NATCHEZ &045;&045; Six of seven mayoral candidates faced off Monday night in a forum held at Bowie’s Tavern, with jobs and tourism promotion among the foremost issues.

Each candidate got five minutes to speak, with each getting the opportunity to answer several written questions from the crowd that filled the business.

Sue Stedman, the only Republican candidate, declined to appear, saying she will wait until she knows who her Democratic opponent will be.

Fred Middleton

Middleton said that, if elected, he would push &045;&045; with supervisors’ agreement &045;&045; to put the Chamber of Commerce, Port Commission and Economic Development Authority under one roof.

The EDA would become a foundation, allowing it to raise private funds. All three agencies would refer to one executive director.

Middleton said prospects have too many hurdles to jump through when they want to locate businesses here. &uot;We need to say, ‘What can we do to help you?’&uot; he said.

Water rates can be lowered 10 percent, Middleton said. &uot;The waterworks … has an $8 million surplus,&uot; he said. &uot;It can afford it.&uot; He would push for sewage service bills to equal only 75 percent of residents’ water bills.

Also, the convention center should be privatized, Middleton said. &uot;By doing this, we can increase revenue 200 percent over the next two to three years and reduce operating costs by 5 percent,&uot; he said.

Mike Thompson

Thompson said that, with 36 years in management and 32 years of business ownership, he would bring business sense to government.

Thompson said he would go after second- and third-tier business supplying the Nissan plant, which has to increase production by 50 percent.

All citizens can and should pursue industrial leads, he said. Thompson said he has talked to people involved with the lumber business in China. &uot;The EDA,&uot; he said, &uot;is there to close the leads.&uot;

Thompson said he would pursue locating satellite facilities of bigger corporations in Natchez, which is attractive to younger businesspeople due to the low cost of living.

Thompson said he agrees with resident Shirley Wheatley’s idea of forming citizen think tanks to find solutions to problems &045;&045; and funding for those solutions &045;&045; in economic development, tourism, recreation and more.

To develop tourism, he said the city must reach out to other sources, such as partnering with casinos, for funds to promote the area.

Phillip West

West said his years as a county supervisor and state representative make him the most experienced for the job.

West said attracting industries would be &uot;my first, second and third priority.&uot; He said Mississippi River Corp. and the casino located here while he was supervisors president.

While West said he hasn’t brought jobs to southwest Mississippi as a lawmaker, he has had contact with each prospect and organized a meeting three years ago with then-Gov. Ronnie Musgrove and area leaders on economic development.

When the state economic development director said Natchez only cared about tourism, &uot;we had to change that perception,&uot; he said.

One factor that attracts industries is a positive community attitude, and West said he work as a leader to help foster that attitude and unify the community.

West also said consolidating local governments might reduce political infighting but could only be done if the community has a forward-looking attitude. He would favor a city-county board with 11 members.

Danny Barber

Barber said experience as a police officer, deputy, constable and justice court judge would serve him well as mayor.

&uot;For 24 years, I’ve served you, the public, in an honest and courteous manner,&uot; Barber said. As a judge, &uot;you’ve got to separate fact from fiction,&uot; he said, adding that he considers himself open minded and a leader.

Natchez must market its assets &045;&045; good four-lane highways, the river and railroad service &045;&045; to prospects, Barber said, adding that he would lobby the area’s congressional delegation each month for help.

Barber also said he would like to see the EDA, chamber, aldermen, supervisors and Southwest Mississippi Planning and Development District would together on economic development.

The mayor and aldermen’s photos should be the first thing a business prospect sees on the city’s Web site, Barber said.

In addition, he said he is for consolidating some city and county services, but not law enforcement.

Richard Branyan

Natchez needs a pro-tourism mayor, said

Branyan. The Smith administration &uot;has been a failure,&uot; Branyan said. &uot;We cannot survive another four years of Hank.&uot;

If elected, Branyan said he would push to restore funding for tourism promotion, improve signage for attractions, and work with casinos to have casino bus routes downtown.

As far as marketing is concerned, &uot;it makes no sense to build a $12 million convention center with no funds to promote it,&uot; Branyan said.

He pledged no new taxes &045;&045; something he admitted aldermen have much control over &045;&045; and said he wants to see the city’s bus tax removed.

Branyan said that as mayor he would be more visible to downtown business owners, not just at &uot;election time and tax time.&uot; He aid he would congratulate owners for fixing up their properties and would talk with them about their needs.

If elected mayor, Branyan said he would cut his own salary and other government spending and work to establish police substations.

F.L. &uot;Hank&uot; Smith

Smith said positive things have happened in his administration.

He noted the reorganization of the EDA’s board &uot;happened two months after I took office. … We now have four to six very likely prospects. When I took office, we had zero.&uot;

Smith cited the start of federal courthouse renovations, Government Fleet Road work and recruitment of Venco as the result of greater cooperation with other agencies. Venco will employ 80 to 100 people and the courthouse will employ 30, he said.

He also cited the start of work on the Trace extension, Alcorn’s new business building and getting $100,000 for a slackwater port study as positive things that took place during his administration.

A balanced budget has been maintained, debt has been refinanced and costs have been cut with fewer vehicles and using in-house labor for repair, Smith said.

Smith said the development that is taking place downtown &uot;is an indication of a climate I’ve been instrumental in creating.&uot;