Council candidates debate gambling, job creation at forum (VIDEO)

There was plenty of common ground and some sharp contrasts among the candidates at a recent city council candidate forum.

Incumbents Sandy Trammell, Tom Weidenhamer and Jim Wood joined challengers Tuffy Dixon, Cyron Marler and Scott “Sky” Monteith on the dais to talk about everything from beach restoration and Norriego Point to gambling and jobs creation. The event was sponsored by The Destin Area Chamber of Commerce and The Destin Log.

When the roughly hour-and-a-half question and answer session wrapped up, three things were very evident — gambling is not supported in Destin, there is a need to diversify jobs and the city’s focus should be placed on the harbor.

Addressing the gambling question, Dixon told the crowd of about 50 that “at present, I am against it.” The problem with a casino coming into Destin, Dixon said, is the “issues” that come along with it, such as crime.

“To me, it’s totally wrong,” said former councilman Cyron Marler, who also noted that he was “totally against the idea of gambling.”

Having grown up in Mississippi, Wood is all too familiar with the effect casinos have on local communities. He said they bring crime to communities and not the added jobs people believe they would. Wood noted that California has casinos, but also has the country’s biggest deficit.

“There are lots of other ways we can bring jobs to the area,” he said.

For Trammell, a casino in Destin wouldn’t attract the right type of jobs the city is looking for.

“I have a problem with the statement that gambling would bring jobs to Destin,” she said, telling her colleagues that the jobs casinos bring to town are mostly minimum wage and not the “high-paying” jobs the city should target.

While he said Destin should stay a family-friendly environment, Monteith stopped short of saying Walton County must be gambling-free.

"I'm not the choice police," Sky said.  "I'm here to make sure people get a fair shake, whether it's on a fishing boat or a craps table."

Looking at job creation and the need to diversify from tourism and a heavily entrenched military presence, Trammell says the city “can do more” to bring in fast growing, high-paying jobs. The city needs to go beyond Destin’s borders and “pull the strings that need to be pulled” in Tallahasse, she said.

When asked, Dixon said that the city should look into redevelopment and contemplate offering some sort of a tax incentive to lure businesses to Destin.

“I would certainly encourage it (bringing in high-paying jobs) and work very closely with the business community,” he said.

For Monteith, the main issue was affordable housing in the city.

“We need to be more accommodating for the young family,” he said.

Looking at the city’s heavy reliance on tourism, Weidenhamer didn’t want to see the city stray away from what has been so successful in the past. He said the key is to do everything they could to “hold on to” the current industry.

“I think we have to make sure we are doing all we can to keep the tourist industry that we have,” he said, noting that tourism represents 70-80 percent of the revenues generated through the city.

Using 2010’s oil spill as an example, Wood said that disaster showed exactly why the city needed to diversify. He suggested that the city expand its job base through changes to the city comprehensive plan, so they could “stimulate and encourage businesses to come here.”

As construction continues on the city’s unified boardwalk, the group got a chance to weigh in on what they think a festive marketplace looks like and what they would like to see along the Destin harbor.

“I think I saw some of it during the summer,” Weidenhamer said, telling the group that he and his wife, Nancy, spent many nights along the harbor collecting money for the dog park.

Cyron Marler said the city needs to “think outside the box.” He said the most important thing the city should do along the harbor was to make sure that there is always something happening along the water.

“We don’t want the harbor to be a place to see, we want it to be a place to be,” he said.

Wood said he would like to see the festive marketplace be a mix of both residential and businesses, “not just stuff tourists want to use.”

When he looks at the harbor, Monteith said he still “sees Destin” and was glad to see the city developing the harbor in a “quality manner.”

To watch the Candidate Forum in its entirety, see www.thedestinlog.com.