It was an evening full of debate and discussion as the candidates running for Mayor of Hopkinsville faced off during the League of Women Voters forum Thursday.
The candidates running on the Democrat ticket went first, with Alethea West and Michael Pendleton fielding questions that ranged from public safety to Sunday alcohol sales, from downtown revitalization to homelessness.
Pendleton says he wants to encourage more people to become home owners instead of renting, and he would do that by implementing programs and resources for people to take advantage of.
West says there are far too many people renting in Hopkinsville, and she wants to find out the root cause of that and address it, which will encourage more people to live here and inspire economic growth.
Running as Republicans are James R. Knight Jr. and Vince Farrell, who answered similar questions and other concerning social media, financial responsibility and addressing a rise in violent crimes.
Both candidates would be in favor of Sunday alcohol sales in the city, with Knight saying he would want to host public forums to get the community’s input, and that it would bring more tax revenue into the city, as people are leaving the city to purchase it as is.
Farrell says the way things are violates people’s freedoms more than it was originally intended, and it would give local businesses a growth in revenue.
The winners from each party during the primary election will square off with each other in the November general election.
View the entirety of the West and Pendleton debate below:
https://www.facebook.com/lwvhopkinsville/videos/2996834217293321
View the Farrell versus Knight debate below:
https://www.facebook.com/lwvhopkinsville/videos/647127033054635