CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – In May, voters will choose between two candidates for the Republican nomination for Montgomery County mayor: Wallace Redd, an experienced politician, or Wes Golden, an experienced government employee.
Both candidates sat down with Clarksville Now this week to discuss key issues in the county mayor’s Republican Primary race.
Golden, the current Health and Safety manager for the City of Clarksville, previously served as a firefighter and licensed emergency medical technician with Clarksville Fire Rescue.
Redd, an Army veteran, has served on the Clarksville City Council, the Montgomery County Commission and the Republican Party State Executive Committee. He co-owns a residential rental business and is pastor at Sugar Creek Baptist Church in Woodlawn.
The winner of the primary in May will face independent Jo Ellen “Jodi” O’Connor in August.
Here’s how Golden and Redd responded to written questions about the key issues.
School overcrowding
School construction has been delayed in recent years and has failed to keep up with population growth, resulting in overcrowded schools, with many students having to learn in portable classrooms. What would you do to get Montgomery County back on track with a responsible school construction schedule?
Golden: It is worth evaluating the way we currently build schools. We currently build a school and shortly thereafter start adding portables, compromising the safety and security of our children. We need to evaluate the cost of building up and ensuring that we can expand without having to invest in a new complex every time. Our land is one of our most valuable resources, and we must be better stewards of our land.
Redd: First, we need to make education a priority instead of focusing on legacy projects, consolidation and skating rinks. Even with the new Kirkwood Middle, it is projected that several middle schools in the district will exceed 100% capacity by the year 2025-26. In order to meet this upcoming demand, seven new school buildings are planned for CMCSS. They are a part of a 20-year construction plan. The county government needs to start preparing now for the cost and budgeting of these new schools and more. We have to stop unnecessary spending and come up with a long-term comprehensive plan and strategy for the construction of new schools. We cannot just simply continue to place the burden on the taxpayers.
Arena completion
The F&M Bank Arena is shaping up downtown and will open in 2023. Since this was a Montgomery County project, what would you do to ensure its completion and success?
Golden: This is a project that I wish the City of Clarksville would have taken on. Now that it is here, we must ensure that the arena is successful so that the financial burden does not fall on the residents of Montgomery County. Partnering with Austin Peay State University and the Nashville Predators will help diversify the events that are booked and ensure that it stays booked. Concert trade title Pollstar named the Bridgestone Arena No. 1 for concert ticket sales in 2021, not only in the US but around the world. This world-class team has hired a local manager to start booking our events, shows and conferences. We have already seen some great things happening downtown and expect more to come.
Redd: The event center will certainly be a challenge for the next county mayor. In the next election, we should choose a mayor that has experience with $100 million-plus city and county budgets. I will ensure that this project is a success for our community at the lowest possible cost. I plan to appoint an attorney as my chief of staff and he/she will be given the task to review all existing contracts associated with the event center. … I am for theaters, event centers and amenities as long as the private sector provides them. That way, they become a tax asset instead of a tax liability. If these projects truly have a high demand, the private sector would build them. These high-dollar projects should be placed at referendum to make sure the public is on board, because the people are the ones who will have to pay for it.
Managing growth
Montgomery County is continuing to see population growth, raising concerns about infill, loss of farmland and sprawl. What is your vision for the best way for Montgomery County to grow, and what would you do to help manage that growth?
Golden: I would love to see the city start growing up, instead of out into our beautiful farmland. We need to work with large developers, investors, HUD, and other organizations to incentivize building on infrastructure that already exists. Our city is nearly 100 square miles and there is plenty of room to grow within the city. We can also look into our zoning to find ways to protect our agricultural resources and place higher-density housing where it is more needed. I am excited that the Regional Planning Commission is working on a new Comprehensive Plan. The last full plan was conducted in 1999. Although that plan has been updated throughout the years, we have significantly outgrown that plan. This is a plan that looks at all of our infrastructure, schools, private industry, agriculture, residential and commercial building, and growth curve to help develop a responsible plan moving forward. We have all seen the traffic issues that are caused from the placement of a school or from a lack of planning.
Redd: Again, we need to get our priorities in order. We have one of the highest property taxes in the state. With the high growth that we have been experiencing, we need to make our infrastructure a priority. The city has developed the 2020 Transportation Plan that includes streets and highways. The county needs to develop a similar plan. The RPC is currently embarking on its decade study of our land use and guide for future development city and countywide. As mayor, I would appoint someone to the Regional Planning Commission that is not in the real estate business. It’s good to have members that are in the housing profession, but we should have members from other backgrounds as well. Having only those in housing and those in real estate on the Regional Planning Commission is much like having “the fox guarding the henhouse.”
Other issues
What is the top local issue not already addressed that you would like to tackle if you are the Republican nominee for Montgomery County mayor?
Golden: By not having a Juvenile Resource Center here in Montgomery County, we also do not have the rehabilitation programs that go along with it. We need to take care of our own and put the right programs in place. People sometimes get into these situations because of broken relationships. Some children have never seen what a healthy relationship is supposed to look like. We have seen success from our Veterans Treatment Court through mentorship programs and accountability. We need to show the same love to our children in this community. Currently, when our children are detained, we pay to send them to Columbia and other detention centers throughout the region to be housed. Our law enforcement personnel are responsible for the back and forth travel for court dates, doctor visits and other appointments. This is a large expense while taking officers off the road. Our children are being removed from this community to meet new criminals from other counties. Separating children from their family and support systems is not the answer. This model is not producing positive results. It takes a village!
Redd: Much has been pushed on the people in recent years by the establishment and insiders. The people’s voice has been largely dismissed and marginalized. My goal is for a county government that works for everyone. The county government has to remember that there is a city government, and that city government is best suited for projects within the city. We have to get our financial house in order before we can achieve more and better schools and infrastructure.
Primary voting
The voter registration deadline for the May 3 County Primary is April 4.
Early voting will be April 13-28.
For more information, go to the Montgomery County Election Commission website.