(John or Joan) Public
Is this Lexington's next mayor?

With the primary mayoral elections coming up in May, Lexingtonians will soon be inundated with advertisements and yard signs promoting the various candidates who've thrown their hat into the ring.

Part of being a responsible voter is knowing where you as an individual stand on specific issues. Every citizen should take the time to educate themselves on the issues within their community and learn what stance each candidate has.

In that spirit, The Lane Report has assembled a list of questions that address the pertinent issues facing Lexington. The following One-on-One "interview " features John/Joan Public, a fictitious candidate for mayor of the Lexington Fayette Urban County Government. Public's responses (prepared by The Lane Report) reflect what this publication considers to be the position statements of the ideal mayoral candidate.

"Growth is Good" and "Growth Destroys Bluegrass Forever" are bumper stickers that represent two local opinions on economic development in Central Kentucky. What is your position on growth?

From 1980 to 1990, the 17-county Bluegrass Area Development District was the fastest growing region in Kentucky. From 1990 to 2000, the Central Kentucky population is projected to grow from 591,211 to 678,132 persons. In other words, this region continues to be the fastest growing in Kentucky. As mayor of Lexington, my top priority is to plan for the growth that is occurring. During my administration, government services will be prepared and ready to meet the needs of the community and the region.

We need to be sure that life safety services, housing, business facilities, hospitality services, healthcare, transportation, recreational opportunities, and educational institutions are adequate to support our local citizens in Lexington as well as all the other cities and counties in Central and Eastern Kentucky who may rely on Lexington for these services.

The payroll tax in Fayette County was increased 25 percent (from 2 percent to 2.5 percent) when Pam Miller became mayor. Half of the tax increase was rolled back in 1997. What would you recommend regarding this tax?

I would absolutely roll back the remaining tax increase. With the large budget surpluses generated over the last two years, record employment levels, and strong real estate development there should be plenty of tax dollars available to run the local government.

How well has the Urban Service Area served Fayette County? What recommendation are you making for the future of this planning and zoning concept?

The Urban Service Area served the community well in the beginning, but in the future, this concept is questionable. Here are my concerns: The free market system is disrupted when an artificial boundary limits the availability of land for development. The outcome is high land and housing costs, small lots, crowding, higher density development, and traffic congestion (more and more development is utilizing existing roadways).

The Urban Service Area was designed to protect farmland. Because of high land costs inside the Urban Service Area boundary, it has become economically feasible for large farms outside of the boundary the be purchased and developed as ten acre mini-farms. This development strategy is gobbling up farm land and defeats the initial planning concept of the Urban Service Boundary.

Another inequity is that the Urban Service Area concept denies individuals the right to use and develop their land to its highest and best use.

In the long view, competition in a free market will serve the community better than having a small group of planners and council members making all the decisions on land use for our community.

Traffic congestion has been a prime concern of Lexingtonians in recent surveys conducted by WVLK 590 and The Lane Report. What is the solution to traffic problems?

There are two opportunities that need to be addressed when it comes to improving transportation.

Enhancements to existing roadways within Lexington's Urban Service Area need to be planned and constructed. Population growth, the creation of more jobs in Fayette County, a high number of college and university students, both resident and commuters, have put pressure on our existing road system.

Second, a new regional road system designed to divert commuter traffic around, instead of through, Lexington would benefit the entire region. For example, a new freeway from Richmond to Nicholasville to Versailles would allow commuters to bypass Fayette County.

Facilities enhancement at Blue Grass Airport has received weak support from Pam Miller and the Urban County Council. How important is Blue Grass Airport to the region's future?

The future of Blue Grass Airport is critical to the economic viability of Central and Eastern Kentucky. Good air service is one of the top site criteria for companies seeking new business locations.

The Urban Council Government and the mayor should be firmly committed to making Blue Grass Airport a state-of-the-art facility. Without that commitment, some companies who are now in Central Kentucky and require good air transportation may move to other cities. The opportunity to recruit others maybe lost to cities with air service superior to Lexington's. I will support the FAA's recommendation for Blue Grass Airport. Lexington has an obligation to Central and Eastern Kentucky to make sure the region has the best and safest air transportation system.

The most frequent complaint one bears about local government is the perception of weak leadership. How would you solve this problem?

Government leaders need a plan, a mission, an agenda. As mayor, I will create and lead a team of community leaders who will establish a plan for the future. I will present the plan to our community and implement it.

What is the potential to privatize some governmental functions?

I believe everyone in our community will benefit from privatization. New non-government jobs will be created, competitiveness will increase the efficiency of government, and local taxpayers will receive more and better services for their tax dollars. During my administration, our community will be on the leading edge in the effort to outsource government services to private enterprise.

What changes would be required in the Urban County's budgets in order to privatize government?

Lexington/Fayette County has a budget for income and expenses, but no system of cost accounting on a departmental basis. Until a cost accounting system is implemented, local government cannot determine the precise costs of providing individual services for the taxpayers. Converting to a cost accounting system will be a top priority of my administration.

Should local government promote the equine business?

The equine business has put Central Kentucky on the world map. The industry is extremely important to our community in many ways. As mayor, I will support programs that boost the equine industry and maintain the value of our world-famous horse farms.

What improvements should local government make regarding the promotion of economic development?

I am impressed with the efforts made by Greater Louisville, Inc. to consolidate the work of various economic development agencies into one. A similar approach for Central Kentucky would allow one entity to speak with authority to businesses interested in expanding existing operations or relocating in Central Kentucky.

Do you have a closing comment?

Central Kentucky is an exceptional area in which to raise a family and earn a living. As mayor, my top priorities will be to maintain our high quality of living and to manage growth to create quality employment opportunities for our children. By achieving this goal, our local government will be able to maintain a quality infrastructure for the community without tax increases or new users fees.

The Real Mayoral Candidates

Pam Miller, 59
Mayor, former vice mayor and city council member

Charles "Chuck" Ellinger, 63
UK College of Dentistry faculty member, an owner of Rogers Restaurant, currently an at-large council member, a former 10^th District Urban County Council representative

Walter Brown Jr., 30
Owner of Thee Club House, no previous political experience

Christian Henkel, 45
Carpenter, president of the Ashland Neighborhood Association, member of Citizens for Ethical Government

W.L. McGinnis III, 28
Stripper, owner of three businesses: Hollywood Strip-O-Grams, Clean Touch Services Inc., Hollywood Inside Lexington Production Co., no previous political experience

Ed G. Lane is chief executive of Lane Consultants, Inc. and publisher of The Lane Report.

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