Stuart East, 43, a Republican candidate, did not return calls to The Advocate for an interview.
Dick Brunson, who filed recently as an independent, said he won't campaign until after the Republican and Democratic primaries next month.
What is the biggest problem facing Garrard County, and what's your plan to improve that?
Day: We have to get the roads to get industry. Getting U.S. 27 into a four-lane and getting a bypass around the town so that we can bring industry to town.
Peel: The future. We're going to grow 60 percent in 15 years, unprecedented growth and the character and future of the county depends on how we handle that. Change is coming - and the oldest rule of nature is to adapt or die. Someone needs to practically stay in Frankfort, and a full-time industrial recruiter and someone to write grants would be ideal.
J. Wilson: The current shape of our infrastructure, attracting jobs and creating opportunities for our people. We need to work with the Cabinet for Economic Development, and with my experience in negotiating deals I understand what is important to prospective employers and have real experience with Frankfort.
Woods: Trying to speed up the process to get U.S. 27 widened and improved in order to promote better traffic flow for safety and open up that end of the county for expansion business-wise. This will tremendously promote new businesses coming in. But we must have better roads to get light industry.
Hasty: I think the biggest problem is industrial - getting these types of businesses into town. The roads should help with this, but we need to keep trying. I plan to work with Frankfort and Washington, and I have a good relationship with them, and I plan to do anything I can for the people of Garrard County to better the county.
D. Wilson: It's so incompetently mismanaged that it's in danger of going under. I've researched it and it's possible for counties to go bankrupt, and I feel we're on the cusp of that. To start following the model procurement code so that we get value with the services and items we buy - contracts with the county are a big mess because we're not doing this. Attracting more retirees to the county with the income they generate will help, and other communities have had success with this.
What is your stance on planning?
Day: I will hold a meeting in each district ... have the people of that district elect two people to serve on a county advisory board. I'm letting the people do it. I have an opinion, but one person cannot make a plan. We have ordinances on the books for subdivision developments that have not been followed already. We need to straighten up.
Peel: I want minimally - emphasis on the word minimally - restrictive common sense planning. We can't afford a civil war over planning in Garrard County. We'll never get economic development if we don't have a plan. It must be a Garrard County plan, devised by people who live here.
J. Wilson: To begin by enforcing rules already on the books and address any deficiencies that exist with individual ordinances. We need to ensure that property owners are protected and that everyone is treated fairly.
Woods: I think there's a way we can do this in order to compromise with everyone. Farm owners think they're being told what they're doing with their land. If we can come up with a solution that will make them comfortable, so they realize we're not dictating to them how they can sell their farms if they want to, but yet have a plan in place that will help promote business growth, that's the avenue we need to take. We have statutes and ordinances and guidelines in place, we just need to enforce them.
Hasty: I've always said we need a plan, but my status on it right now is that we need to look at our regulations and the ordinances we have in place and just update them.
