Bowling Green City Mayoral Race Begins In Earnest As Bruce Wilkerson Files To Run.

Wilkerson files for mayoral post
Mayor Pro Tem Denning has not decided yet if he will seek office in Nov. special election
By ANDREW ROBINSON

Let the race begin.

Bowling Green City Commissioner Bruce Wilkerson was the first to file to run for mayor in November’s special election. Wilkerson filed late Monday afternoon.

Wilkerson had planned to run for mayor in 2012. However, that decision was pushed up a year after former Mayor Elaine Walker was sworn in Saturday as Kentucky’s secretary of state.

Mayor Pro Tem Joe Denning said he was not surprised by Wilkerson’s announcement. He said he expected that whoever the commission appoints to be mayor after Denning’s 30 days would also run for mayor in November’s special election.

Denning said he will know within a few days whether he will file to run for mayor in November.

Wilkerson, a commissioner since 2007, told the Daily News this morning that his biggest priority for the city is jobs. He said the city must create an atmosphere where businesses want to locate in Bowling Green because the city’s budget is so dependent on the occupational tax.

Wilkerson said he would work with the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce to make sure the right jobs were coming to the city.

Wilkerson would not give a blanket approval to an incentive package that would attract small business to Bowling Green, but said he “would look favorably upon something that would create jobs yet not cost the city any additional revenue.”

Wilkerson’s other focus will be building teamwork. Wilkerson compared the commission to a basketball team.

“As any basketball team knows, when you’ve got one star and four that kind of lag behind, they generally don’t win,” Wilkerson said. “The team captain has to motivate and bring together all members of that team to be successful. It’s a five-player team.”

Wilkerson added that one of his priorities is being effective in terms of city finances.

He said the city has made great strides since former Chief Financial Officer Davis Cooper embezzled millions of dollars from the city.

“Everybody knows that when it comes to finances I read every word of every page of every document because I want to know what’s going on in the city,” Wilkerson said. “We’ve created policies and procedures that should prevent things like that from happening again.”

Wilkerson does not have specific projects or legislation he would like to see passed if he were elected.

“Everybody has ideas on how to spend the city’s money. Everybody has ideas of what ought to be a new law,” Wilkerson said. “I think it’s important for me to listen to those that are brought and with the application of logic and reason come up with the best decision for the city.”

The last day to file to run for mayor is Aug. 9. Election day is Nov. 8.