JIM SHAW

Candidate for Elizabethtown City Council

I am an independent, common-sense candidate unafraid of talking specifics and taking positions. While there are many issues that need to be addressed, I am focused on these:

amending the comprehensive plan to reduce the amount of moderate and high-density residential development,
increasing the transparency of city government,
cutting wasteful spending practices, and
examining taxation and fee structures.

The job of a City Council member isn't just voting yes on proposals submitted by the staff and mayor, but asking questions and debating those proposals when necessary. Council members should also take a proactive approach and advocate for community needs -- be a leader. If you watch the meetings on Facebook, you know those things aren't happening.

Most of my professional life has been spent in city planning and economic development for city and county governments, including six years with the City of Elizabethtown. Throughout my career, I have seen firsthand local government actions that work and don't work, including in our city.

I retired in 2024 and, like many of you, struggle with increasing insurance premiums, health care costs, and taxes. I want to use my unique perspective to optimize the operation of our city government and improve the lives of the citizens of E'town.

Please read my positions on the issues. You can ask me questions through the Contact Me button below or by email at jimshawetown@gmail.com. I also urge you to research the positions of the other City Council candidates, if they offer them. You may not agree with everything I say, but I believe you will see that I am open and honest. Please trust me to be YOUR voice in City government.

Contact Me

The latest campaign news can be found on my Facebook and Instagram pages, which are linked below. More information about my past professional life can be found on my LinkedIn page.

My Primary Issues

Transparency

The majority of the City's functions should be public. Transparency builds trust and promotes accountability in elected officials and City staff.

The following should be done to increase transparency:

Post more information on the City's website and post it in a timely manner.
Better utilize social media to promote Council meetings and meetings of City-appointed boards (such as the planning commission) as well as related meetings like those for state road projects.
Prepare a status report of significant City projects and activities every two weeks and post it online.

Citizens should not have to ask for this information, most of which is directly related to the expenditure of the taxes we pay. The Council and staff should be proud of the work they are doing and should want to promote it.

Tax and Fee Structures

A diversified revenue stream is important for the health of the city. The following steps should be taken:

Assess the current tax system to determine its fairness. It may be possible to reduce some taxes while raising others so the burden is spread more fairly.
Assess the fee structures of all departments to determine if they cover the costs of staff time and other resources. Fee structures should then be reassessed at least every five years.

Since the last election, adjustments have been approved for sewer and natural gas rates. Some had not been adjusted in 10 years or more. Rates and fees should be reviewed more often so large increases are not imposed at one time.

In 2020, while I was Planning and Development Director, my proposal to increase many of the zoning-related fees was denied. Us taxpayers are subsidizing the review of zoning changes and development plan and subdivision plat reviews for multi-million dollar projects. The developers should be paying those costs, not us.

Growth & Development

Shortly after the initial BlueOval SK announcement, City officials embraced the opportunity to capture much of the related development. They requested the comprehensive plan, the document that guides our growth and development, be amended so it supported more development, especially increased residential density.

Since then we have experienced significant development, especially residential spanning single-family to high-density multifamily. It is time that we examine the development we have experienced, determine a realistic amount needed in the near future, and amend the comprehensive plan accordingly. We should not leave the plan open for unnecessary development in places where it may be inappropriate.

Responsible Spending

The City has wasteful spending practices that must be eliminated. The following steps need to be taken:

Eliminate unnecessary personnel positions.
Create a cross-training program in every department to improve efficiency.
Establish clear guidelines for promotion of personnel.
Establish clear policies that determine the appropriate vehicles to be purchased and when vehicles can be replaced.
Examine the take-home vehicle policy and eliminate unjustified take-home vehicles.

Personnel and vehicles are significant, ongoing expenditures of our tax dollars. Wages, health insurance, training, and other costs for personnel are continually increasing. Once a new personnel position is approved, it is very difficult to eliminate it, even if the position is no longer needed.

In a similar manner, vehicles have ongoing maintenance costs that are increasing. The City has, at times, purchased larger, heavier vehicles than necessary. Some full-size, heavy duty, four wheel drive trucks spend the majority of their time on paved streets transporting one or two people and little or no cargo. Some staff members drive full-size SUVs when smaller vehicles would suffice.

Also, take-home vehicles should only be provided when clearly necessary and employees should be prohibited from any personal use of them. It is not only another ongoing cost, but it creates a legal liability for the City.