Hastings Ward One candidates speak to voters ahead of primary election

HASTINGS, Neb. (KSNB) - Hastings City Council Ward One voters got a chance to meet the candidates running for a chance to represent them.

That came during the Hastings Chamber of Commerce ‘Coffee with the Candidate’ event on Friday morning. The chamber is working to make sure Hastings residents know the candidates running in the elections around town.

The candidates for Ward One are Brandon Barwick, Michael Anderson, and Raquel Maar.

During Friday’s event all the candidates noted economic growth in the city was a must, and Michael Anderson said he also wants the city council to get out and talk with the community.

“The important thing is that the council needs to communicate with the citizens,” Anderson said. “The citizens need to communicate with the council. Therefore, the council would know what is going on in the community and they would know where the focus areas are in the community.”

Brandon Barwick said that if you bring more people into the city, you need to have places for workers to live.

“To bring in businesses and new businesses, restaurants, et cetera, you need places for the management and employees to live,” Barwick said. “A good majority of the Hastings workforce does not live in Hastings, and I think that hinders us on bringing in new businesses.”

Raquel Maar said the city council needs to talk with the residents as they plan for economic growth.

“One of the things that we would like to do is I’d like to get the community of Hastings involved in our community, to participate more because it’s not just about the council, it’s about the whole community getting involved,” Maar said.

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