Local business professional and community leader Dale Taylor has joined the 2020 race for the Owensboro City Commission. Taylor, who officially filed as a candidate on Tuesday, touts his love of community as the driving force for his decision to run.
Taylor is the eighth person to file for the race. Incumbents Larry Maglinger and Jeff Sanford have filed to run again, while incumbents Pamela Smith-Wright and Larry Conder have filed to run in the mayoral election.
The other candidates are former City Commissioner Bob Glenn; Owensboro Fariness Campaign Chair Deanna Endicott-Smith; former Owensboro Police Department Sergeant Mike Walker; former Owensboro Public Schools educator Walter Lee; and former Public Health Director for the Green River District Health DepartmentDeborah Fillman.
Four City Commission seats are available.
Taylor cited his business management experience and more than 40 years of civic and community involvement as his qualifications to serve.
Taylor began his civic involvement as Director of Programs for the Owensboro-Daviess County Chamber of Commerce in 1980 and was responsible for coordinating the International Bar-B-Q Festival, Farm-City Breakfast, Leadership Owensboro, The Owensboro Community Magazine and the Chamber’s Small Business Institute, among other Chamber projects.
From 1985 to 2009 Taylor served as Director of Operations and Vice President of Human Resources for WaxWorks Inc., a national wholesale distributor of audio and video home entertainment products based in Owensboro.
Throughout his professional career, Taylor has served on numerous boards of local civic organizations.
In 2007, as chairman of Citizens Health Care Advocates, Taylor successfully led the campaign for the city’s first non-smoking ordinance. Most recently, as a result of his outspoken, “Let’s Clean it Up!” campaign on social media, Taylor was asked to serve on the City’s property maintenance board.
Taylor said friends and business associates have encouraged him to run for office over the years but the timing just wasn’t right.
“Obviously, I love Owensboro,” Taylor said. “Owensboro has much to be proud of and excited about. However, I also see a cause for concern. I see an erosion of community pride and a general lack of security and safety.”
He said he is concerned about the dilapidated houses and commercial buildings lining the streets of Owensboro.
“I see empty buildings where once stood corporate headquarters,” Taylor said. “Somehow we have managed to trade higher-paying corporate careers for lower-wage employment. That too has to change.”
Taylor currently serves as Senior Director of Facilities and Purchasing for RiverValley Behavioral Health. He and his wife, Patti Burns Taylor, reside in Owensboro.
Editor’s note: Deborah Fillman was unintentionally not included as a candidate in the original version of this story. She was the seventh person to file for the city commission race. OT apologizes for the error.
