43 minute read
Owensboro City Commission
Editor’s note: All four seats are open on Owensboro City Commission. Each is a nonpartisan elected position. Candidate profiles have been edited only for spelling, grammar and punctuation, and otherwise appear as submitted.
DEIRDRE CARBON
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Q&A
The greatest challenge right now is accountability. We need to hold these people in higher position(s) to set a standard of fairness from discrimination no matter what national origin or gender. Truthfulness in telling the community before you do it instead of after you do it. Righteousness (in) telling the truth in where (money) is going.
Homelessness, jobs and getting a facility for our teens and young adults.
No, because the majority of the people that lived here went to school here (and then) went off to college (and) did not come back to Owensboro. They didn’t believe that they could get good jobs or raise their family here or there’s not much to do in Owensboro anymore since they got rid of the Executive Inn. We need to get more entertainment here other than the bluegrass, the Big O music fest and ROMP. It’s time for a change. Everyone doesn’t like that kind of music.
Everyone in Owensboro is not being treated fair; the rich keep getting richer, the poor get poor, and the middle class can’t get anywhere, and yes, I do support the fairness ordinance because it is needed.
I don’t believe we have any greatest strength. Everything is one-sided. If it’s not on 54, it can’t be anywhere else. Putting all these store on 54. What’s the pay for these stores? We still have a Walmart, Lowe’s, Home Depot and other store(s) out there. Why can’t we rebuild Frederica Street? It’s in need of stores. We need a board to bring entertainment and good-paying jobs for ALL residents of Owensboro. Let’s make Owensboro a place where people feel safe again and proud to live here. I love my city. What do the people what?
DATE OF BIRTH Jan. 24, 1961
ADDRESS 615 Hall St., Owensboro, KY 42303
EDUCATION high school
OCCUPATION Machinist at MPD Inc.
ELECTED OFFICES HELD None
SPOUSE/ PARTNER & CHILDREN Children Lance and Toni Carbon
Editor’s note: All four seats are open on Owensboro City Commission. Each is a nonpartisan elected position. Candidate profiles have been edited only for spelling, grammar and punctuation, and otherwise appear as submitted.
MARK CASTLEN
Q&A
Drug addiction is by far our greatest challenge. I feel we have to try newer and bolder approaches to curb addiction. Targeting our middle school and high school students with a stronger and more direct message showing the dark and graphic side of drug use is a scared straight tactic that I think could work. We need to address this problem head on and get more parents involved.
1. Flooding. Back years ago our city aggressively pursued flooding relief. We made a lot of progress, and then the issue became dormant. We need to reignite the fire and get moving again on this issue. It is getting worse every year. 2. Bring back the primary election. I don’t think the voters should have to sort through a long list of names on Election Day trying to find who they want to vote for. A primary would reduce the number of candidates to a manageable number. 3. Aggressively pursue new jobs and work to retain those we have. We also need to help small businesses reopen after the pandemic.
I see it as a proper pace if you want quality people and a high quality of life for them in Owensboro. There is a limit to what any city can expand on annually. We currently have an affordable housing market and low taxes. If we expand too quickly, we will experience a large increase in home prices, making housing less affordable along with higher taxes.
The wording on any ordinance is of the utmost importance! Without seeing the exact wording and making sure a fairness to one is not overbearing and discriminating against another group, is very hard to do. I will never say yes or no without seeing a finished product.
The people of our community are our greatest strength. I feel a sense of pride and caring in our community that is stronger than what you see in larger cities. Also, our sports facilities and parks are second to none. I will use our safe and family-friendly community to attract industries and tourism.
DATE OF BIRTH July 19, 1960
ADDRESS 2222 Griffith Ave., Owensboro, KY 42301
EDUCATION Owensboro Catholic High School, Apollo High School graduate (1979); Owensboro Junior College of Business
OCCUPATION UPS for 41 years
ELECTED OFFICES HELD None
SPOUSE/ PARTNER & CHILDREN Wife Christine (Chris) Fischer Castlen; children Travis Castlen, Courtney Castlen Clark, Katie Castlen Chapman and Jill Castlen
Editor’s note: All four seats are open on Owensboro City Commission. Each is a nonpartisan elected position. Candidate profiles have been edited only for spelling, grammar and punctuation, and otherwise appear as submitted.
DEANNA ENDICOTT-SMITH Q&A
Housing. With a steady increase in homelessness and lack of Owensboro’s own landlord/ tenant ordinances, low-income individuals and families are struggling more now than ever to find both an affordable and maintained property to find residence.
The drug epidemic, community outreach programs and alternatives to policing to implement more preventable measures within the community, easing the burden on officers.
Our growth rate over the past 50 years measures at an annual 0.4% growth per year, which is 0.5% less than the average annual growth rate for cities our size. One of our struggles as a city is a lack of variety of middle-to-high income employment opportunities, which is a shock for a city with as many colleges as we have. Many students go into fields such as technology or science and have to move away to find gainful employment. Another factor is a lack of a nondiscrimination ordinance. While pushing for a nondiscrimination (ordinance) late last year, numerous individuals reached out telling their stories of leaving Owensboro to escape discrimination based on their sexual orientation and/or gender identity.
One simple step to help improve our growth and attract various other companies to relocate in our area is to increase our HRC score (currently sitting at an 18/100, the lowest score in Kentucky). Passing of ordinances such as the nondiscrimination ordinance and adding more inclusive policies for city workers will easily raise our score to a nominal amount at very little cost to the taxpayers.
Absolutely. Economic advantages aside, as a transgender woman and member of the LGBTQ+ community, this ordinance tells us that we as a city are welcoming to all and do not tolerate mistreatment of any of our citizens.
Our greatest strength as a city is our ability to come together during a crisis. Never have I been more proud of Owensboro (than) when the coronavirus epidemic hit and many businesses in the service industry were shut down. Many volunteers came forward and started groups to help provide food and funds to those most impacted by these events. I believe with this strength, we can push for more community outreach programs (and) youth centers, and have the volunteers needed to help build up our most vulnerable citizens.
DATE OF BIRTH Feb. 20, 1987
ADDRESS 2525 Arbor Terrace, Owensboro, KY 42303
EDUCATION Associate of Science in electrical technology, Owensboro Community & Technical College
OCCUPATION calibration technician
ELECTED OFFICES HELD None
SPOUSE/ PARTNER & CHILDREN In a long-term relationship
Editor’s note: All four seats are open on Owensboro City Commission. Each is a nonpartisan elected position. Candidate profiles have been edited only for spelling, grammar and punctuation, and otherwise appear as submitted.
DEBBIE FILLMAN
Q&A
Our greatest challenge facing Owensboro today is for our elected leaders and citizens to have a clear understanding of our priorities to set the trajectory for the next 10, 20, 30 years. It will be important to receive input from local citizenry, business owners, nonprofits, and those who have left Owensboro to pursue opportunities elsewhere. While it is important to celebrate the successes and build upon those, it is equally as important to analyze the gaps to find the opportunities for growth.
a. Attracting and retaining the brightest and best leaders in the area. It has been said that our youth leave after college due to lack of job opportunities, etc. Bringing our youth back to the area is important for the direction and growth of the community. b. Increase in quality job opportunities: I define quality jobs as those jobs that can enable a family to be selfsupporting, purchase a home, etc. c. Improved community health: Owensboro is blessed with great health care facilities; however, we have room to improve to be a healthier community.
The growth of 10,000 residents in 50 years is not an adequate pace in comparison to state rates and growth rates of other cities of comparable size. While we know population growth is important for the economy and often indicates a thriving city, this does not ensure quality of life. Therefore, the policies promoting accelerated growth must focus on sustainable growth, as well as capacity and infrastructure that support the increase in population.
A thriving city or community has no place for discrimination. All residents are equally important to the city’s growth and well-being. In addition, business and industry often review city policies on discrimination when determining where to locate their business. Having this in place will improve industry recruitment for the area. Therefore, I do support policies that clearly state discrimination is not acceptable in Owensboro.
Owensboro has many strengths; it is difficult to choose just one. We have many “under-recognized” strengths in the community we could build upon. Those include the transportation infrastructure (Owensboro Riverport Authority and the Owensboro-Daviess County Regional Airport); the unique position we are in regarding agriculture and agrotechnology; and our support of cultural arts, especially our identity as the home to bluegrass music.
DATE OF BIRTH October 17, 1960
ADDRESS 1847 Stratford Drive, Owensboro, KY 42301
EDUCATION Bachelor of Science in dietetics and institution administration, Western Kentucky University; Master of Science in food and nutrition, Western Kentucky University
OCCUPATION Retired Public Health Director, Green River District Health Department; Development Director, Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum
ELECTED OFFICES HELD None
SPOUSE/ PARTNER & CHILDREN Husband Jeff
Editor’s note: All four seats are open on Owensboro City Commission. Each is a nonpartisan elected position. Candidate profiles have been edited only for spelling, grammar and punctuation, and otherwise appear as submitted.
ANDY GAMBLIN
Q&A
The greatest challenge we face is jobs. We need high-paying jobs so families will stay here. We need to look at ways we can cut taxes, the right way, then jobs would come in.
We need to try and get our mall going again; we need to work on our streets; (and) we need to work with our law enforcement to bring down crime.
For our population right now, we are good, but we have families and young people that are moving because we don’t have anything for people to do. We need to work on creating highpaying jobs to keep them here, and then work on providing entertainment for Owensboro residents.
I cannot support a fairness ordinance. They are going against the Bible. We need to pray that their eyes would be opened.
I feel that our airport is one of our strengths. We need to advertise it more, and try and bring more flights in to attract more business.
DATE OF BIRTH May 17, 1962
ADDRESS 2920 Yale Place Apt. 1705, Owensboro, KY 42301
EDUCATION Graduated high school
OCCUPATION bus monitor for Owensboro Public Schools
ELECTED OFFICES HELD None
SPOUSE/ PARTNER & CHILDREN Single
Editor’s note: All four seats are open on Owensboro City Commission. Each is a nonpartisan elected position. Candidate profiles have been edited only for spelling, grammar and punctuation, and otherwise appear as submitted.
BOB GLENN
Q&A
We need to assist small businesses and unemployed residents in the midst of the economic blowback from the pandemic. 1) Conduct a community-wide economic stress test assessing the health of businesses throughout our region. 2) Continue to pursue programs to support small business and help them prosper. 3) Seek additional funds and support for residents who are struggling to pay their mortgage.
1) We have a growing crime problem in our community, and we need to address it via youth mentoring and community building programs. 2) The city must expand training to enhance employee “work readiness.” 3) Seek to expand economic development in the South Frederica and West Parrish areas.
Owensboro has grown too slowly because we lacked an interstate link and the infrastructure to accommodate larger employers to our area. That has been partially addressed, and we should also initiate: 1) An incentive program to attract new residents to our community. 2) Adopt programs that ensure we are a “business friendly” community. 3) Continue to promote legal annexation inside and outside the bypass. 4) Require incentives be linked to providing a living wage.
Yes. Approving a nondiscrimination ordinance affirms that we value the basic civil rights of all our residents. It also impacts the city’s economic well-being as many new employers (e.g. Amazon) want to locate in communities where diversity is respected. Our convention industry also depends on our commitment to welcome all visitors to our community for major sporting events and conventions.
DATE OF BIRTH Nov. 24, 1959
ADDRESS 1829 Munday Court, Owensboro, KY 42303
EDUCATION Bachelor of Arts, University of Southern California; Master of Arts, University of Nevada-Las Vegas; PhD, University of Southern Mississippi
OCCUPATION Professor of Communication, Owensboro Community & Technical College
ELECTED OFFICES HELD Owensboro City Commissioner (2012-2018); Mayor Pro Tem (2016-2018)
SPOUSE/ PARTNER & CHILDREN Wife Holly; children Bobby and Caitlin
Owensboro provides a nationally recognized high quality of life and is a great place to live, work and raise a family. To preserve our status as an “All American City,” we must take critical steps to address the low wage cycle, the uptick in violent crime, and the ability of our workforce to meet the needs of a 21st Century economy.
I look forward to the opportunity to again serve our community as a commissioner and roll up my sleeves to address these challenges.
Editor’s note: All four seats are open on Owensboro City Commission. Each is a nonpartisan elected position. Candidate profiles have been edited only for spelling, grammar and punctuation, and otherwise appear as submitted.
WALTER LEE
Q&A
The city needs to retain our current businesses and invite new businesses. Proprietors are leaving the city to relocate in the county. We need to evaluate the reason(s) and try to help these businesses stay within the city. We need to make note of the quality of services we offer in the city.
Young Adults: Encourage our future leaders/entrepreneurs to invest in Owensboro. Provide opportunities for them to return home after higher education to work in Owensboro or start a small business. Support existing intern programs within our city.
Provide a safe and social environment for the 17 and under (age group).
Seniors: To evaluate the senior community and see if we can provide a safe and beneficial environment for a 55+ community with amenities to be built within the city. We may need to have this discussion with OMHS/health agencies/ insurance companies/government/private investors. Maybe include into the Northwest Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy.
No! Cities tend to grow in asset when you have more people. We have a lot of things in the city of Owensboro to attract more people to our community. We must embrace the quality of life we have in Owensboro and address the diversity that comes with it. We should use economic development as an emphasis to attract people and businesses to this community. Keys attractions we should use to accelerate growth are education, downtown and embracing diversity.
Yes, but I think it should be a county-wide ordinance! Discrimination does not stop at the city limits! We need to face the facts that discrimination does exist in Owensboro/Daviess County. Future businesses or companies investigate such ordinances to relocate or built businesses. Jefferson, Fayette, and several surrounding counties/cities have such an ordinance.
Our diversity of businesses in Owensboro is overall our greatest strength! We need to continue to attract and promote small businesses to our city. It has helped our economy to overcome and maintain our low unemployment rate during this pandemic.
Our river is a glowing attraction for businesses and tourists. We need to continue to improve downtown with a discussion concerning a marina to attract more social/recreational life. It is a costly project, but it can be done.
Continue use of our community alliance programs to benefit the City of Owensboro with ideas.
DATE OF BIRTH June 2, 1953
ADDRESS 2832 West Middleground Drive, Owensboro, KY 42301
EDUCATION Bachelor of Arts in elementary education, Kentucky Wesleyan College; Master of Arts in education, Western Kentucky University; Rank I certification in education, Educational Leadership Certification (K-12), Western Kentucky University
OCCUPATION Retired teacher/ coach/principal, Owensboro Public Schools; self-employed in educational management (presenter, speaker, consultant and minority recruiter)
ELECTED OFFICES HELD None
SPOUSE/ PARTNER & CHILDREN Son Chad Leon Lee; daughter Annick (Nicki) Millan
Editor’s note: All four seats are open on Owensboro City Commission. Each is a nonpartisan elected position. Candidate profiles have been edited only for spelling, grammar and punctuation, and otherwise appear as submitted.
LARRY MAGLINGER
Q&A
Our community recovering from the effects of COVID-19. To address it, I will continue to support funding for small business grants, rental assistance, nonprofit agencies, and any other assistance that could help our community recover from this unprecedented time.
1. Keeping our city safe by making sure that our police department, fire department and first responders have the equipment and resources necessary (to)
protect our community. 2. Providing the opportunity for affordable housing in all sections of our city. 3. Making our city more business friendly with fewer restrictions and creating a welcoming atmosphere.
I do not think it is acceptable to take 50 years to grow our city by 10,000 people. I will continue (to) promote policies that keep our city safe, clean (and) business friendly, and attract our young people to remain in Owensboro. Having amenities such as arts, entertainment, more activities for seniors; utilizing our riverfront; (having) affordable housing in all sections of town; continue revitalizing different parts of our city like the west end that is starting this year; and always supporting our nonprofit agencies that serve a critical need for our citizens — I believe these are policies that can make our city grow much faster than it has in the past.
I do not believe anyone should ever be discriminated against or treated unfairly. I have always said I would consider an ordinance that was fair to everyone involved.
Our biggest strength is the positive financial position of our city. While serving on the City Commission, we increased our general fund by over $7 million. We improved our parks, our infrastructure and public safety. I will continue to use my 44 years of business experience to make sure we use taxpayer funds wisely and in the best interest of our citizens.
DATE OF BIRTH Dec. 13, 1949
ADDRESS 3940 Pine Lake Court, Owensboro, KY 42303
EDUCATION Daviess County High School (1967); electronic training at Owensboro/ Daviess County Vocational School and Sam’s Technical Institute of Electronics
OCCUPATION Owner of Custom Audio-Video in Owensboro for over 44 years
ELECTED OFFICES HELD Owensboro City Commission and Mayor Pro-Tem (2019-present)
SPOUSE/ PARTNER & CHILDREN Wife Tammy Maglinger; sons Curtis Maglinger and Brad Maglinger
Editor’s note: All four seats are open on Owensboro City Commission. Each is a nonpartisan elected position. Candidate profiles have been edited only for spelling, grammar and punctuation, and otherwise appear as submitted.
JOSEPH MARTIN
Q&A
Public safety, to protect the health, safety and welfare of its citizens. To have law enforcement to be trained to work with its citizens.
Flooding, senior citizens center and turn signals.
To effectively market this community on all levels. Reduction in non-plan revenue expenditure, raise the rate of productivity growth, technological progress, reduction in government regulation.
I oppose this! You will always have discrimination!
A great strength is our community to be involved over the process and polices and offer recommendations, we need the community to get more involved.
DATE OF BIRTH Dec. 29, 1955
ADDRESS 1001 W. Parrish Ave., Owensboro, KY 42301
EDUCATION Owensboro High School graduate
OCCUPATION technical engineer, West Valley College
ELECTED OFFICES HELD None
SPOUSE/ PARTNER & CHILDREN Single
Editor’s note: All four seats are open on Owensboro City Commission. Each is a nonpartisan elected position. Candidate profiles have been edited only for spelling, grammar and punctuation, and otherwise appear as submitted.
BILL MOSS
Q&A
The greatest challenge facing Owensboro today continues to be the lack of highpaying job opportunities for our high school and college graduates. I would work with local leaders to attract new industry to Owensboro. I would work with our local colleges to have curriculum that will give our students the necessary skills to compete for jobs.
1. More effort to encourage economic development on the south and west sides of Owensboro, including revisiting the Martin Luther King Community Development Project from the 1990s. Downtown and Highway 54 are examples of success in Owensboro due to Tax Incremental Financing. 2. Provide more programs and venues for our youth. I support organizing a city-driven Teen Association to address the concerns and needs of our youth. 3. Provide a package of city services for our veterans 65 years or older, such as reduced fees on all trash services, free city transit, and waived fees for using a credit card to pay for city services. This is one way for the city government to recognize our local heroes.
Fifty years to have population growth from 50,000 to 60,000 shows a lack of leadership and vision from our city leaders and should be unacceptable to citizens. We need policies in place to attract industry to Owensboro and not be satisfied being the fast food capital of Kentucky. I would work with EDC and Chamber to attract industry with high-paying jobs to give our younger generation a reason to stay or come back to Owensboro.
I would support a fairness ordinance that treated all of the citizens of Owensboro equally and did not grant any special rights or privileges to any one group. Ultimately you cannot legislate what is in a person’s heart.
Owensboro’s greatest strength is its people. I will put in the work to provide more opportunities for Owensboro citizens so they have a reason to work and stay in Owensboro. I hope all my former bank customers, bank co-workers and Kimberly Clark co-workers and citizens of Owensboro support my election efforts.
DATE OF BIRTH July 31, 1953
ADDRESS 2447 Obryan Blvd. Apt. B, Owensboro, KY 42301
EDUCATION Owensboro High School graduate (1971); attended Brescia College and banking schools
OCCUPATION Former banker, bank consultant, small business owner, retired from Kimberly Clark (23 years)
ELECTED OFFICES HELD None
SPOUSE/ PARTNER & CHILDREN Children Andre and Whitney Moss; grandchildren Addison and Langston
Editor’s note: All four seats are open on Owensboro City Commission. Each is a nonpartisan elected position. Candidate profiles have been edited only for spelling, grammar and punctuation, and otherwise appear as submitted.
JARED REVLETT
Q&A
The greatest challenge facing Owensboro is retaining local talent instead of losing them to larger cities. I want to create a vested interest for the brightest minds in our community through a program with local businesses and nonprofits to ensure we keep the top talent here.
My other top priorities are supporting small business, strengthening our safety and security, and promoting economic growth. I want entrepreneurs to find Owensboro a welcoming environment for their endeavors. Owensboro has come a long way in the past 10 years, and I hope to continue that success by working to cut red tape, develop new plans for accessibility and expand opportunities to make Owensboro a safe destination city for families, travelers and job seekers.
There is certainly a need for more growth and now is the perfect opportunity to capitalize on the overcrowding of larger cities to recruit job seekers from those areas to Owensboro. To do that, we will need to bring in more, betterpaying jobs while continuing to grow our tourism industry so our community is attractive for job seekers to want to live, work and play.
I have always been in favor of it. You can’t legislate fairness, but it does send a message to many groups — the younger generation that they’re welcome here and should look to Owensboro when building their future, job seekers looking for a new place to call home, and employers who are looking to locate their business here — that our community is one where people feel welcome. We are better when we embrace everyone’s contributions to society instead of making others feel like they are a burden.
Owensboro is the perfect community that provides a bit of everything that can be attractive to those seeking to relocate. We have great festivals, a world-class symphony, a city-wide greenbelt, and are close enough to rural areas if you like to hunt, fish or hike. We’re also located within a few hours of several major cities if you’re looking for a weekend getaway. I think all of these things, and those I look to create and develop as city commissioner, are perfect recruiting tools to promote our community in hopes to grow our workforce and build for the future.
DATE OF BIRTH Jan. 25, 1990
ADDRESS 2025 Asbury Place, Owensboro, KY 42302
EDUCATION Daviess County High School (2008); bachelor of arts in communication, Hanover College (2012)
OCCUPATION Public Information Officer, Owensboro Public Schools
ELECTED OFFICES HELD None
SPOUSE/ PARTNER & CHILDREN fiancee Liz Chenault
Editor’s note: All four seats are open on Owensboro City Commission. Each is a nonpartisan elected position. Candidate profiles have been edited only for spelling, grammar and punctuation, and otherwise appear as submitted.
JEFF SANFORD
Q&A
I think our biggest challenge is educating our workforce for the jobs of today, but more importantly the jobs of 5 to 10 years from now. That’s exactly why we just partnered with the community college to match grants that will give us the resources we need to meet the employer expectations of now and the future. As we all know, an educated workforce is the key in the recruitment, retaining and expansion of our local and regional economy. We are well positioned with the strength of our educational system.
1. I really want to concentrate on the revitalization of northwest Owensboro. I think a partnership with the private sector will enhance the area west of the convention center. This area is vital to the downtown investment in that livability is the main driver to the success of this area. 2. I also want to make sure our first responders have all the resources they need to keep our community safe as well as themselves safe. 3. I think working with our business and educational systems will prove to be vital as we think of jobs in the future. Technology and business have rapidly changed due to COVID-19, and it has pushed us years ahead in terms of the business we conduct.
The population growth was slow for many years due to infrastructure, such as an interstate. I used to think it was a bad thing, but slow growth is a good thing. When you grow too fast, you can’t manage all the internal things associated with the growth (roads, underground infrastructure, police, fire, etc.); (an) example (is) Nashville traffic. I think for a city our size, we have most amenities of a large city without the large city problems. We have wonderful schools, public and private, as well as the arts, music and parks that rival any city.
Do you support a nondiscrimination ordinance?
I am open to the conversation again if brought to the commission. I am opposed to anyone being treated unfairly. I personally think we have a very caring community.
Our greatest strength is our people. I remember going to The All American City Conference in Denver back in 2013. The one thing I heard from other communities that impressed them was our board participation in Owensboro. They couldn’t believe how many community boards we have and the strength of our participation. A community is only as strong as the people. We must get our young people and our minority community members involved to fill the roles of participation for a strong future.
DATE OF BIRTH Nov. 11, 1967
ADDRESS 1914 Lexington Ave., Owensboro, KY 42301
EDUCATION Apollo High School (1986); business management, Western Kentucky University (1991)
OCCUPATION President, American Classifieds (19972005), Bowling Green, Nashville; Real Estate / Hartz Real Estate LLC.
ELECTED OFFICES HELD Owensboro City Commissioner (2011-2014, 2019-present)); Mayor Pro Tem (2014)
SPOUSE/ PARTNER & CHILDREN Married to Dr. Misty Brey-Sanford; two children, Dylan and Payton Sanford
Editor’s note: All four seats are open on Owensboro City Commission. Each is a nonpartisan elected position. Candidate profiles have been edited only for spelling, grammar and punctuation, and otherwise appear as submitted.
DALE TAYLOR
Q&A
The rampant epidemic of methamphetamine abuse stands at the core of many of our problems. The rise in domestic violence, gun-related crimes, assaults and the widespread decay of our neighborhoods are directly related to the increased methamphetamine abuse. It is crippling our community and must become our number one priority. We must improve our efforts between prevention, enforcement and treatment, provide our first responders with needed resources, and accelerate our partnerships with regional/state law enforcement agencies.
• TRUST: Do the right things for the right reasons. Justified or not, an undercurrent of mistrust of local leadership exists in our community. My promise from day one: an open and honest, transparent dialogue with the citizens of Owensboro, wherein everyone has a seat at the table. • New Approach to Economic/Business Development: We have managed to trade higher-paying corporate careers for lower-wage employment. We must first assist and retain our existing industries and become more creative in our thinking by seeking out entrepreneurs who are capable of creating new and viable business opportunities within our city. • Let’s Clean it Up: An increased focus on property maintenance is a must. How can we expect new industries and entrepreneurs to invest here if we aren’t putting our best foot forward? Property owners must be held accountable for
DATE OF BIRTH April 5, 1953
ADDRESS 1229 St. Ann St., Owensboro, KY 42303
EDUCATION Bachelor of Fine Arts, Murray State University
OCCUPATION Vice President, RiverValley Behavioral Health
ELECTED OFFICES HELD
maintaining their properties and respecting our community.
None
SPOUSE/ PARTNER & CHILDREN Wife Patti Burns Taylor; son Matthew C. Taylor; daughters Allison Taylor Carter and Meredith Paige Taylor
Over the years, Owensboro has lost as many citizens to other markets as we’ve gained. Much of Owensboro’s growth has come either by annexation or migration from neighboring rural counties, not due to new business development. We must recreate how our city does business with businesses. We must retain our young workforce and be more aggressive in assisting new business ventures.
I will certainly consider any ordinance designed to be fair and nondiscriminatory toward any group. All citizens must be assured of fair and equal treatment under the law. The wording of such an ordinance will be critical. A fairness ordinance must be fair and equal for all.
Our people. Owensboro has always been a good and safe place to raise a family. We cannot lose that. It is the fundamental glue that holds us together. We must promote and protect the goodness of our people, our neighborhoods, our educational system (and) our quality of life.
Editor’s note: All four seats are open on Owensboro City Commission. Each is a nonpartisan elected position. Candidate profiles have been edited only for spelling, grammar and punctuation, and otherwise appear as submitted.
JAY VELOTTA
Q&A
Sustainable economic growth. I feel that this can be attained by the following: • Industrial/Manufacturing Recruitment — Focus on acquiring higher-wage jobs with prospective businesses and keeping the existing businesses engaged. • Advocacy — Working with the city, county, Chamber, Economic Development Corporation (regional and statewide) and the Planning Commission to advocate for new and existing business owners in our community. • Outreach — Soliciting new businesses, industry and manufacturing with an activity update to the community by the commission.
• Primary Election — Bring back the primary for mayor and city commission races • Infrastructure — Working within the existing budget to allow for better streets, drainage improvements, intermodal transportation options between the airport and the river terminal; interstate access • Taxes — Eliminate tax on services, which includes many small businesses within our community. A local sales option tax that would allow local government the ability to manage tax dollars within the community. Tax abatement, for small business owners, to entice new business and aid existing business. I do not support any new or higher taxes. Municipal governments need to operate within their budgets.
No. To accelerate growth with an emphasis on infrastructure; collaboration between city and county for potential costsaving measures of duplicated services; affordable housing; enhanced community programs for seniors and retirees and veterans; focus on drug prevention and mental health education and awareness programs.
My plan as a commissioner would be to promote collaboration at the leadership level to ensure that any issue is heard and resolved. I will not support any agenda that promotes any form of social or racial injustice within our community.
Owensboro’s greatest strength is its citizens. As an elected official, my goal would be to continue to move the community forward progressively with the best interest of our citizens in mind. I would be humbled at the opportunity to serve Owensboro. I will ensure that you will get every ounce of energy, enthusiasm, passion and professionalism anytime I am called upon to represent our great city.
DATE OF BIRTH Oct. 21, 1969
ADDRESS 103 E. 23rd St., Owensboro KY 42303
EDUCATION business; real estate technical degree, OCTC; mechanical maintenance certification, OCTC; licensed real estate broker, State of Kentucky
OCCUPATION real estate broker, Gulfstream Commercial Services, LLC
ELECTED OFFICES HELD Owensboro City Commissioner (2017-2018)
SPOUSE/ PARTNER & CHILDREN Wife Lyn Velotta; children Fallon, Felicia, and Noah Velotta
Editor’s note: All four seats are open on Owensboro City Commission. Each is a nonpartisan elected position. Candidate profiles have been edited only for spelling, grammar and punctuation, and otherwise appear as submitted.
MICHAEL WALKER
Q&A
Poverty and vagrancy. Vagrancy is growing because people find it safer here. COVID-19 ripped back the obfuscation exposing the depth of poverty, which catapulted people into massive food lines. As commissioner, I would seek closed session quarterly briefings on the state of poverty (and) homelessness/vagrancy in Owensboro. I’d use the data to increase collaboration with help agencies and churches to gauge what type of assistance the city may be District 3 Asset
able offer.
1. Establish a Youth Advisory Council under the umbrella of the Chamber of Commerce. Four children:
2. Economic Development — I want to attract manufacturing and tech companies through abatements and tax incentives. Planning and Zoning has a history of red tape. This stifles growth and needs reviewing. Guidance from subject matter experts like the Chamber and Kentucky League of Cities to attract business will be prudent. 3. Crime — Most are driven by drugs, guns and vagrancy. I support the establishment of a sustained Community Oriented Policing model. I also support efforts designating Owensboro/Daviess County as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA).
It’s a poor rate. Owensboro is an event-rich community but lacks diversity across the board. The city gets behind many
DATE OF BIRTH June 13, 1961
ADDRESS 1717 Navajo Drive, Owensboro, KY 42301
EDUCATION human resource management and education management degrees, Maxwell Air University
OCCUPATION Protection Manager, Kroger Company
ELECTED OFFICES HELD None
SPOUSE/ PARTNER & CHILDREN
events financially but fails miserably in supporting youth and diversity. Owensboro needs better showcasing.
Mike Walker Jr., MiKayla Walker, Myles Walker and Madelynn Walker
I support the Daviess County Fiscal Court ordinance. God gave Man (all genders) the right to choose including alternative lifestyles. We are not called to cast judgment, but to be disciples of Christ. Alternative lifestyles are deemed sinful within most religious discourse. However, heterosexual lifestyles not following Biblical principles are deemed sinful. Unmarried heterosexual couples not adhering to the principles of the Bible can coexist virtually free of religious persecution. People pick and choose what sin they’ll tolerate, but with God, sin is sin. Treating a group of people differently solely because of their sexual orientation is discrimination. We should respect religious rights, but question the motives of religious zealots. Not condoning an alternative lifestyle is one’s right, but using religion to express your disdain is not Jesus’ call for us.
THE RIVER. Owensboro Riverport Authority is our waterway inland port and proved its value during COVID-19. Its growth will continue to produce a major economic impact to our city. Moving goods from the waterways to land transportation will bring millions to our economy.
Editor’s note: All four seats are open on Owensboro City Commission. Each is a nonpartisan elected position. Candidate profiles have been edited only for spelling, grammar and punctuation, and otherwise appear as submitted.
GORDON ‘GORDY’ WILCHER Q&A
The drug epidemic. Substance abuse can be an underlying cause of violence, poverty and broken families. This is why I fully support the city’s initiative to be designated a “High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area” (HIDTA). This program aims to reduce drug trafficking and distribution by connecting federal, state and local agencies and their resources.
a. Through 46 years of being a small business owner, I learned to navigate the often confusing regulations and rules created and enforced by city agencies. I would like to see an ombudsman position created to help business owners understand the expectations of city agencies. b. I would like to see a greater effort to keep everyone informed about the COVID-19 mandates and expectations national and
from both the state and local levels, including more assistance for our businesses that faced unbudgeted expenses to fulfill new protocols virtually overnight. Many were unaware of grants that would help them pay for items needed to reopen their doors after the quarantine. our industry professionals to support their efforts. I commend OCTC’s programs and Work Force Development, which are key to providing the skilled workforce that industry demands.
We had a lengthy slow growth period, but our local growth rate has been near the state’s average for the past decade. I am comfortable with this pace. However, to accelerate growth, we must support organizations that provide the necessary skills for our work force. This will draw companies to our area, which will add to the population.
DATE OF BIRTH Oct. 19, 1949
ADDRESS PO Box 1285, Owensboro, KY 42302
EDUCATION Daviess County High School (1967); attended Brescia University and Kentucky Wesleyan College
OCCUPATION
c. We should create the climate that is conducive for private industry to create jobs. It’s imperative to work with
international sales director of MJC Ironworks; former owner of Owensboro Music Center
ELECTED OFFICES HELD None
SPOUSE/ PARTNER & CHILDREN Partner Elli York; her daughter, Casey Hamilton; her grandchildren, Jack Walton and Addison Hamilton
Everyone should be treated fairly — everyone! However, at this point the fairness ordinance has only been brought up in the county. In order to answer this question, I would need to research and educate myself on what such an ordinance entails.
Owensboro’s greatest strength is our citizens, bright and diverse people from all walks of life. To create a vibrant city that appreciates and welcomes more diversity, we need to invite our citizens to share ideas. We just have to be open to implementing initiatives designed to attract more citizens. Borrowing ideas from other successful cities and recruiting groups such as Leadership Owensboro (and its graduates) and the Chamber Young Professionals to offer fresh ideas for consideration will help us.
