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New Ashland mayor to focus on development
Ashland Mayor-Elect Tom Kelley
Purchase this photoASHLAND -- Mayor-elect Tom Kelley has a number of priorities to work on after the first of the year when he'll begin a four-year term as mayor and among those will be economic development.
Kelley, who served 43 years in the Ashland Police Department including seven as chief, will be sworn in Jan. 2. Ashland has a city manager form of government, and Kelley certainly intends to respect that. As mayor, he'll have only one vote in five on the Ashland Board of City Commissioners. But while the position of mayor holds a number of ceremonial duties, Kelley also knows people look to the mayor for leadership.
"I'm interested in economic development," Kelley said. Among his priorities will be to push for more tenants at the G.B. Johnson building, the former Ashland Oil executive headquarters building at 14th and Winchester Ave. The seven-story building has fallen on some tough times with only about a dozen businesses located in the building and a number of floors without any businesses at all. The building still houses WLGC radio station and Elite Catering.
"I'm kind of anxious to get started," Kelley said.
He's been attending board meetings and getting updates and paperwork on city projects. "I'm trying to blend back in," he said. "It'll be a smooth transition. We have some good services and hard-working employees."
The city has been without a mayor since Steve Gilmore gave up the job a half-year early to take the job as Ashland's superintendent of schools. City Commissioner Kevin Gunderson has been acting as presiding commissioner and Ashland's mayor pro-tem in the past six months.
"I think (Kelley will) be an effective mayor," Gunderson said. "He knows the area. I think he'll be more of a good listener than a good speaker. I think that will be good."
Gilmore has known Kelley for a number of years and thinks he'll be a good leader.
"He's a good, solid citizen," Gilmore said. "He has a deep love for Ashland. There were times he served as acting city manager over the years. He has gone to many board meetings and has seen the system work. He has a great deal of common sense. He's a good listener. He can relate to the public and to city employees. I think he'll do an outstanding job as mayor."
Among the projects Kelley will have input on are the construction of a new, $4.1 million police station to be built across 17th Street from the Ashland City building. The project will free up a lot of room in the city building. The police department has offices on the first floor, administrative offices on the second floor and detectives and locker rooms on the fifth floor, Kelley said.
While he hasn't been involved in the $10 million riverfront project, Kelley said he'll rely on what City Manager Steve Corbitt has to say on the issue.
"I want to see us get back to a city manager form of government," Kelley said. "I want to see what plans they have," he said. "I also want to be able to use the riverfront for Summer Motion."
Other areas of concern are development in the 1700 block of Winchester Avenue and seeing Ashland Community and Technical College nursing classes developed in the 1600 block of Winchester Avenue.
"I also want to work with the Kentucky League of Cities," Kelley said. "The city is in pretty good shape right now despite what's going in with the national economy. I don't foresee any layoffs."
