-year term are incumbent Cristy Davidson and challenger Jerome Marlow.
    To cast a ballot in this election, voters must reside in Ward 1 and have been registered by May 19. Ward 1 includes all areas within the city limits north of Fifth Street, except for the three blocks just south of Fourth Street and immediately west of the railroad tracks.
    Voting will be held at the Britton Event Center, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
    To help residents get to know the candidates and their views, the Journal invited both Davidson and Marlow to complete a questionnaire. Their responses are printed below.
Background information:
    Cristy Davidson: I grew up on a farm south of Peever, SD and graduated from Sisseton High School. I attended USD and have a BS in Social Work and an MS in Occupational Therapy. I moved to Britton in 2002 and have been employed by MCHC since that time. I have 3 children, BoDell, Dashel and Jiana. Since living in Britton I have been a part of many organizations including Sunday school teacher for 15+ years at First Lutheran, youth soccer coach and soccer board, assisting with youth softball, youth wrestling board, youth football board, led Cub scouts, Britton action club and am currently a member of the Britton-Hecla Booster Club. 
    Jerome Marlow: I have one daughter and one granddaughter, as well as four brothers. I am going to retire in August from Bobcat after about 14 years. 
    What is your reason for running for a city council position? What unique qualifications will you bring to the table? 
    CD:  I was appointed to the council in July of 2018 by Mayor Fredrickson to fill the position in Ward 1 vacated by Bill Deutsch. I really had no idea what I was getting into but figured why not me? I realized it was an initial learning curve when it came to policy, procedure, unique rules to a municipality and involved more things than I had anticipated. I obviously have a love of activities for our youth and am an active person myself. I love the library and all it has to offer. I love life in a small town and the benefits of raising kids here. My qualifications are that I can think critically and make the best decisions I can with the information I am given. But it is also important to hear both sides of an issue.  Combined with a love of Britton, my ultimate goal is to help maintain the standard of why we all live here. 
     JM: I have lived in Britton most of my life. The last ten years the city’s infrastructure and financial stability has been declining. I have eight years’ experience working for the city with employees that had over 75 years of combined experience. I learned a lot from them and with my experience I feel I can be an asset to the city and city council.
    What do you feel is the biggest challenge facing Britton, and how do you think the city should deal with that issue?
    CD: Well obviously, funding for everything we need and want to do is a challenge. Now that our sewer and water are all updated our next big challenge is street repair. There isn’t the amount of grants available for street repair like there are for other projects so looking for long term funding is an issue. There is a plan in place. ISG has laid out the order of how to approach it and we are ready to act. The streets need to be repaired all while maintaining the other amenities we’ve come to love—the library, the ball fields, the parks, the airport, the pool, tree maintenance, snow removal, the event center, the mowing, etc, etc. So, yes funding for it all is a big challenge. 
     JM: I believe the condition of the streets is one of the biggest concerns and how we are going to financially repair them. I feel we need to brainstorm the best options and create a preventative maintenance program such as chip sealing until a permanent solution is found.
    Aside from the biggest challenge facing Britton, what other issues should the city prioritize and how would you help with that?
    CD:  There is a 5 year capital improvement plan in place that is always on our minds and is always fluid—depending on the costs of unforeseen things that come up along the way.  The council all had a part in developing this plan and all shared what we thought was important.
    JM: Spending-we need to look at areas of the budget that are the most important ones to make cuts if necessary. Also, communication with the public-The public needs to feel that their voice is important and heard. They need to feel comfortable coming to council meetings with their input and concerns.
    What do you think is Britton’s biggest asset and how can it be used to the town’s advantage?
    CD:  Our biggest asset is most definitely the people. From the city management stand point, the wealth of knowledge and experience our Mayor has is unmatched. From construction and business knowledge to the intricacies of maintaining an airport, he is an excellent resource. Our city foreman has numerous challenges: ensuring our sewer lifts, pumps and generators are up to date. Items such as these ensure our residents don’t end up with raw sewage in their basements again during a weather event. Our library manager has created a non-profit group to take on some fundraising efforts for projects at the library. It was self-directed and done out of the love and desire to keep our library top notch. All our city employees work together to ensure their areas are running well. 
    From a community standpoint, our residents and their generosity are an asset. It takes but a short drive around town to see many projects funded and/or maintained by community members. Whether it is keeping the museum open and operational, running the historic theater, or working on our ever-improving ball fields, residents are involved financially and with their blood, sweat and tears. And those are just to highlight a few. 
    In summary, to the residents of Ward 1, I would appreciate it if you would take some time out of your day on June 3rd and go cast a vote!
    JM: The swim pool and library are two of our greatest assets. We need to keep these going as they draw and attract people to Britton. Once here they most often spend time and money in our great and unique stores.
    Thank you and please get out and VOTE.