Clinton — Candidates for city council used a Grow Clinton forum to focus on downtown and riverfront revitalization, housing and blight, and how to set a sustainable municipal budget.

Ward 1 candidate Connor Lee, running unopposed, opened the city portion with a prepared statement stressing fiscal stewardship, reliable services and an "open door" approach to constituents. The at‑large portion featured five candidates — Travis Winter, Angela LaCroix, Stacy Parks, Kevin (surname not specified) and Pat Detterman — who gave opening statements and answered a set of moderator questions on vision, downtown redevelopment, property maintenance, and attracting young residents.

Why it matters: City council decisions about zoning, incentives, infrastructure and maintenance affect property values, business formation and quality of life. Several candidates tied long‑term population and economic growth to downtown activity and new housing.

Downtown and riverfront strategies
Candidates proposed a mix of incentives and grant‑seeking to fill and rehab vacant downtown buildings. Stacy Parks and others urged incentives to encourage investors to renovate older commercial properties; several candidates recommended reviewing sprinkler and building ordinances that can make rehab expensive. Kevin suggested retooling the city’s comprehensive plan into a clearer implementation roadmap and pursuing matching grants and tax incentives to lower rehab costs. Pat Detterman pointed to the rail park and Alliance Business Tech Park as assets to leverage for employment growth.

Property maintenance, blight and code enforcement
Candidates supported stronger enforcement of property maintenance codes, use of demolition funds where appropriate, and neighborhood improvement programs to spur rehabilitation. Several panelists recommended studying other municipalities’ approaches to blight reduction and expanding incentive programs that lower upfront costs for building owners.

Budget priorities and fiscal approach
Candidates emphasized reviewing the budget line‑by‑line, seeking shared services or consolidations, and finding grant funding to avoid overborrowing. Kevin and Pat urged careful review of department budgets and use of existing programs (for example, roofing assistance and vocational training) to address housing repair needs while training local workers. Multiple speakers noted the need to prepare for state property‑tax changes (House File 718) and to minimize wasteful spending.

Attracting and retaining young residents
Proposals to keep younger people included creating affordable starter housing, generating job opportunities and internships, expanding recreational amenities, and improving communication about events, parks and trails. Candidates stressed that visible downtown activity and family‑friendly programming could help persuade people to stay.

No official council actions occurred during the forum. Candidates closed with appeals for votes and reminders to cast ballots on Nov. 4.

Context: Grow Clinton organizers moderated the forum and included questions from high‑school Synergy students; the session emphasized economic development and quality‑of‑life policy areas that the council would address after the election.