Paducah mayoral candidate Brandi Harless was in Washington, D.C. this week with members of the Mississippi Delta Leadership Academy to press western Kentucky issues on national officials.
22 Kentucky counties are considered within jurisdiction of the Delta Regional Authority, which provides economic and infrastructure support for local projects.
Harless says Kentucky delegates met with staff from federal agencies as well as representatives of Congressman Ed Whitfield and Senators Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul during the forum.
Harless says she left the forum with the understanding that western Kentucky lacks a stronger connection to support on the federal level.
"Oftentimes because we’re on the far western side we tend to get some of the same issues as the far eastern side of Kentucky but we’re not as closely tied and related to Frankfort as we’d like to be," said Harless. “We can find other resources outside of the traditional connection to Frankfort, not by any means do we need to not have that connection, but it’s nice to have the supplemental support that the Delta Regional Authority provides.”
Harless says the DRA is investing about $1 million to 22 Kentucky counties in the Delta Region going towards job creation and workforce training initiatives and that, if elected Paducah mayor, a strong connection with the DRA will be instrumental in building the regional economy.
“It’s the all ships rise with the tide mentality," said Harless. "It’s been about developing those relationships in the region, but also understanding that there are resources out there. And so knowing there are resources that give us that direct tie to the USDA and the EDA, organizations we can all benefit from, is very important to me.”
Harless faces off against incumbent Paducah mayor Gayle Kaler in the November 8th election.
