SJ Issues

QUESTION OF THE WEEK FROM THE STATE JOURNAL: WOULD YOU VOTE TO RESCIND THE FAIRNESS ORDINANCE PASSED BY THE CITY COMMISSION IN 2013? WHY OR WHY NOT?

I would not vote to rescind the Fairness Ordinance. I am proud that Frankfort was one of the earliest cities in the Commonwealth to adopt such an ordinance.  I supported it passing in 2013, I support it now, and I will continue to support it in the future.  

Speaking of the future, let us look forward instead of backward, hopefully, to a day when discrimination is no longer an issue in our community.  Now more than ever, we truly are all in this together.  Once Frankfort moves into a post-pandemic world, the opportunity will exist to attract new residents and tourists who seek our city’s scale, comfort, and charm.  The Fairness Ordinance sends a message to outsiders that we are a welcoming community that respects diversity of all types, regardless of a person’s race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity. My goal is to make Frankfort a more desirable and prosperous place to live for everyone, and a negative perception will hurt. Being closed-minded means being closed for business. 

The passing of the Fairness Ordinance helped move Frankfort one more step into the 21^st Century. As mayor I intend to lead us the rest of the way by improving our quality of life, economy, and image.  On June 23rd, vote for the future, not the past. 

WERE THE MURAL GUIDELINES PASSED BY THE CITY COMMISSION IN 2019 NECESSARY? WHY OR WHY NOT?

I am in favor of murals and the guidelines that define their scope.
Murals, and public art in general, have the power to enhance our city’s image and make a statement to outsiders that creative people live here. Moreover, public art can help to strengthen and define our city’s identity. The mural ordinance passed in 2019 is necessary to ensure that the art is not offensive or graphic, and that no significant part of a building is obstructed or damaged in the process. Other than those basic restrictions, artists are left to create.

Beyond supporting murals, I will be a mayor that encourages more arts and cultural activities. A vibrant arts scene enhances our quality of life and attracts visitors who spend money and help sustain our local businesses. People want to live in and visit cities where there is something to do. We are competing against other cities for residents and tourists (and their dollars), and a thriving arts scene will help Frankfort standout and capture this business. One of my campaign goals is to diversify our economy and reduce our reliance on state government, and an increased focus on arts tourism will help.

We have many talented people in our community who give Frankfort a happening arts scene for a city our size. To support their continued efforts, I will work to implement the arts master plan that is currently in the works. An increased commitment to the arts can help diversify our city’s economy and tax base, with the added benefit of making life more enjoyable for those of us fortunate to call Frankfort home.

SHOULD FRANKFORT STICK WITH THE CITY MANAGER FORM OF GOVERNMENT OR CONVERT TO A “STRONG MAYOR” FORM OF GOVERNMENT SUCH AS MAYOR-COUNCIL? WHY OR WHY NOT?

Given the inevitable fallout from the current health crisis and economic downturn facing Frankfort, reinventing city government will not be my priority. My top priority and the city’s attention should be recovery and building a stronger Frankfort for everyone.

I will be a mayor that provides leadership and direction, allowing the city manager to focus on day to day operations of the city.  My focus will be on communication and collaboration with both staff and the public, working together on policy/goal setting, improving quality of life issues, business development, and community promotion. 

Considering the question of city manager versus a strong mayor may be missing the bigger opportunity. A better use of our collective energy is to look beyond the city manager/strong mayor debate and instead consider the merits of merging our city and county governments.  If we are going to go through the hard work of changing our form of government, let’s make it worth the effort.  

Frankfort is fortunate to have historic districts, charm, and character worth maintaining. Other neighborhoods have homeowners associations to keep uniformity and identity within an area, and I see no reason why some of our most unique and important neighborhoods should be different.  

The Architectural Review Board is an important tool for maintaining the character of our historic districts and for facilitating the public exchange of information that is so valuable to neighbors and property owners.  We need some oversight to protect the property values of those who choose to live in one of the special districts. As mayor, I will work with city staff and the ARB in any way I can to continually improve the process.

Recently, I believe Planning staff has made great strides in streamlining the process so that very few of the permits applied for are sent to the ARB for review.  The ARB members have also worked hard to be consistent with their decisions and balance progress with preservation.  

There are some areas of improvements though.

Consistent enforcement of the regulations on the books.  Though each project and each owner that comes through the Planning Dept is unique, we need to work at the staff and board level to consistently enforce the regulations the city has adopted, and not get into areas where ARB oversight is questionable.

We need consistency with the penalties for maneuvering around our regulations too.  In the past, there seems to have been a ‘do it on the weekend’ mentality to avoid the perceived red tape of applying for a permit and receiving approval.  Outreach needs to be persistent, and our processes need to be user-friendly.  We need to understand that the Planning Department and the volunteer board are partners in this, not the enemy. 

HOW WOULD YOU ADDRESS THE ECONOMIC CRISIS FRANKFORT IS FACING DUE TO COVID-19?

First, in this emergency, we must support those who are most vulnerable. As mayor, I would promote giving back to local non-profits to help with this, and any future, crisis. I have been involved in establishing the Frankfort-Franklin County COVID-19 Response Fund to assist in getting help to those in need.

I would also encourage Frankfort residents to do all they can to support our local restaurants and other small businesses. We are at risk of losing some beloved businesses if this situation goes on too long.

Working with other business development agencies, I would promote any government assistance programs and whatever technical assistance is needed to ensure our small businesses should get their fair share of the massive stimulus bills coming out of Washington.

Next, we must prevent the further spread of the virus so that we, and our economy, can get back to normal as soon as possible. As mayor, I would encourage all residents to follow the Governor’s guidelines on social distancing. Governor Andy Beshear has done a fantastic job in establishing goals and a timeline, and I will collaborate with and follow his lead.

Finally, we need to begin looking past the current crisis and prepare for a post-pandemic Frankfort. Immediately, our city has already seen a drop in tax revenue due to the decrease in occupational taxes. This will negatively impact our budget and having a mayor with expertise in financial planning will be crucial to see us through.

Long-term, we must take steps to prepare our economy so future shocks will not affect so much. My plan to diversify our economy to be less dependent on state government- and recruit more full-time residents- is looking even better. With strong leadership, Frankfort will pull through this crisis stronger and more prosperous than before.

DO YOU SUPPORT THE MERGER OF CITY AND COUNTY GOVERNMENTS? WHY OR WHY NOT?

Yes, I would support the unification of city and county governments provided that the proposed merger agreement makes sense for both city and county residents. It seems that blending the two governments should eliminate duplication of services and sharpen our focus, which will be increasingly important in our rapidly changing world. We need a unified voice and presence to compete and grow.

The devil will be in the details of the proposed merger agreement, and my support will depend on the specifics. If the proposed plan improves services for citizens and businesses, eliminates waste, and saves taxpayer money, then why not?

Both governments, and their officials, will have to compromise on certain aspects of the plan. This will require courage and strong leadership. Further, any proposal will need to ensure that current employee’s jobs are maintained, at least until they retire or otherwise separate from service. As mayor, I will work to lead a government that is well-organized and productive. If merger helps to that end, then I am all for it.