Campaign Platform

Background. Mike Schmitz... A Man on the Move

1. Fiscal Responsibility in City Government

4. Consensus Building Within the Community

Background. Mike Schmitz... A Man on the Move

Introduction - A Message from Mike

As this campaign process begins, there are lots of folks who stop me to ask about my “platform.” What is my vision for Dothan?, What ideas do I have that I believe the people of Dothan will find helpful?, What are my core values, and how do they apply to my desire to be the Mayor of our city? I’d love to answer all of these questions one-on-one in detail, but that’s not possible, so I’ll try to supply some of my views and thoughts here.

I really believe my community service record and my business experience are valuable assets for the job of Mayor. But there are many people in Dothan who don’t know me well, or those who know very little of my joy in working with the Dothan business community, as well as our local charities and service organizations. You can find a list of some of them at our website if you want more details. The bottom line is this: I’ve been passionately involved and working for Dothan long before I decided to seek the office of Mayor.

There may be few “new” ideas when it comes to politics, and I get it that there can be lots of rhetoric. Just like you, I get tired of the platitudes and clichés, so before I go any further, let me make two very serious assertions: 1) I WILL LISTEN, AND 2) I BELIEVE I AM THE PERSON BEST SUITED TO SERVE YOU CONSIDERING THE CHALLENGES OF THE NEAR-TERM ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT. Now more than ever we need to preserve and enhance the quality of life we enjoy here, and we need to do all we can to ensure a process of planned, thoughtful growth for Dothan. Leadership during these times needs to be stable, experienced and fair. I know I can meet the challenge.

Mike Schmitz 4 Mayor - Meeting the Challenge

There are many reasons Mike will be a great Mayor, and they center around a couple of key concepts–ability and vision. For over 20 years, Mike has dedicated himself to helping people and organizations in our area. As a businessman, Mike Schmitz is widely recognized as one of the best. He was voted one of the top 50 dealers in the country as 2008 Time Quality Dealer of the Year for Alabama. His goal has always been powerfully simple: provide great products and great service to all his customers. His involvement in and for local industry stems from his ability to see a need or an opportunity, get others around him interested and motivated, and then working hard until the goals are met. Mike Schmitz has been called many things over the years–an encourager, a motivator, sometimes an instigator–but one term that fits him perfectly is achiever. Some leaders have the gift of persuasion and the power to communicate a need, while others have the ability to focus and get things done. Mike has both.

The number of people who have done business with Mike over the years is considerable, yet it pales in comparison to the number of lives he's touched as a concerned and involved citizen. His decades-long work with non-profits and charitable organizations in the Wiregrass has not only generated record increases in fundraising, he routinely becomes a champion of their causes and educates the public to their message in the process. His support of faith-based organizations, and his hands-on participation in their programs ensure that churches and community centers remain safe havens for Dothan's youth. His service and dedication also extend to education where he is quick to share his story and his lifelong passion for reading and learning. Mike motivates and encourages students of all ages. Finally, his participation and efforts to establish regional economic partnerships and expand opportunities for local workers are a vital part of his vision for a stronger, healthier community.

Mike Schmitz is an individual who, like all of us, has to be intensely focused on the present, but you won't meet anyone who has a more positive attitude about the future. in his Twenty years of working with the people in Dothan has taught Mike that important community issues shouldn't be about politics, but about passion and teamwork. Helping the most vulnerable, supporting our faith, educating our youth and keeping our economy strong: these are things we all want. They are the essence of every successful city, and they transcend any boundary. Our new Mayor must be someone who shares the community's views and is willing to preserve the ideals we hold dear. We must also insist on someone who has the ability and vision needed to move Dothan forward in good times and when times are tough. Focused and positive–our choice for Mayor is Mike Schmitz.

Underlying Themes:

An important element of our campaign has to do with the manner in which we accomplish our goals, as well as the criteria we use to carry out our program of work. With that in mind we felt every aspect of our campaign, including our platform, should be:

• Positive. Ideas and directions are mindful of immediate concerns, but they are tempered by our strengths and successes. We can always improve, but we should also be proud of how far we’ve come.

• Inclusive. Consensus building, at every level, is the key to success. Everyone has a voice. Everyone is involved.

• Leverage-Oriented. We build on the resources we already have, but we also incorporate new and alternative ways of thinking to create, expand or fund new programs.

• Priority-Based. Policy decisions are based on need. Critical issues take precedence.

Campaign Overview:

Choosing issues is a difficult thing. They must reflect one’s own convictions, but also be a fair and accurate representation of the community’s wants and needs. For this reason, it was determined that the key components of the campaign would center around a four-point framework of issues.

• Fiscal Responsibility in City Government

• Economic Development

• Education

• Consensus Building Within the Community

1. Fiscal Responsibility in City Government

Infrastructure. Because of the times and the serious issues we’ll be tackling in the next four years, it’s very important that we watch every expenditure. During the next four years we must deal with the waste-water treatment plant, the landfill, our future water needs, and several other priority items. We must not take on additional debt unless it’s essential, and future non-essential projects need to be pay-as-you-go.

Safety Issues. The job of the Mayor and your City Commission is to provide the best service to our community in the area of utilities, police department, fire department and roads. Everyone wants to feel safe and secure in case of an emergency.

Transparency In City Government. Where we find waste or unnecessary spending, we’ll cut the fat–not the meat. Two underlying principles will guide decision-making in our administration. The first will be the requirement that the City continue to be fiscally sound. All City departments and elected leaders will work together to create an accountable, completely transparent system to manage the City’s financial affairs. The second is the job of prioritizing our “wants and needs” and establishing clear, specific goals to ensure the citizens of Dothan have the best of essential services. And when we can afford it, our goal is to also provide the “lifestyle” benefits we know make our city a first choice for future industry and a wonderful place to live and raise our families. From our announcement in February through the next four years, you’ll hear this a lot–what are our “wants” and what are our “needs?”

Administration. My goal will be to listen and make decisions that prove to be best for us all. I will work diligently with the departments of our city government, listening to both their needs and the needs of the community. From there we can establish a new understanding of budgeting and business management to the process of city government.

2. Economic Development

Create and Expand Jobs – Keep Our Children At Home. Economic Development is a term that a lot of people use. But for us, it is defined as anything that positively impacts and enhances our local economy and improves our quality of life. For most of us it means better jobs. But expanding our job market is much more than simply increasing the number of jobs we already have. It also means creating a variety of new career choices that are appropriate for our community and our emerging workforce. For our young people, these future opportunities will work to keep them here instead of requiring them to move away to make decent livings. For the business community it means new markets, more sales and new and expanding industry.

Now is not the time to retreat or back off. Jobs have to be a top priority. First of all we have to help strengthen existing businesses and work to keep the jobs we already have. Dothan’s Mayor must have the experience and attitude that create an environment where people want to come and do business. The stability of our area, low taxes and a great workforce make our region attractive to industry. Additionally, a lower cost of living and doing business here rather than in many other areas make now the best time for companies to relocate to our community. We’ll work hard to maintain success, and we’ll recruit worldwide for Dothan.

Recruit Retirees. With a great climate, convenient access to recreational facilities and areas, and the eighth lowest cost of living in the United States, Dothan should be at the top of the list of places to retire. Retirees require few services, but can have a significant impact on the local economy through depositing money in our banks, shopping in our retail stores, eating in our restaurants, and volunteering in churches, charities and service organizations. The Chamber of Commerce estimates that retirees currently have an impact of over a $100 million in our area. We should be actively recruiting seniors to retire in Dothan, using communication, information and services to help retirees both make the decision, and also transition into our community.

Revitalizing Our Downtown and Core Area. We must also continue the progress we’ve seen lately in the redevelopment of our Downtown. Not only is it vital for economic development, but the downtown area is still the heart of our city. We’ve seen private investors commit substantial funds in that area, including restaurants, retail shops, and professional offices. The city must see the downtown restored as a source of pride and revenue, and we can do it! It’s a worthy investment for all of us. As we move forward, we’ll be looking for state and local grants to aid in the process, and we’ll encourage more people to invest and shop downtown. The issues of public safety, parking, and cleanliness downtown are priorities.

Workforce Development. We must continue to work with our city and county secondary schools, Dothan Technology Center, Wallace College, and Troy University-Dothan to train local students for the needs of business and job availability for our region. A perfect example is our regional medical industry. Our medical community needs nurses and technicians who can be hired immediately, and those are the types of jobs that can keep our young people here in Dothan.

The I-10 Connector and Emerging Economic Corridor. The I-10 Connector is vital to Dothan for us to take advantage of the Panama City International Airport Corridor and the growth that will coincide with the project. Being part of this corridor will also help us attract new manufacturing opportunities as the area along the corridor develops. People are concerned that our involvement with a “connector” would have a detrimental impact on businesses in Dothan. I share that concern, because I also have businesses on the Circle. However, 90% of our business originates from outside our city limits. It also comes from families who do business in Dothan over and over again–not once-a-year tourists, passing through on their way to the beaches. They eat in our restaurants, they shop in our stores, they go to our movies, and they use our services. And like us, they do not enjoy waiting 30 minutes just to get to their favorite restaurant or a shopping center, all because of congestion.

Fort Rucker. We are all grateful to our military families–not only for their incredible personal sacrifices, but also for those who work and do business in Dothan and help us keep Dothan strong. They share in bringing tax revenue to the community, allowing the city to offer the kind of services we all enjoy. It’s important that we work to both keep and expand Ft. Rucker, and remember its impact on our city. As a Board Member of AUSA and an active community leader, I plan to do everything I can to maintain the Post and keep our relationship strong.

3. Education

Provide Leadership. While education will never be the direct responsibility of the Mayor’s office, the quality and overall health of the education system has direct implications for our city. If we all agree that our youth are our future, and if our education system suffers, we all suffer as a consequence. We can and must do better, and proactive leadership from the Mayor’s office can be a key component in drawing the community together to tackle specific issues like the dropout problem and unsatisfactory test scores. Working together, our community can also confront matters related to the health and well-being of our students. Issues related to health, physical fitness and the growing obesity issue are also topics I plan to address.

Rebuild Trust. We must rebuild trust in our public school system. For companies planning to relocate here or expand, and for families and professionals interested in moving to Dothan, the quality of our education system is an important standard by which we are measured. If we have to do more with less, then so be it, but we believe Dothan’s participation in the funding for education and related services is important. One phrase many of us have learned to say with enthusiasm over the last year is “Yes We Can!” I would like to harness that same wonderful enthusiasm–employing a “Yes We Can” attitude to create a safe and successful educational environment, from Head Start and kindergarten all the way through to college.

Establish Goals. I believe we can have the very best public school system in the nation. It’s surely a worthy goal! We will support where we can, lead when we must, and promote education as long as we’re in office. Our goals for our children are the same as those for our community: to see them grow and reach their full potential.

4. Consensus Building Within the Community

Promote Unity. It seems that there are as many different opinions about how things should be done as there are people in Dothan. What we know is that, small differences aside, it’s amazing how many of us agree on the larger, critical issues. We want to be builders of goodwill, both within the city and when we reach out to our neighbors.

Inform The Community. We’re stronger when we work in unison, and it’s our goal to clarify the issues, present them to our community, and work hard to bring understanding of all the points of view to the table of government. When all the facts are gathered and everyone is heard, it becomes much easier to reach agreement on what is best for all of us.

Make Fair and Equitable Decisions. My position is this: “I will fight for people, not with people.” Unwarranted confrontation rarely gets things done, but some fights are necessary. I will do all I can to bring people together, but I also promise not to shy away from the tough decisions.

We need the community’s enthusiasm, understanding and support to meet the challenges ahead. I know how powerful we can be if we work together.

And remember... Together We Can Do Better!