By Angela Hatton
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkms/local-wkms-938255.mp3
Madisonville, KY – A new year will mean new leadership in some cities in our region. Voters in Mayfield, Murray, and Madisonville, as well as Clarksville, Tennessee elected new mayors in November. This season, many state and national candidates rode a wave of anti-incumbent sentiment to victory, while others pledged to get the career politicians out of government. As Angela Hatton reports, that view isn't common on the local level.
Republican Madisonville mayor-elect David Jackson ousted Incumbent Democratic Mayor Will Cox by just 72 votes. Jackson's key platform was building small business and improving customer service in government. Jackson's a Certified Public Account and runs his own business in the city. Recently, he announced a five-member transition team made up of local community leaders.
"I think sometimes in government we can see things a particular way just because we're in government, but yet when we get out in the private sector, it can be interpreted completely differently, and so I want to get input from all over the community regarding any important decisions."
Even though he doesn't take office until January, Jackson's already made some important decisions regarding staff. A few weeks after the election, he selected Captain Wade Williams as Police Chief, replacing current Chief James Pendergraff. Jackson has also asked Linda Sandidge to serve as Executive Assistant, another replacement. Jackson has said he plans to replace the City Administrator as well.
"Simply because I want to our government to be business-friendly, customer focused. Those are the positions that are pretty key policy positions, and so I wanted folks who were like-minded in my hope to really bring new life."
Clarksville Mayor-elect Kim McMillan also wants to bring new life to her city. But she's got a different plan for her transition: building on her past reputation. McMillan served six terms as Clarksville's state representative, and was a senior advisor to Governor Phil Bredesen.
"People had seen my work, they had seen what I had done, they had seen my commitment to public service, to really working hard for the people, and I think that that made a difference."
McMillan says constituents viewed her as a dedicated public servant rather than a "career politician," a term which became a dirty word during the election season. McMillan says she's going to build on Clarksville's resources and reputation as one of the fastest growing cities in Tennessee. She hasn't laid out many details yet, but says that's because she plans to meet with departments and get their input too.
Murray mayor-elect Bill Wells echoes McMillan in his plans for the city. Wells wants to sit down with the city's 12 council members individually before he takes office.
"But I'm not coming in with any preconceived agenda at all. My only agenda is to make Murray is now one of the 100 Best Places in the United States to live and we're going to strive to keep that going."
Wells doesn't plan any department shake-ups. He says recent retirements have already changed many of the personnel he'll be working with. Mayfield mayor-elect Teresa Cantrell also won't be making any changes.
"See I've been a city employee for almost 22 years, and I've worked with all these people. I certainly, well I think we have just a wonderful group of employees and there's not any positions that I know of that I have to replace, and that I would replace. And I can't think of anybody that would leave, y'know, because I'm mayor."
But what about the new vision in Madisonville? Murray State Associate Professor of Public Policy and Administration Doctor Jim Clinger says you can't directly compare Madisonville with most of its western Kentucky neighbors. Clinger says unlike Murray and Mayfield, Madisonville's elections are partisan, meaning candidates run under a party banner.
"Perhaps affects upon participation. Some people will claim that the absence of party label diminishes the cues given to voters, so they may not be as willing to vote when they have very little information about the candidate. Party label doesn't necessarily convey a great deal of information, but it does give a little bit."
The majority of Hopkins County voters, like the majority of Kentucky voters, are Democrats. Over twenty-two thousand residents are registered with the party. Only 7,700 are registered with the GOP. Yet in the 2010 general election, the county voted against incumbent Democratic State Senator Jerry Rhoads. Rhoads won district-wide, but lost in his home county to his Republican opponent, a political newcomer.
Republican mayor-elect David Jackson, also a newcomer to government, plans to make more employee announcements closer to his swearing-in. But to him, party affiliation isn't as important as making sure his constituents have a voice.
"Again, I want to have a very inclusive form of government. I believe it's important, especially in this day and age to bring all the community to the table. Y'know we have so many stakeholders in every decision that's made in the mayor's office that I want to make sure every decision I'm making is very inclusive and it's the best possible decision for our city."
Jackson and the region's other mayors take office the first week of January.