Columbia mayoral candidate interview: Blair Murphy

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Municipal elections in Missouri are April 8, and one of the roles up for grabs is the mayoral seat in Columbia.

Incumbent Barbara Buffaloe is running for reelection, while challengers Blair Murphy, Tanya Heath and write-in candidate Lucio Bitoy take a shot at the seat. View an interview ABC 17 News reporter Nia Hinson did with Murphy in the player above, and read Murphy’s answers below

Nia Hinson: So to start, why don't you tell me why you decided to run for mayor for the first time, and what do you think makes you qualified?

Blair Murphy: Well, for one, I'm a concerned citizen and I think that I have a lot of, I'll say connections and I've been here for 54 years. So I've seen it good, bad. And I just think that I can step in there and help with a lot of knowledge of our city. And you know, obviously my big thing is public safety and I'm heavily connected. I'm endorsed by the Columbia Police Officers' Association, the Boone County Sheriff, I'm on the Crime Stoppers board. So, that's just something I'm very passionate about, is trying to make our city safer.

Hinson: Kind of going off of that, what would be one of your plans to address some of the crime in the city?

Murphy: First and foremost, to get our police department fully staffed. You know, one really awesome thing that I just got to witness was the graduation of 14 new police officers being sworn in a couple weeks ago. That was a huge thing for our city with their own academy and stuff now. I think that's a very good thing. But first and foremost would be to make sure that you're still going to hear anywhere from 10-to-15 officers short even after this class of 14. But, I know they've already got like eight for next year's class or the next graduating class, which I think is in like June. So it's something that's happening. So, that would be my main goal is to make sure our staff is fully... or the department's fully staffed.

Hinson: Specifically going off of gun violence in the city, that seems to be a big concern from a lot of people. What do you think you can do more to address that?

Murphy: Well, I think first and foremost: Car break-ins. The No. 1 thing they say that people are looking for is weapons. And being on the Crime Stoppers board, I've been involved in a lot of those conversations. So, the gun violence is something very, very serious. And I want to also commend the police department for just recently making a large bust on firearms and stuff. That was huge for our community. That was, that was a real big one. Over 30-something weapons were recovered and all of that. You know that's big, but car break-ins are the biggest reason, or the biggest reason for car break-ins is for weapons. And I think we got to do a better job of securing things and you know, making that almost impossible to happen.

Hinson: Transitioning to homelessness in the city, what do you think the city could do to address that?

Murphy: Well first of all, I want homelessness to be temporary because I want everybody to have a chance and a fair chance for the people that want it. You got to want it, right? Because I think Columbia is a pretty giving community. I think there's a lot of ways for people to get help. This is a, as I said, a pretty giving community in my opinion, and I think that the panhandling and stuff can be addressed. And you know, just look at some other cities, what they're doing and the QR codes on the signs that say, like 'be the solution,' to where you can give, pull up and scan the QR code at an intersection and give to an organization that helps the people versus the danger. It's a safety thing too, right? I mean, flying through an intersection at 40 miles an hour and someone leaning right there on a median, it's also a safety thing.

Hinson: So, you would be in favor of having those signs put up around the city?

Murphy: Absolutely. I think it's a good solution to still help, but not to be causing havoc at intersections, right? If I pull up and want to hand money or food or whatever it may be to someone, and they step off that curb and traffic is flowing and someone gets injured, that's my big concern. I don't want to see anyone get injured, and I think there's another way we can do it.

Hinson: The homeless encampments, you know, driving around Columbia for the longest time, anywhere you kind of looked there would be them. What do you think the city can do about this?

Murphy: I'm not sure they can do a whole lot, other than to keep cleaning them up. And again, just trying to help those people, right? I don't want to see people put out if they're willing to get help and want help, you know? So going around those campsites, I don't know what's going to happen there. And if you know, I would just like to see it cleaned up. Obviously, it makes our city look better and more beautiful than debris blowing all around and stuff and people being on other people's property. That's another thing, right? I mean, if you've got 10 acres of land in central Columbia or something and somebody sets up shop in there, that's not good.

Hinson: What do you think the city can do to help clean up the camps?

Murphy: Address the homelessness, right? I mean, that's what you got to do first. You got to get these people in a better position hopefully to keep them from wanting to go that way, right? But there's probably always going to be the few that don't want the help or are willing to accept the help. And they're gonna continue doing what they're doing until there is something done about it, you know? And landowners, some of them are not comfortable with going out and addressing it, right? Because you just don't know what you're gonna get into, you know? And I know that the police department is putting more staff on things like that, right? To go around and have conversations and see what they can do to make things better.

Hinson: Where do you think the city can help trim some expenses, if necessary?

Murphy: You're talking about like the budget? Well, the first thing I would do is talk to the professionals in the budget. There's a lot of good people within the city that know that pretty well and have conversations with how to move some things around. And you know, I don't, I never use the word "cut" because that's life changing right to some people. So, I just think we would look at the budget and see if we could move some stuff around and and give it to some areas that really need it.

Hinson: Some residents have been hit with some kind of rising costs. What do you think the city government can do to help those people?

Murphy: Well, just me personally, I grew up needing government help, my mom and I. So, I'm always for that for the people that need it. But you know, the government assistance is big for me. If someone needs it to survive, I'm in favor of that because that's that's what I needed when I was growing up here in Columbia.

Hinson: Next, top priority, if you are elected. What would be your top priority?

Murphy: 100% public safety immediately the first day I'm in office -- if I'm elected -- would be public safety for sure. And having conversations and getting involved with the police department and seeing what they need most and how we can help, so public safety for sure.

Hinson: What do you think the city can do to help with affordable housing?

Murphy: Very good. Thanks for asking that. My wife and I just recently built a home for a mom and five kids. So, the affordable housing is something very near and dear to me. And if you know my story, you know I grew up living in mobile homes and apartments my whole life. And so, I want to see people get an opportunity like that I had. And it was just brought up last night in a forum about mobile homes. Why don't we see more of them? We see way less. And that is true. We see way less than when I was a kid in Columbia. But you know, affordable housing is something that I think we need to look at maybe lowering some of the fees and stuff. Because you know, when you're paying say $8,000 for a building permit, when you're trying to do something good and get some affordable housing for people. You know, I think hopefully something like that could be looked at and lower some of those.

Hinson: Is there anything else that you want to add that you want people to know about you?

Murphy: Like I said, I appreciate this opportunity because it helps get my story out. And I just would appreciate the vote next Tuesday and you know, want to keep this city safer and stronger. That's my whole goal.