As we approach Savannah's municipal election Nov. 3, the Savannah Morning News has been talking with the candidates for the City Council and Mayor. The two candidates for District 1, incumbent Van Johnson and Bernetta Lanier, talked about crime, SPLOST and their plans for the district.

Click here for the full interview.

Van Johnson

On crime:

"The first thing is we deserve a fully funded and staffed police force. Right now it's fully funded but not fully staffed. Secondly, we owe it to our citizens to have the best-compensated and best-trained officers in the region. I believe we have done that as well. The third thing is really about talking with residents about their responsibility in this process. This anti-snitch movement is killing our community. To involve citizens on getting involved. Helping them to understand that public safety is everyone's responsibility."

On economic development:

"All indicators indicate we are on the upswing. I feel good about it. Obviously, we're still concerned about too many of our residents making minimum wage. In terms of labor, we have focused on local use for goods and services and products. I expect that will continue. And I would like to increase that percentage."

On what he'd hope to achieve next term:

"To see SPLOST projects that have been passed, to see them through completion. Hammering on our state to use eminent domain for redevelopment purposes. I really want to see us use the credit rating we've achieved to float bonds to ensure every street in impoverished areas are repaved and resurfaced when necessary."

Bernetta Lanier

On police:

"Of course they need to be trained properly. And I believe people, especially those who put their lives on the line, should be paid above market rates. But I do not believe you can purchase enough cameras, equipment or raise salaries enough to impact crime unless you do other things. That's just a small piece of the puzzle. Disparity equals crime. Poverty equals crime. One impacts the other. The point is the overall puzzle, what they are doing is good, but it's just a small part of the puzzle."

On the district's needs:

"In the First District we have a lot of disparity, and it's going to take public funds. We have infrastructure disparity. Crumbling roads. Flooding in residential areas that could be easily solved with reasonable investment. We have immense recreational disparity."

On why voters should choose her:

"I am a public servant. I have been a community organizer and public servant my entire life. I am a fourth generation resident. I know where we come from, and I know where we are going.
I am working to make sure my residents and neighbors have a better quality of life."

These are excerpts from the candidates' interviews with the Savannah Morning News. Read the full conversations here. You can follow the paper's full election coverage here.

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