Olsen gone, Jefferson courts Wal-Mart

With Alderman Dave Olsen recalled after voting against an annexation for a Wal-Mart superstore, Jefferson's mayor is wasting no time trying to get Wal-Mart to come to town. Wal-Mart is playing it coy, probably hoping now for some financial incentives. Why not? It clearly runs the local government.

The Daily Jefferson County Union reports:

Jefferson to court Wal-Mart

JEFFERSON — In the wake of an alderman’s recall ouster spurred by his vote against annexation, Mayor Collins Stevens says the city definitely will contact Wal-Mart to see whether the megaretailer remains interested in building a Supercenter in Jefferson.

“We need to do something for Jefferson,” the mayor said this morning. “Jefferson has to move forward, whether it be Wal-Mart or another retailer to help build our tax base.”

The Arkansas-based retailer had shown an interest in building a Supercenter in Jefferson until the common council on June 7 voted against annexing the two parcels being eyed by the company. The annexation failed a second time as the council voted 5-3 in favor of bringing the property into the city, going against a unanimous recommendation by the Planning Commission and a 7-2 vote of support by the Jefferson Development Commission.

On Tuesday, Jefferson voters went to the polls to cast ballots in a recall election sought by a pro-Wal-Mart group calling itself “Coalition for the Best Jefferson.” Alderman David Olsen, one of three council members who had voted against the annexation, lost his seat to challenger Chris Havill, who campaigned on the platform of promoting economic development.

Today, Mayor Stevens said his No. 1 goal now is to get the property previously eyed by Wal-Mart annexed into the city.

“When you turn down voluntary annexation, you’re shooting yourself in the foot,” Stevens said, referring to the Jefferson Common Council’s defeat of the annexation at its June 7 meeting.

The mayor said that at this point, it does not matter whether the proposed business is a Wal-Mart, Target or some other retailer.

“We have to get past this initial hurdle that we set ourselves up against,” Stevens said. “Once we get past that, things are going to flow.”

However, Wal-Mart officials said Wednesday that it is too early to say whether the corporation will be interested in building in Jefferson, even though Alderman Olsen and others claimed the recall election was “all about Wal-Mart.”

Wal-Mart officials appeared non-committal to returning to negotiations with the Jefferson County city.

“We remain committed to serving our customers from this area and we’ll evaluate this situation, along with other options, in discussing and making our plans for the future,” said Wal-Mart community affairs manager Roderick Scott.

He declined to comment on any specific plans the company might have in Jefferson.

“It’s premature to speculate,” he added, indicating that he believes his general statement is “conclusive.”

“It implies more than what it actually is,” Scott said. “We were defeated. Nothing has changed.”

With Havill’s election Tuesday, support for the retail giant on the Jefferson Common Council might have shifted. Approximately 38.8 percent of registered voters turned out at the polls in the recall election

Earlier post, including a link to a website where you can help Olsen pay off his campaign debt of about $1,500.