Riddle lone candidate at Howardwick forum

Howardwick Mayor Pro-tem Eric Riddle had the stage all to himself last Tuesday, October 17, as a small crowd gathered at City Hall for a question and answer forum.

Riddle is running for mayor in a special election next month and is being challenged by fellow Howardwick resident Greta Byars, who told the Enterprise she chose not to attend the forum.

Howardwick citizens submitted questions before the event, and moderator Maverick Cruise, a Clarendon College student from Memphis, selected the questions.

Riddle answered a broad range of questions and said he fell into the job of mayor pro-tem by first being appointed to the city council.

“I’ve only lived here a couple of years,” Riddle said. “I didn’t want to be mayor, but I do now. I want to make a difference.”

Riddle said he wants to see Howardwick grow and said that younger residents will bring change to the community.

The mayor pro-tem dismissed the idea of re-opening a limb dump in the city, saying it would be problematic and that Clarendon’s sanitation department accepts Howardwick’s limbs and debris for a fee. He likewise said the city attempting to operate its own landfill would create more problems than it would solve in terms of the expense of construction and regulation.

Riddle said he’s familiar with the duties of mayor, already conducts city meetings according to Robert’s Rules of Order, and is also familiar with government codes and knows when to consult with others on those issues.
His top priorities are unifying the community, working with the fire department to mitigate the fire hazard in Carroll Creek, and working on utility rates through Red River Water Authority.

Asked about the condition of roads in the city, Riddle said it would take $9 million to replace the main roads in Howardwick and a bond to do that would cause a dramatic increase to property taxes.

“We will continue to patch the roads,” Riddle said and noted that the city is exploring caliche or gravel as an alternative for some of the roads.

Riddle said running the city should be like running a business and said officials should never forget their decisions affect other people.

Early voting in the Howardwick special election began Monday, October 23, and runs through November 3. Election day is November 7.

At press time, Howardwick candidates for alderman – Doc Holladay and Jada Murry – were scheduled to appear in a question and answer series Tuesday night, October 24.