Mayor of Patterson

Mike Accardo and Rodney Grogan have different strategies to improve the city of Patterson as the Oct. 2 mayoral election draws nearer.

Accardo, the one-term incumbent, wants to remain fiscally responsible in the tough economic times and address the issues of a new water plant and drainage problems on Mike and Leo Drive.

Grogan’s priority is to make the city more appealing to new business and residents through the improvement of the Internet Technology program.

“The IT program is very weak,” Grogan said. “I feel that citizens should be able to go online and pay their bills. Our IT program should sell our city. It should be the social marketing tool to sell business to our area.

“It shows pictures of the mayor, city hall clerk, council and police department, but it doesn’t sell anything. We have the museum, the golf course; we have schools here that have excelled big time. We have many famous people from Patterson that our IT program should sell.”

Accardo said improvements to the IT program would be welcome, but they aren’t his top priority as he strives for “continued progress” in Patterson.

“I think it’s fine if we can support it,” he said. “There are other issues in the city that may be more important, such as drainage and a new water plant to serve our people and being very conservative in our funds.”

Grogan also touched on implementing an alternative route or emergency plan for residents south of U.S. Highway 90 and the railroad track.

“If there is a major disaster, such as a train off the rails, we do not have an emergency preparedness plan in place for the citizens to know what to do and where to report to. We need to get together in town hall and come up with something,” Grogan said.