What ideas do you have to increase revenue or to create revenue streams for the city of Wilmore?
1) Work with the landlords of Downtown Wilmore to update the facilities they own for renting to businesses by offering tax incentives.
2) Offering tax incentives to new businesses so as to draw them to our downtown.
3) Utilize the commercial land set out in the Wilmore/Nicholasville/Jessamine County Joint Comprehensive Plan 2010 for Wilmore’s area for businesses by offering tax incentives.
Do you feel taking over the Crouse cemetery is a financially beneficial move for the city? If so, how will the city pay for it?
No, it is not financially beneficial for the city. Nevertheless, the Wilmore City Council has a moral obligation to see that the property does not go to seed. A secure, perpetual trust fund or some other secure fiduciary instrument could be set up for donations, only to be used for the maintenance and upkeep of the cemetery. The owners of the cemetery would be responsible for this expense. The trustees of the fund would contact the list of families who have loved ones interred in the cemetery or those who have plots there for future use, for donations. Members of the community could be asked for donations. Churches could be asked for donations.
Why should the residents of Wilmore elect you to city council?
I have a conservative core of principles from which I work from in making decisions and I have a service record in communities, social, civil, and religious, giving me skills, talents, and abilities to perform the duties required as a Wilmore City Council Member.
What are the major problems facing Wilmore, and what will you do about them?
1) Crime is increasing. I propose a curfew for our youth within the city proper, by having input from our local police and local residence. This city’s proposal would be crafted by drawing upon Wilmore’s local police department’s recommendations and the input from Wilmore’s local residence. 2) Sewer bills for certain months are too high for the use of the water. The sewer bills for the residences are not commiserate with the water usage, especially for the summer months. I would propose, what I have been advocating, since I first came to Wilmore, the three months of winter water bills with least water usage be added, divided by three, and the average used to determine the monthly sewer bill for the rest of the year for each business and residence. 3) Local government overreach should be monitored. The minutes of every Wilmore City Council meeting should be entered, reported in detail, and uploaded on-line, for the busy citizenry to have easier access to the workings of their Wilmore government.
What is a strength and/or highlight of Wilmore that you want to encourage, and what do you plan to do to nurture its growth?
Our city streets and the lighting of our streets are, for the most part, well-cared. This makes for health and safety for our citizens and adds to the beauty of our city’s quaint village appeal (increasing property values). By encouraging businesses through tax incentives to locate here, selling off properties purchased by the city to the private sector, and keeping expenses within the local government’s defined job description, our city can keep up with the demand for proper sidewalks, curbs, speed bumps, non-invasive lighting, etc. that provide a framework for businesses and residences to flourish more readily.
If you could make an uncontested executive decision to change one thing in Wilmore, what would it be?
I would nullify the fairly recent annexation of all properties west of U.S. 68; I want to preserve the farmland’s agricultural use and scenic views which are in the goals of the Wilmore/Nicholasville/Jessamine County Joint Comprehensive Plan 2010. The Jessamine County/Wilmore Joint Planning Commission voted 9-0 not to approve the golf course/high-end housing project, but the members of the Wilmore City Council, at that time, voted for it. To bring the title work up to the county/state standards has cost considerable time and, perhaps, monies, not considered in the cost of annexation. There has been nothing done with the golf course/high-end housing project to date to my knowledge.
What government department (fire, police, parks & rec, or other) do you feel/think needs the most attention, why, and what do you propose to do to address it?
Overall, I think the Wilmore government departments are consistently doing a good job with a tweak here and there concerning salaries, job descriptions, and regulations. I do think the Wilmore Police Department would be helped by passing the variable curfew ordinance I proposed above in answer to Question No. 7.
What would you like to see done with the former “Crouse” building recently purchased by the city?
I would like to see the Wilmore City Council sell it to the private sector and put the people’s money back into the city’s coffers for use to pay for the city’s bills.
