Why do you want to hold the office as Versailles Mayor?
Cory Cooley: I believe my military background in the Marine Corps, community involvement, growing up here, and now raising a family in Versailles has given me the skills, perspective, but most importantly, the heart to lead our city. In the Marines, I was entrusted with taxpayer dollars as the Supply Chief for my battalion. Every decision had to be made with accountability and efficiency because we were spending the public’s money. Those lessons in leadership and fiscal responsibility have stayed with me throughout my life. Service is in my blood, and I have a vested interest in the success of Versailles. My wife and I chose to raise our family here because we cherish the small-town character, strong community, and quality of life that make Versailles special. If elected, one of my first priorities will be meeting with department heads and city staff to gain a clear understanding of ongoing projects and city objectives. I will work to ensure we are focused on the priorities of our citizens while maintaining transparency and open communication. It would be an honor to serve as your Mayor and earn your vote on November 3.
Laura Dake: I want to continue the positive momentum of the past two years in a full term. Being the mayor of this wonderful community has been one of the highlights of my life, and I am excited and grateful for the chance to serve. As I look back over my 10 years in local government, I think I’ve always been working for this opportunity. I have built relationships; written important legislation; made impactful decisions; attended conferences and trainings to better understand the intricacies of city government; learned valuable skills by reading, listening and doing; and always with the goal of making Versailles a better place to live for everyone. I have the experience, intellect, integrity, wisdom, discernment and vision to lead Versailles over the next four years. I take the position very seriously and worked hard to ensure a seamless transition after Mayor Traugott resigned. I have the confidence of the department heads and most of the city council. You deserve someone in the mayor’s office who understands the city’s issues and challenges and who knows how to get things done. I believe I am that person, and I am asking for your vote this election!
Jason DeVore: My desire to be Mayor started when I was doing philanthropy work for my fraternity at EKU. Most recently, I was part of WCYBSA for 15 years as a coach and a board member for 12 years. The last 10 years as a board member I served as vice President and it deepened my understanding of truly working for and with the people to build and maintain strong relationships with the community. I am driven to work with and for the citizens of Versailles to ensure our small farming community is financially secure, grows in a sustainable manner and a model for every city in Kentucky to strive to be like. My daughter’s maternal side (Ethington, Ritchie) has farmed this land for decades. If we don’t slow down this incessant need from our current leadership to put buildings, warehouses and units on every piece of farmland there won’t be any land for my daughter or anyone else to have the opportunity to farm.
Nick Green: I view the office of Mayor not as a title or social position, but as an opportunity to serve the community I love. Hence, the “service” in public service. After Mayor Traugott stepped down, I decided run for Mayor. Over the past two years I have disagreed on how things were being done with the City’s spending and economic development projects. I am running for Mayor because I care about the people and my community. I want to be better stewards of our money, our manpower, our time, our equipment, our resources and responsibly reduce the debt. I want to shift the City’s priority from economic development projects back to strengthening infrastructure and serving the people. I view the position of Mayor as a balancing scale. On one end I have to do the best of my ability as Mayor. On the other end of the scale, you have to advocate for your community for their wants and needs. As an effective Mayor, I would strive to always balance this in the middle.
Fred Siegelman: Versailles has given me so much throughout my life, and I believe I have both the experience and opportunity to give back in a meaningful way. Serving as mayor was one of the greatest honors of my life. During my administration, we acquired the KCTCS building and secured its headquarters for a total city investment of just $1. We worked together to build Falling Springs Recreation Center, established a full-time fire department, and consolidated our city and county police departments. When I left office, Versailles had zero debt and a stronger rainy-day fund than we have today. Those accomplishments were the result of collaboration, responsible leadership, and people working toward a common goal. Today, I see our city committing substantial amounts of money to individual projects that, while worthwhile, exceed what we can reasonably afford. Good projects still require responsible budgeting. We must prioritize spending, manage growth, and protect essential services without placing unnecessary financial burdens on taxpayers. My experience gives me the opportunity to bring a fresh perspective and restore fiscal responsibility. Versailles is the greatest city in Kentucky, and I want to ensure it remains that way for generations to come.
Do you favor the construction of a bypass, such as the extension of Beasley Road to U.S. 60 near the Midway Road? If not, what specific proposal do you have to alleviate the significant increase in commercial and semi-trailer trucks through downtown Versailles?
Cooley: As Mayor, I would never dismiss an idea outright. Effective leadership requires listening to all perspectives with a calm, level-headed approach. That means working collaboratively with City Council, traffic and civil engineers, environmental planners, state officials, and most importantly, the citizens who would be affected by any proposed bypass. Traffic congestion downtown and throughout Versailles is a significant concern and one of my top priorities. While there may have been opportunities years ago to better prepare for growth, my focus is not on looking backward. My focus is on what we can do today to improve traffic flow, enhance safety, and protect the character of our community. As Mayor, I will advocate for the citizens of Versailles and work with local, regional, and state leaders to identify practical, long-term solutions. Versailles deserves strong, steady, and thoughtful leadership that can bring government officials, technical experts, and community stakeholders together to address these challenges and move our city forward.
Dake: I do not favor the construction of a bypass extending Beasley Road to U.S. 60 (often called the Northwest Mobility Corridor). In fact, my answer to a similar campaign question back in 2016 was the same so I haven’t changed my mind! Besides chewing up valuable farmland and opening the area up to development, the impact of a bypass doesn’t warrant the expense to build one. There are far less costly options we can try. The city’s Walkability Committee, which I started, has a subcommittee dubbed, “Trucks, Noise, and Traffic (TNT).” The subcommittee is working on two solutions to address the issue of trucks downtown: requesting the state disallow tractor-trailers from passing through downtown and requesting local industries route their delivery trucks away from the downtown area. (The latter is especially important if the first request fails.) The Walkability Committee has also discussed putting Main Street on a “road diet” to limit truck traffic downtown. This might look like adding bump-outs to intersections which narrow the road a bit. Small changes like these slow vehicles down and – for large trucks – make a road less appealing to navigate.
DeVore: I do not support extending Beasley to US 60. I feel our roadway system is currently sufficient enough to route tractor-trailers, with no deliveries to our downtown merchants, around our beautiful downtown. I feel Google Maps is the biggest problem with the increase of tractor-trailer traffic. In order to deter traffic we can put signage at the entry points telling the trucks they are to go around downtown with directions to the proper path around downtown. We can put up maximum height crossbars similar to overpasses as a deterrent. I will work with the state Department of Transportation for assistance to alleviate this situation.
Green: I disagree with the bypass at this time as I want to preserve our city and county farmland. I believe that if we built a bypass, more development would follow. That is evident with the Falling Springs Bypass as we now see more development in that area as a result. Currently we have new developments like Anderson Communities and Estepp’s that will be built on the corner of Main Street and Falling Springs Blvd. I would like to explore other options such as what we could do with our existing roads and the Bluegrass Parkway. I feel we can look into changing the way the parkway exits Versailles Road to better improve traffic flow away from downtown and provide a more defined inlet and outlet to the city.
Siegelman: I believe the proposed bypass is no longer a realistic option, but the traffic problems facing downtown Versailles remain and demand practical solutions. The increasing number of commercial vehicles and semi-trailer trucks traveling through downtown affects public safety, local businesses, and the quality of life of our residents. Unfortunately, this issue has become more political than practical, with years of discussion and little meaningful progress. One solution I would pursue is working with state transportation officials to explore an ordinance restricting large commercial trucks from traveling through downtown unless they are making deliveries to local businesses. Other communities have implemented similar restrictions, and I believe we should examine whether this approach could work for Versailles. I would also aggressively pursue the possibility of a flyover ramp at the end of the Bluegrass Parkway to provide a safer, more efficient alternative route for truck traffic. As mayor, I would work with state and county officials, local businesses, and residents to develop practical solutions. We cannot continue discussing the same problems without taking meaningful steps toward resolving them. Protecting the safety, accessibility, and character of our downtown must remain a priority.
What actions do you propose to ensure that some portion of the residential development on U.S. 60 between Paddock and the Bluegrass Parkway will be built as affordable (defined as within the means of a person earning the county average of $82K a year)?
Cooley: Affordable housing is one of the most important challenges facing our community. Many young families, first-time homebuyers, teachers, police officers, firefighters, healthcare workers, and other working residents are finding it increasingly difficult to purchase a home in Versailles. Growth is inevitable, but it should be responsible and balanced. As Mayor, I would encourage conversations between developers, city leaders, and residents to explore housing options that are attainable for working families while maintaining the quality and character of our community. I do not support asking taxpayers to shoulder the burden by waiving municipal or sewer fees to subsidize development. Any solution must be fiscally responsible and protect the services our citizens depend on. One option worth exploring is working with developers and planning officials to encourage a portion of new housing to be built within reach of local families. Property rights are important, and lasting solutions will require cooperation rather than confrontation. My goal is to ensure that Versailles remains a place where families can live, work, and raise their children without being priced out of the community they love. I will bring people together, find common ground, and work toward practical solutions that benefit both current and future residents.
Dake: Part of the affordable housing challenge is the cost of land. This, combined with high construction costs, makes affordability difficult for most developers. Unless a municipality owns the land and donates it (or sells it at a very low price) to a developer, it cannot demand housing be built as affordable. Regarding the newest proposed high-density development (2101, LLC or “Backer 2”), which for the record I and the council opposed 6-0 in 2019 as inconsistent with the Comp Plan, Wallick, an Ohio-based affordable housing developer, has applied for Kentucky Housing Corporation financing to build 72 rental units on five acres of the 67+ acre development. Wallick will learn in January if its application was successful. Affordability is relative, however: proposed rent for two-bedrooms at 50% AMI is $1,148/mo and three-bedrooms $1,264/mo. Unless a government entity owns the land and can insist a developer build affordable units, the developer sets the rents. We are looking at potential pieces of city-owned property that might be appropriate for affordable housing and are exploring zoning text amendments incentivizing developers to build affordable units. An example might include allowing more housing density per acre with the understanding that these extra units be priced affordably.
DeVore: In order to make sure there are affordable homes for this target group, we will have to make sure we have a contract with the developer to assure this will happen. If we don’t have a structurally sound contract from the start we won’t have any leverage to make this option available. I feel the vast majority of the project (75%) needs to be directed towards this target group. We have to find the one developer who is willing to ensure it gets done. They will have to know they won’t be able to make their normal profit margins. We can’t just settle on one that gets close to making it happen. It will have to happen.
Green: That section of Versailles Road is in the County. However, as Mayor, I will work with the other governing bodies as well as planning and zoning to advocate for more affordable housing. For one, I would like to use inclusionary zoning. This zoning method requires builders to dedicate a percentage of their development to affordable housing units. I would like to work with the County government to use tax initiatives for new builds to cut down cost to the builder as well as the buyer. I have been studying a company in Louisville that focuses on lower and middle-income housing populations. This developer specializes in both rehabilitation of existing houses in need of repair and new builds. They focus on teaching the tenant financial discipline as they begin to rent their home. Eventually after financial stability ensues, the tenant graduates from a renter stage to a rent-to-own stage. This is a great approach in a world where many people do not have resources for down payments and because it teaches financial discipline. This method helps set up a great footing to home ownership and retention.
Siegelman: Versailles must remain a community where the people who work here can also afford to live here. Recently, the City Council directed the mayor to sign a letter supporting a private developer’s proposal to build income-based housing along the U.S. 60 corridor. I support pursuing opportunities like this, particularly in areas already designated for residential development, without requiring additional zoning changes. We must also identify appropriate opportunities for infill development and work with surrounding neighborhoods to address concerns while making responsible use of available land. Housing costs have risen beyond the reach of many working families. With new homes selling for $600,000 or more, we cannot overlook the teachers, first responders, service workers, and young families who are essential to our community. Affordable and workforce housing has been discussed for years, but discussion alone does not produce results. As mayor, I would prioritize working with responsible developers, community members, and local government to turn viable opportunities into actual homes. Growth should strengthen Versailles, not make it unaffordable for the people who make this community what it is.