The Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce hosted a mayoral forum this morning during their Rooster Booster breakfast Thursday morning. Tom Watson, Ron Payne, Pamela Smith-Wright, Sharon Castle, and Titus Willis all answered questions regarding local issues.
The non-partisan mayoral race will be on the ballot for the Primary Election on May 21.
Candidates were asked a series of questions and given 2 minutes each to respond during Thursday’s forum. Questions were chosen by the Chamber of Commerce.
Question: What do you think the most important role of the mayor of Owensboro is, and how would you distinguish yourself in this role?
Castle responded first, saying she was a conservative who “believes highly in taking care of business or it will take care of you.” She said her number one priority would be controlling spending.
“We have overspent — I would never have put lights on the bridge. We need another bridge. There’s a lot of things I see that need attention that I directly run into as a person who owns apartments,” Castle said.
Payne said the mayor’s primary responsibility is leadership, working with others, and building a consensus with commissioners and community leaders.
“Look around you,” Payne said to the audience at the Owensboro Convention Center. “When we built all you see, it took leadership and consensus. It took the City, County, Economic Development, the Chamber of Commerce, and the public. It’s about working with others to move our community forward.”
Wright said she wants to be the city’s biggest cheerleader and that, along with leadership, it’s about having a vision for the community and what it should be.
“We need to look past everything that’s happened, stop looking through our rearview mirror, and move forward,” Smith-Wright said. “This is a place I love. I’ve been a city commissioner for a long time and would like to show what I can do.”
Watson advocated for public safety, saying it should be the mayor’s most important role.
“It’s been a privilege and honor to be the longest-serving mayor in the City of Owensboro,” Watson said. “The public safety aspect is the most important, but we also must create a balanced budget, live within our means, and pass on a better community.”
Willis spoke about working closely with city administrators, the city commission, and the public to improve liveability.
“We need to ensure we come together and improve everyone’s lives in terms of safety and infrastructure,” Willis said.
Question: Currently, the city appointees on the boards of RWRA, Riverport Authority, OMU, and Owensboro Metropolitan Planning Commission collectively have just two female board members and zero people of color. Do you think it is important for women and minorities to be on these boards? And if so, what will you do to make this happen?
Payne acknowledged that the mayor has appointed authority and said he’s a proponent of “women and minorities playing a major role in making decisions in this city.”
Smith-Wright agreed with Payne and elaborated further, suggesting the key to a well-rounded community is embrace and acceptance.
“We don’t have a variety of people doing things in this community. Look at our commission – I’ve been here a long time,” she said. “Different people have different ideas and thoughts, and everyone needs to have their voices heard.”
Watson alluded to the current application process and said he regularly seeks input from experts within the city.
“We do have issues with having minority candidates, and we’re always trying to find a solution,” he said. “There isn’t a large minority population in our city, and I don’t like to put token people in places; I think they should be qualified.”
Willis was eager to discuss a solution, stating that awareness and transparency are critical.
“We have to let people know that these opportunities exist,” he said. “Like the mayor said, there’s an application. I would like to have numbers and data on how many minorities and women are applying. I can’t speculate without that data. There has to be communication, and we have to create awareness of the existence of these opportunities.”
Castle advocated for an open-door policy.
“Before you do anything, you have to have an open-door policy,” she said. “You can’t have your assistant come down and speak for you. I want to speak to everyone that has a problem.”
Question: Our downtown has many empty storefronts with more said to be shuttering soon. Our community has been without a downtown staff person for close to 10 years. With hundreds of millions of dollars of private and public sector investment already made in our downtown, would you pledge to support a full-time position to advocate for this district that sets our community apart from other communities?”
Smith-Wright said she would need to research what the position would entail and that she would consider it.
“We need someone to promote our downtown businesses, just like we have other offices,” she said. “The problem with storefronts closing is the price of the property, and we need to find a way to solve that.”
Watson seconded Smith-Wrigths’s concern about the cost of the property and also noted parking issues. He also shared information about the fund the city organized during the pandemic to subsidize downtown business losses.
“We have parking issues and high rent,” he said. “The size of the units is also a problem, and there are ADA issues with older buildings. We have a few roadblocks setting in front of us, but hopefully, with economic development and planning and zoning, we can fill the spots.”
Willis supported a full-time position and said it would aid in fostering a thriving business environment.
“It’s a decision that would have to be made through collaboration, but personally, I think it should happen,” he said. “Putting someone in there to market and manage downtown is a win for Owensboro and a way to ensure that current projects are thriving and that Owensboro is attracting new businesses.”
Before diving too deep into the position, Castle said she would first want to consult with each downtown business owner. She also expressed financial concerns about the position.
“They have to be a part of this,” she said. “Are we $150 million in debt? We have to tighten our belts, be secure financially, and be mindful of our finances. That’s what I’ve done in my current business.”
Payne reflected on his tenure as mayor and the progress made downtown. He said he would pledge to hire a full-time person. He highlighted the Air Show, among other events, and advocated for closing 2nd Street to traffic between the blocks of St. Ann and Daviess streets.
“Yes, we need a downtown development director. I pushed and hired Tim Ross as public events director because of all the activity we thought would happen,” Payne said. “We need to conduct a traffic study and determine how we can make downtown more accessible and easier for businesses to conduct businesses.”
Question (multiple questions were asked at one time): For close to 20 years, Owensboro has joined cities and counties around the state fighting for more local revenue options. This concept, that we call Home Rule, would allow us to create consumption-based local taxes and would allow our local elected officials to reduce the local income tax and the net profits tax on businesses. Do you support Home Rule? And if elected, what would you do to advocate for this change? … Recruiting talent to Owensboro has improved, yet we continue struggling to retain it. The issue of inclusivity continues to come up surrounding our community. Where do you stand on this issue and how do you think Owensboro moves forward when it comes to attracting new talent?”
Watson said he’s a major proponent of Home Rule, referencing his efforts as a member of the League of Cities board of directors.
“We are limited on how we can generate revenue,” he said. “We need ways that don’t require going to the state or federal level. There are opportunities there, but we will have to change the tax code, which will require a constitutional amendment. Without cities, this commonwealth will die. It’s the city limits that take care of all of the issues for local governments.”
He said Owensboro is fortunate to have corporate branches here but that incentives are needed to recruit a corporate headquarters. He added that there are annexation issues and that the city is restricted by “a river to the north, flood plains to the south, and farmland to the west and east.”
Willis said he would be for Home Rule but considered it more of a state-level decision.
“I’m definitely willing to advocate for that,” he said. “I would need more data on the information and by what percentages we could lower or raise taxes.”
Regarding recruiting and retaining talent, he said, “We need more opportunities for entrepreneurship and to showcase the talent already here. It’s about fostering the talent we have and hopefully attracting talent from around.”
Castle referred to Home Rule as a “tangible tax.”
“Tangible taxes will eat you up. Like a lawn mower, you paid for and reported to your tax accountant – it becomes a taxable product,” she said. “Some are not smart enough to get a paper from your tax man and take it to the PVA office. Otherwise, you’ll be paying for it forever. I went to my tax man, and that’s what he said. Pay attention.”
Payne said achieving Home Rule status is vital for future success.
“It’s important to cities across Kentucky, and I will do everything in my power to ensure we achieve it,” he said. “I’m all for having the option. Sales tax is volatile and driven by the economy, whereas our taxes aren’t so volatile. We need to study long and hard, but we definitely need the option.”
He added that attracting young talent will take a major effort, but it’s essential to keeping the city going. He suggested exploring the possibility of paying people to relocate here, stating that other Kentucky cities have done so and found success.
Smith-Wright said it should be up to the city how they want to tax. She also discussed how the city could retain talent.
“We can recruit people here, but what do we have to keep them here?” she said. “The community didn’t have what my kids wanted to fulfill their dreams, so they both left. We had a chance just the other day to choose a minority superintendent for this community… When we pass on all of the things that are right in front of us, we lose. Owensboro loses. Each and every one of us is important to this community.”
Question: Recently, several issues have occurred, creating a perception that our city and county governments are not collaborating. This perception is not good for business growth and expansion. Issues such as economic development funding, central dispatch, and now the senior center are points of contention. Do you see this as a concern? And if so, what is your plan for improving collaboration and cooperation between the two local governments?
Smith-Wright said the city and county governments often have differing opinions, but that doesn’t mean they are “fighting.”
“I think we work well with the county,” Smith-Wright said. “As a chairperson of the senior center, I can assure you we aren’t fighting. There are things we can’t say because they were discussed during closed sessions. People are speculating, and newspapers are constantly writing stuff, and that’s causing problems.”
Watson said he and Judge-Executive Charlie Casten frequently have lunch. He added that there will always be issues with tax bases, but they are never a major deal.
“When it comes down to a big issue like the senior citizens center, we always come together to make the right decision for the betterment of our community,” he said.
Watson also prominently advocated for a unified government, referencing it as something that could “set us apart” before time expired on his response.
Willis discussed the positive relationship he already has with county officials, once again highlighting the crucial role that communication and transparency play in multi-government decisions.
“I love the City of Owensboro and our county as well,” he said. “I see the city and county working together through my research and through living here. We have to come together and collaborate to win. We have to become a machine with multiple moving parts and work together. I have no problem working with the county government. I love the county government.”
Castle placed a strong emphasis on qualifications for becoming an elected official. She suggested that local elected officials should be transparent with their personal tax returns.
“When you register to become a commissioner — I’ve experienced this personally — they ask you what organizations you work with and what groups you’ve led,” she said. “They never ask about your qualifications as far as a tax return. Trump got in trouble for this. Why are we not asking mayors and commissioners about taxes and finances? How can we allow them to control Owensboro’s money?
Payne said he’s committed to progress and moving the City of Owensboro forward. To do so, he said cooperation among governments is necessary.
“Two governments fighting is not a good look,” he said. “When I was mayor, we had a great relationship. We got Fiscal Court to help build this (Convention Center). We have to work together to move this city forward.”
