CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – As early voting approaches this week, the candidates for mayor of the City of Clarksville have been meeting with voters and discussing the issues.
Candidate Mark Riggins has shared with Clarksville Now a plan for what he would do, if elected, in his first 100 days in office. Clarksville Now has reached out to the other two candidates, Wanda Smith and Brian Zacharias, to see if they would like to respond.
“Every candidate for mayor says they will hit the ground running. I want to tell you exactly what that means, in specifics, so you can hold me to it,” Riggins said in his statement. “I have spent over 30 years working for the City of Clarksville, starting as a laborer in the Street Department and working my way up to leading Clarksville Gas and Water. If that experience taught me one thing, it is that the work starts with knowing exactly where you stand.”
Mark Riggins on first 100 days
Riggins presented an eight-point plan for what he would do in those first 100 days:
1. Open the books: Riggins said he will bring in an independent, third-party review of the city’s finances, including revenue, expenditures and debt. This has become a major issue in recent weeks, with Councilman Zacharias proposing a city/county redistribution the local option sales tax.
“The city already receives a formal audit each year,” Riggins said. “This is different. I want an outside set of eyes telling us plainly what our financial health is as a local government.”
2. Get traffic moving: He said he will review the “multiple, completed roadway network studies the city has already paid for” and make a plan to get them done, “building on that work instead of starting over.” But the first step, Riggins said, will happen immediately: retiming the traffic lights along every roadway. “That alone will alleviate congestion and provide immediate relief.”
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3. Know where we stand: Riggins said he will meet with every department head to discuss capital projects, interlocal agreements, grant funding, legislation, litigation and personnel issues. “The purpose is simple: to begin our first term with a firm understanding of the city’s overall logistical situation, not a guess,” he said. “Everything else in this plan, from the capital improvement plan to the budget, depends on knowing exactly where the city stands before we commit to where it is going.”
4. A 20-year plan: Riggins said he will develop a 20-year Capital Improvement Plan, prioritizing all city projects by order of necessity and regulatory mandate. “The plan will include the estimated schedule and price of each project, so the city can plan according to its actual financial situation instead of reacting year to year,” Riggins said.
Having a a single, public document will give everyone a clear picture of what is coming, when, and what it will cost, he said. “That way, decisions about growth, debt, and taxes are made with the full picture in front of us rather than one project at a time.
5. Finish what we started: “Clarksville has projects that were promised and never completed, and the people who were counting on them deserve to see them through,” Riggins said.
He promises a plan to finish improvements to Tylertown Road, construction of Spring Creek Parkway, construction of the Exit 8 Sports Complex, and revitalization of Mason Rudolph Golf Course. “These four projects will also be among the first entries in the 20-year Capital Improvement Plan, each with a schedule and a cost attached, so you can track the progress,” he said.
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6. A better budget: Riggins said he will meet with each City Council member to discuss the needs of their wards and use that information to shape the FY28 budget, which begins July 1, 2027. He wants to involve council members much earlier in the budget process, improving “communication and cohesion.”
“The budget is where every other commitment … either gets funded or does not, and building it with the council from the start is how the city begins a fiscal year already agreed upon,” Riggins said.
7. Resolve Ajax Turner: Riggins said he will review the situation with the Ajax Turner Senior Center and try to resolve the standoff over property, funding and staffing. “This dispute is ultimately hurting those who need the socialization and who have utilized the services this organization has provided for years, and the seniors who depend on this center should not be the ones paying the price while it drags on,” he said.
8. Downtown parking: He said he will “resolve and clarify the city’s position” on downtown parking, including the re-establishment of a Parking Authority. The Authority became a Parking Commission over 10 years ago and has struggled to maintain consistent rules, revenue and policies. “Right now, people visiting downtown cannot count on the same rules from one block to the next, and our downtown businesses feel that uncertainty in their foot traffic,” Riggins said.
For Riggins’ full 100-day plan, see the Mark Riggins website.
Additional articles will be posted as Clarksville Now receives information from the other candidates.
| PREVIOUSLY:
- Where do they stand? Mayor candidates on streets, taxes, flooding
- Mayor candidates on sales tax for schools, smart growth, amusement park
- The Clarksville Rundown: Why you should vote for Riggins, Smith, Zacharias | PODCAST
- Mark Riggins raises 11 times nearest opponent in mayor’s race
- Mayor candidate Riggins on growth solutions, homelessness and Mason Rudolph debates
How to vote, with early voting this week
Early voting will be Oct. 14-29 at the Election Commission Office. Early voting begins Oct. 19 at the North Library, CDE and Richellen Park locations.
Tennessee voters are required to show a valid photo identification. A driver’s license or photo ID issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, the Tennessee state government, or the federal government are acceptable, even if expired. College student IDs are not accepted.
For more information on voting, go to the Montgomery County Election Commission website, visit their office at 350 Pageant Lane, Suite 404, email vote@mcgtn.net or call 931-648-5707.
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