.8 million payroll, putting the cost per employee at about $26,300. Have you compared these numbers with other American municipalities about the same size? Do you have an idea of how many people should be on the city payroll? Are you satisfied with compensation levels? Too high? Too low?

Ford: A. No, I believe comparing these numbers with other municipalities would create information for discussion only. However, I do support assessment of our local government operation to determine the community needs and its available resources. I also support more Indians and less Chiefs.

B. No, I support salary increases in the labor department. I believe people who are satisfied with a decent income are more accountable and more stable. A happy employee is more dependable, productive and cost-effective.

C. Too high in some offices for the overall productivity of the department.

D. No, the labor department the salaries are too low and I support a salary increase. Overall, I favor redistribution of resources to meet the demand for improvement in employee recruitment and retention. It is much more cost effective to retain an employee than to continue to train new people.

Leyens: In my public presentations, I have asked a large number of people if they believe the level of service in Vicksburg is better today than it was 12 years ago. I have never received a positive response (with the exception of landscaping), yet we have increased our employment by 450 employees.

Our entire operating budget 12 years ago was only $8.9 million dollars. When looking at models of comparable communities, we have about twice as many employees as they do. How many of you have seen city workers lying around in city trucks? We all have! If you blame these individuals for not working, consider that they support their families on an average salary of $7 per hour. If you worked with four people performing a job that required only one, saw few opportunities for advancement, made and worked in an environment where no one holds you accountable anyway, would you be any different?

If we focus on hiring career-minded individuals, pay them at competitive levels, and provide them real opportunities for advancement through training, then we would see a much higher level of productivity, pride, and personal ownership of work. Today, we are seeing the effects of poor management practices with little to no attention to developing an experienced and effective workforce where employees are motivated to build their own futures.

Loviza: As mayor, I made many comparisons of costs with other cities our size. We should keep pace, but not overextend our budget in providing salary and fringe benefit opportunities. The City of Vicksburg has tripled in size in 1990 annexation, so some additional workers were needed to provide services to annexed areas.

I feel that the city can operate adequately with less than 600 employees. Attrition is the best way to handle excess employees at 10 percent per year. As a past board member of the Mississippi Municipal Association, I have experience with other cities and will continue to compare services and salaries.

Walker: The City of Vicksburg currently employs 539 people, which is below the July 1997 number. We compare favorably with other cities, especially when you consider the variety of services we provide and the fact that we also provide natural gas services, and have a building maintenance department and a concrete crew that saves us hundreds of thousands of dollars.

I would like to see increases in some areas. We raised the minimum starting hourly salary from $5.15 to $6.25 during this term. I want to see that increased to $8. Also, I am committed to a starting minimum salary of $30,000 for policemen, firefighters and EMTs.

Question 12: Please summarize your views about the Vicksburg Convention Center, its use, management and funding.

Ford: The convention center was built in the wrong location, and the building is on an unstable foundation. The planners failed to recognize the need for an adjacent hotel to accommodate clients and their needs for easy access. The management of the facility would be difficult to judge due to micromanagement by the city administration, thereby not allowing the responsibility to rest on the director. Funding of the facility should be financed through the city budget with the ultimate goal of becoming self-sustaining. Inasmuch as use, right now, the building just needs to be utilized.

Leyens: The sole purpose of the Vicksburg Convention Center is to be an economic development tool and a source of revenue for our community and local businesses. It should not focus on, compete or participate in local events unless it is the only suitable facility. Remember, we still have the underutilized City Auditorium. The Convention Center should be marketed strictly to draw outsiders into our economy to spend money in our community.

The City of Vicksburg has absolutely no experience or ability to be in the business of convention planning and administration. This approach has, for the most part, failed since the inception of this project. Therefore, I strongly support the current administration’s efforts to hire and contract a professional, privately held company and set performance goals based on head counts and revenue to ensure that we get a positive return on our (taxpayers’) investment.

Loviza: I am proud of the Vicksburg Convention Center with its historical setting. I support continued cleanup around the center and revitalization of existing neighborhoods in the area. I favor privatization of the VCC if that improves its operation and attracts business to our community. Increased sales tax and tourist tax will offset costs when VCC is used extensively.

With proper leadership, the VCC should anchor the downtown area and bring in visitors and business to existing establishments. A hotel which complements local motels would bring additional business to our community and attract larger conventions. The City of Vicksburg should not subsidize profit-making businesses unless new jobs are created and the community as a whole benefits.

Marketing packages and advertisement in a 500-mile radius will help bring additional tourists and conventioneers. A major suggestion for the VCC is a sportsman’s showcase which would bring big-name talent and major vendors plus television coverage and local distributors.

Walker: The Vicksburg Convention Center is a potentially great asset to Vicksburg and will do much to attract meetings and tourists, if properly managed and promoted. The contract with Compass Facility Management, Inc., which I supported, will provide professional management to accomplish what we need to make it an attraction worthy of the investment made in it.

With professional management that will have greater flexibility, latitude, and incentives to compete for meetings and conventions, as well as use by local groups, there should be more activities and a greater variety of them. Over time, this will reduce the amount of money the city will have to invest in the convention center.

There is still a need for a hotel. However, with professional management, the success of the Main Street Program, the Downtown Task Force, and others, I feel we are on our way to success.