Charles A. Lloyd- 2018 Primary Candidate Questionnaire
Running for: Urban County Council 11th District
Candidate Website: https://www.facebook.com/Charles-A-Lloyd-for-District-11-Council-157987814909130/
1. What is the biggest challenge and opportunity facing the city of Lexington and your district (if applicable)?
Probably the largest threat to Lexington, KY is a lack of reasonable paying jobs. This has led to a disparity of housing between super high end housing, and older or cheaper housing. This major factor has allowed the drug epidemic to take root which has been followed by the gangs infiltrating our communities and neighborhoods unchecked because of lack of money at the city level due to mismanagement of its fiscal budgets under prior administrations. If things do not change, Lexington will go the way of Detroit and we cannot let that happen.
2. The newly adopted Goals and Objectives of the 2018 Comprehensive Plan prioritize infill/redevelopment as a primary strategy to accommodate our growth needs. In fact, studies indicate there are many infill/redevelopment opportunities throughout the city. What specific recommendations do you have to protect the character and context of existing neighborhoods while pursuing this needed strategy? Would you support a program that provides incentives for infill/redevelopment projects within the Urban Services Area? If so, what specific types of incentives.
Currently the Lexington-Fayette is running a deficit of around $36 mil this year alone. I refuse to “ROB PETER TO PAY PAUL”. The focus is wrong for these questions. We need to focus on balancing the budget, bringing more factories and manufacturing, and streamlining the creation of small businesses instead of hampering them. This then would lead to enough money to let the basic market factors increase the value of neighborhoods and then address the redevelopment areas. But as a rule of basic budgeting, you do not spend money if you are broke!
3. Land use planning and economic development go hand-in-hand. What are the main economic pillars in Lexington and what specific planning policies support their growth? What specific policies do you support to ensure we create 21st jobs that maximize our unique assets?
Lexington has a huge knowledge base. It is not utilized to the extent that people are traveling to places like Cincinnati, Louisville, and surrounding cities and states to make a living wage. We need to simplify the zoning. Feel free to take a look at the zoning map online. You will not be disappointed. It is a fiasco, no wonder nothing productive is getting done at city hall. Additionally, we need industrial areas for Manufacturing with reasonable travel times to people without a car. We need a bus rout that goes between Nicholasville Rd, and Georgetown Rd. People need to be able to go to work.
4. Why are you the best candidate for the position you seek?
I work a lot, live in and own a small business in one of the poorest sections in lexington, am a natural problem solver, believe in doing things right the first time, hate theft (legal or illegal), and to quote a former professor, I have no filter when it comes to speaking the truth.
5. Like the rest of the nation, Lexington’s population is aging. In the next decade and beyond, a majority of households will be headed by someone 65 or older for the first time in our history. Our aging demographic has significant implications for housing and neighborhood design. What specific recommendations do you have to ensure we provide safe, accessible, affordable housing to our seniors in ways that ensure they maintain independence and social connections as they age?
There needs to be easily accessible transportation to major places such as church, malls, hospitals, grocery stores, and will have to implement handicap upgrades to adjust for the population growth. New neighborhoods will need to have these things looked at from the start and not be after-thought. Sidewalks also need to be retro-installed due to poor planning.
6. Fayette County agriculture is an annual $2.3 billion industry that supports one in twelve jobs in Lexington. Fayette County farmland is the factory-floor of this industry, which also anchors a burgeoning travel and tourism industry. To ensure continued viability of our agricultural industries, do you support an annual funding allocation to the Purchase of Development Rights Program? Why or why not. What other specific policies do you support to ensure the continued strength and growth of our agriculture industries?
Please see question question #2. I support agriculture and believe it is the backbone of Lexington and Ky. A persons land is their land, it is not Lexington’s land. If they wish to develop it then so be it. If they wish to not develop it, more power to them. As long as there is not a major ecological effect, then it is not the governments responsibility to interfere. The continued strength and growth of our agriculture industries would be best if the farmers where left alone!