Their recommendation won’t be revealed until Friday, but a Dowagiac City Council committee of Mayor Pro Tem Leon Laylin, Second Ward Councilman Bob Schuur and Third Ward Councilman Dr. Charles Burling Monday afternoon interviewed three of the four candidates for Junior Oliver’s vacant First Ward seat.

Former councilman Jack Alexander, Randy Gross and Robert Mortimore all indicated a willingness to seek the seat in November.

Laylin reminded candidates that the appointment the full council will confirm at the Monday, Aug. 8, meeting “neither qualifies you or denies you the right to run in the election in November. Those papers have to be in to the city clerk to qualify for that election by 4 p.m. Aug. 16.”

Alexander was appointed to succeed Amos Clark and served on the council for six years, from 1998 to 2004, during a time when Bill Nelson was city manager.

“All we do is make recommendation,” Laylin stated. “The appointment is made by the council as a whole.”

The panel took turns posing a series of questions to the candidates, such as their service on city boards and commissions – Mortimore was a constable “years ago” — community activities with which they have been involved, their thoughts on the idea of agreeing to disagree, their motive in applying and what in his view needs to be accomplished in First Ward.

Mortimore, the most faithful in going to council meetings, attends “to know what’s happening in Dowagiac” and whether or not it will make the community better or worse.

Mortimore, who has experience negotiating contracts, is concerned that 57 percent of city residents receive some type of welfare “handout.”

“There’s got to be change,” said Mortimore, citing widespread deterioration, such as broken sidewalks, and traffic that needs to be slowed down.

His goal with council service would be to “make Dowagiac a better place.”

Gross, technology director for Dowagiac Union Schools, graduated from DUHS in 1975, but lived in California and Chicago before returning to his hometown in 1988 to raise his family. He has operated a technology business since 1987 which has counted AT&T among its clients when he pursued it full-time.

Gross, a former Rotarian, also served as president of Little League among other offices with the local baseball organization.

He estimated he has been on the Dowagiac Area Federal Credit Union board for 20 years.

Gross is also involved with the governing board of a consortium of school districts.

While he has not regularly attended council meetings, he “keeps track” through media accounts.

His goal as a council member would be to “make Dowagiac the best community we can make it.” Council members need to listen to their constituents to help them while moving the community forward, said Gross, who officiates sports. The city, in turn, should “do anything we can as a council” to promote job growth.

As to what he would like to achieve for First Ward, Gross replied, “I don’t have an ax to grind. My goal is to just try to make it better as a whole. When I was on the Little League board, we accomplished quite a bit, from new fields to building concession stands, irrigation system, batting cages and the league was well in the black when I left.”

Alexander knows the job involves “hard choices” and “tough skin” navigating a “tough economy we’re struggling with, too.”

Though he realizes the era of gushing government grants has passed, he wants to find a way to provide an ice skating rink and a theater for “kids who need something to do. We’re not going to get the government to do it.”

Alexander said he liked the “transparency” of the council when he served on it, arguing in private and maintaining cordiality and decorum in public, contrary to some Niles municipal meetings he recalls attending during his insurance career, when he stayed atop his sales force for 20 years.

“I’ve been through the ropes,” Alexander said. “I know what to expect and I don’t anticipate any surprises.”

When he was a Jaycee, he said he helped bring rocket football to Dowagiac, coaching that and Little League baseball for 10 years. He’s moved football chains for 32 years.

He “trained a lot of men” during his time in military service and belonged to such service clubs as Eagles, Elks and Moose. When he retired, he worked for Preferred Printing.

Alexander, who works out three hours a day, remarked, “I enjoy the college and its outstanding facility.”

Lack of sidewalks and curbs detract from the quality of life in his ward, he said.

“Attractiveness can be improved, but it takes money. I want to serve my community because I’ve got to live here.”

Alexander was the only applicant who took advantage of time allotted to question the questioners. He wanted to know more about CIty Manager Kevin Anderson. “How is it working with him?”

“He’s one of the best we’ve had,” Laylin answered. “He’s done an outstanding job. He’s available to us and approachable. He’s very forthright in responding to questions. It may not be the answer you want, but you will get an answer. He has an open-door policy which we’ve taken advantage of quite a lot.”

Burling admires Anderson’s ability to “think outside the box” and craft creative solutions.

The fourth applicant, Howard Hall, was working with disadvantaged youths in upstate New York and unable to attend. Council members reviewed the 10-year Dowagiac resident’s qualifications, such as staff training at Fitch Camp, six years as a volunteer with the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, helping start Cass County Youth Club, serving as vice president of the Dowagiac Fine Arts Booster Club and an extensive background in political organizing.

“He wants to serve on the council so he can continue to help Dowagiac grow,” Laylin read.

The committee noted Hall’s omission as to whether he would be available to attend work sessions, meetings the second and fourth Monday nights and occasional trips and conventions out of town.

“I interviewed five other people who are constituents in the First Ward,” Laylin commented, “about the whole list of people we’re interviewing today, and, without exception, the five I interviewed did not want Howard Hall in office.”

Responding to Hall’s letter to the editor in the Daily News July 28, Burling clarified that he had not endorsed him for the office.