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Voters challenge candidates with tough questions

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By Joanne Huist Smith, Staff Writer Updated 12:25 PM Friday, October 2, 2009

DAYTON — Young creatives want a vibrant urban core, bold ideas to move Dayton forward, city leaders who empower them and jobs.

Candidates for Dayton mayor and the city commission faced tough questions Thursday evening, Oct. 1, on how they expect to fill those needs at a forum sponsored by updayton, a group working to attract and retain young people.

About 60 people attended the candidates night held at c{space, 20 N. Jefferson St. Here is a sampling of responses from candidates during the 1 1/2-hour event.

Mayor Rhine McLin proposed an initiative using the city’s vast, and affordable, housing stock to entice college students to remain in Dayton after they graduate.

“A lot of young people want to live, work and play in the same area,” she said. “Young people would be able to (cheaply) take over houses after they graduate.”

Her opponent, Gary Leitzell, believes young people should be taught to be visionaries and entrepreneurs. A group of 1,000 entrepreneurs could grow jobs six or seven times that number.

“I think we need to educate people here, not how to fill out resumes, but to create their own jobs,” he said.

Three candidates for two city commission seats, incumbents Nan Whaley and Joey Williams, along with challenger David Esrati offered new ideas on topics ranging from economic development to tax breaks.

Whaley said retaining college students is a matter of building human relationships. She was raised in Indiana and never intended to stay here after graduation from the University of Dayton. Getting off campus, meeting residents, made the difference.

“We need to create more opportunities for young people to see more (individuals) who have a stake in the community,” she said.

Whaley believes water is Dayton’s best economic development tool.

“We have to use it as a leveraging tool. It can be a way to market Dayton to the world,” she said.

Williams wants to create a vast clearinghouse for Dayton where citizens and visitors can find everything from nightlife opportunities to social services. The city has a clearinghouse for youth programs and the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce is building one for jobs. Williams believes there are opportunities to expand on those.

“I’d like to be a part of a team that moves that forward,” he said.

Esrati, who favors a tax credit for people who walk to work, also is a big proponent of a bicycle-sharing program. The program, on college campuses for example, would get students out into the community, he said.

“This puts bicycles on the street for everybody to get on easily and it doesn’t involve huge amounts of money,” he said.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2362 or josmith@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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