What issue will be your first priority if you are elected?
There are there (3) issues I believe should be priorities:
Responsible Renovations for Paducah City Hall
The first issue is financial responsibility and particular financial responsibility with regard to decisions related to City Hall. I have previously expressed preference for a third option on the City Hall decision. That third option is to simply take care of the building we have. I do not feel the “user groups” exist to justify a twenty million dollar ($20,000,000.00) bond issue for a new city hall. I believe we should fix the canopy. Once the City has accomplished fixing of the canopy, then we should select the “next right” renovation project for the City Hall. Rather than incur huge debt, we should progressively maintain and improve the City Hall over time.
Paducah Power
My next priority will be the creation of a relationship between the Paducah City Commission and the Paducah Power Board that ensures both organizations feel a shared responsibility to analyze and search for solutions to the present day power problems. I will actively engage the other commissioners and the Mayor in discussions as to who should be appointed to the Power Board. I firmly believe that the present Power Board is working hard to analyze and search for potential solutions. However, I believe that the City Commission should foster a relationship with the Paducah Power Board that continually engages the public in a discussion about the status of the company and the status of the continued analysis of potential solutions for the power company’s problems. I believe that we owe this diligence and transparency to both the rate payers and the employees of Paducah Power.
A Bikeable Walkable City
Now about that bikeable walkable future: First, it is important to recognize that Paducah is a unique and wonderful city. Paducah has affordable housing, good schools, an energized and skilled labor force, low crime, good restaurants and good culture. In my business travels, I have found many people want to live in a city with the qualities already possessed by the City of Paducah. I believe as we look toward the future we should embrace the bikeable walkable culture which is a characteristic of many of the nation’s fastest growing cities. As I look twenty (20) years down the road, I envision a city which has expanded the Greenway Trail to include other urban trails which connect all parts of the City to the City’s cultural aspects such as Noble Park, Midtown, Lowertown and the Riverfront. I believe people in America are looking for a great place to live, work and play. I believe we should embrace that and move with developing and supporting that culture in Paducah.
Eddie you have some good ideas.I see where the city has decided to fix the city hall.They far one thing don’t have 20 million to build a new one.on the paducah power thing the city needs to get involved.back in spring 2014 I went to city hall with a chart I had made up showing the rates of about 15 utilities and that paducah rates were the highest in Kentucky.I then contacted all the news media in person carrying information to them.I got wpsdtv to interview me.some said I was one that got the media involved.at that first city hall meeting they looked at me like I was a dummy.Sandra Wilson who should have known better said oh I thought paducah had the lowest rates in the state.also I went to a paducah power board meeting before anyone was even showing up.I spent a hour in the boardroom with that idiot ray mcahan can’t member exactly his last name.him Hardy Rogers.Jeff Peterson and very smartelecky manager said I had no clue what I talking about and that by summer of2015 rates wwould be back to ten cents a killowatt.my opinion other than Alan Rhodes no one in city hall gives a damn.he was only one