The Hopkinsville League of Women Voters Debate Forums continued Monday, starting with the candidates running for Ward 1 on Hopkinsville City Council.
Taking the stage for debate were incumbent Republican Natasha Francis, who filed as a write-in candidate following the May primary election, and Democrat Markeeta Wilkerson—Republican candidate Vance Smith, who won the primary election, was unable to attend Monday.
Francis and Wilkerson wasted no time making their goals and priorities clear, and they fielded questions concerning the growing homelessness situation in the city, incentivizing small businesses, healthcare and more.
On the subject of homelessness, Francis says the city has made some efforts already by having meetings with several local agencies, but it’s going to be a community-wide effort to address the issue.
Wilkerson says she believes the situation has now become a crisis, and she wants to see more being done to help those who are unhoused—whether that be by finding a place for them to safely settle, or by getting them the help they need.
When it comes to small businesses, both candidates agreed local small businesses need all the support they can get. Wilkerson says she would support allocating funding to support those businesses.
Francis says she would support a payroll tax break for small businesses in the City of Hopkinsville.
Wilkerson says she would not support that kind of tax cut, because things aren’t getting cheaper—thanks to inflation and other factors—and they need to not lose sight of the priorities that local government is responsible for.
You can watch the debate in its entirety on the League of Women Voters—Hopkinsville, KY Facebook page.