The Clovis Roundup had the opportunity to interview retired Clovis Police Chief and now Councilman-elect Matt Basgall on his future endeavors as a Clovis Councilman.
Basgall, previously interviewed before the November election by Clovis Roundup staff, now answered questions ranging from his thoughts on why he continues to serve the City of Clovis to what possible future steps he and the Clovis City Council can take in order to help new small businesses in Clovis.
When mentioning why he continues to publicly serve the City of Clovis, Basgall first reminisced on how he’s lived in the town for the bulk of his life. He also referred to Clovis schools and all of the benefits that they can offer for the youth of the area.
Transitioning to Clovis’ small and independent businesses, Basgall questioned the model of how those businesses are introduced in Clovis. He would move forward by listing a few possibilities he believes would help those facing the, at times, rough first few months of a business.
“Whether it’s tax breaks or payroll deductions, or whatever it may be..What can we do to make it successful for people to start up those businesses? Is it a ninety-day exemption or are we gonna give people six months before they have to start paying taxes?..We do need to find ways to jumpstart the small businesses.”
Basgall mentioned the looming and everlong threat of the recession in the American economy when speaking about how difficult it can be for people like these small business owners or simple tax payers when they decide “how to spend their dollar”.
Finally, Basgall, the former police chief and ongoing supporter of the police department, spoke about issues related to police funding.
When asked about Measure B, the Transient Occupancy Tax that was passed by Clovis voters in the election, Basgall questions whether or not enough was done on the issue of funding the police.
“I think it would have been good to explore that a little bit more and see if there was actually potential to bring more money in…Granted it’s $500,000 and that’s amazing, but is this just something we’re gonna have to kick back to the voters in a year or two because we’re still trying to find funding sources for public safety?”
While Basgall understands that “no one likes taxes”, he also believes that there may come a time when Clovis residents will have to choose between paying for extra public safety support or being satisfied with the current amount.
“One thing we know about the citizens of Clovis is they do not want crime, they don’t tolerate crime, and they expect the police department to handle the problems.
Finally, Basgall warned against whether or not Clovis could come to a “breaking point”.
“I do think that city services are at a breaking point when it comes to the amount of service that they can provide. If we continue down the path we’re on, then we won’t be able to do the things we’ve always done.”
Still, the Councilman-elect explained that the citizens of Clovis are really at the heart of their own type of self-service, including plenty of community involvement and support amongst each other and it’s police department.
“The fact that the citizens and community were so proactive in trying to keep crime out of Clovis- It really became a partnership,” said Basgall when speaking about Clovis’ support of the police department.
Whether it may be the strength of his past career or the continuance of this new one, Councilman-elect Matt Basgall will continue to place vision in the City of Clovis. For not only does the City of Clovis have a new councilmember, but now a strength in familiarity.
The Clovis Roundup will be reaching out to other Clovis council members for further exploration of these civil servants and their agendas for the future of Clovis. Anyone in the public is free to attend council meetings, either in person or online, every first three Monday’s of each month.