Editor’s Note: Early voting for the Oct. 7 nonpartisan municipal elections has begun and continues through Saturday, Oct. 4. As part of WIZS’s ongoing coverage of the four Henderson City Council contests, Monday’s segment of The Local Skinny! focuses on the Ward 2 at-large seat. Lamont Noel, the incumbent, and challenger George Mayo responded to a list of questions from WIZS. Their responses appear unedited and, in their entirety, below.
Lamont Noel
1. What prompted you to run for local office?
My family’s encounter with insufficient ordinances or the lack thereof in my neighborhood inspired me to become involved in our city’s governance. Advocating for my sons under circumstances that felt discriminatory pushed me to ask our leadership questions about the fairness of law enforcement pulling over kids in my neighborhood. With the help of our city’s chief of police, I successfully wrote an ordinance that could be enforced for all people driving a golf cart throughout our city’s neighborhoods. This experience made me think about all those people without an advocate, those who probably felt like they would not be heard. So, I decided to run for a local office for the people, not the position.
2. What’s your platform?
My platform is based on my principles about treating people with respect about their concerns and doing my very best to address them. I am an approachable listener, and I don’t make promises that I cannot keep. The citizens deserve leadership that will put our communities above any personal differences. I am only one of eight council members, but I stand in the gap for many who want affordable housing options, cleaner neighborhoods, better streets, and safer living environments.
3. State the three most important issues you see that are facing the city and explain how you plan to address these issues if you’re elected.
The top three that have been consistently brought to our mayor and city council are 1) crime reduction, 2) cleaning up the city, and 3) affordable housing.
I will continue to work with the council members to secure resources that will address factors such as poverty and drug abuse, which feed our 68.79 crime rate. While I voted to increase the average salary for our city police so we could hire and retain qualified officers, I recognize that law enforcement presence is not the solution. It will require a concerted effort to bring more job opportunities to our city and make sure we prepare potential employees for those positions through our educational system. But it will also require us to hold each other accountable for our own neighborhood safety concerns. If you see something, say something.
Regarding cleaning up the city, I have proposed to the council something as affordable and commonsense as employing a small staff of people to drive around our neighborhoods and pick up trash in coordination with our city sanitation department. This “two-men-and-a-truck” concept would be a full-time anti-litter campaign effort until we get a handle on the current condition. It may seem impossible with the number of complaints we receive, but we must start somewhere. This brings me back to my comment about the importance of citizenship accountability. All of us must take ownership and pride in our homes and neighborhoods, whether we live in the country club or a housing authority neighborhood. We must all work together to clean up and maintain our surroundings, and then hold others accountable for doing the same.
Lastly, affordable housing is possible as a part of a larger economic development plan. For example, I propose offering developers incentives, such as tax reliefs and reduced purchase prices, for some of our city’s vacant lots to build affordable housing in communities that need revitalization.
4. What are your beliefs, ideas and passions for ways to make Henderson the best city it can be?
First, let me state that I believe in Henderson and its potential. We have a prime location, situated off the interstate and a major US highway, which should attract visitors and future residents. We can build upon our existing economic foundation by partnering with our adjoining cities and counties to encourage business growth—my ideas and plans to help our city focus on the importance of economic development, beginning with helping our small business owners and making Henderson more appealing to new and larger businesses.
5. Explain how your personal and professional experience will contribute to the work of the City Council.
As the owner of a small business, I bring my professional work ethic and commitment to running the city’s business affairs effectively.
6. How do you feel about the current climate in the city? If elected, what are your short-term goals? Long-term goals?
We must work together to end the chaos and confusion that plagues our city council meetings. We have a lot of work to do to restore confidence in our elected leaders, who are there to take care of our city and citizens. I will continue to make decisions based on the best interests of all citizens and encourage my fellow council members to join me without divisive arguments or personal attacks. Our citizens deserve better, and I will continue to strive to earn the privilege of serving them and not the position.
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George Mayo
My name is George Mayo, I’m 26 years old, and I am proud to be the youngest male candidate to ever run for City Council here in Henderson.
I am running for council because I believe it’s time for a major change in our city. I believe our community deserves someone with “NEW VISIONS, NEW DIRECTIONS, AND FOR CERTAIN—LEADERSHIP THAT YOU CAN TRUST.” It’s about time someone young, like myself, with fresh, new ideas steps up to serve both our city and our citizens.
Let me be clear:
“I AM ABOUT MY BUSINESS. I WILL FIGHT FOR WHAT IS RIGHT. I AM A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH.”
I promise you—I will always be here to serve our citizens and address some major issues in our city. These include:
• Proposing affordable property taxes for our residents
• Strengthening public safety, so that our police and first responders can serve and protect the City of Henderson the way it should be
• Expanding programs that support our citizens—especially our young people—by providing opportunities for them to grow, learn, and succeed
Our elders have paved the way for us, and now it’s time for our generation to step up and take life more seriously.
Although I do not currently own a home, and I’ve lived in Ward 2 for just under 10 years, I have personally witnessed many of our citizens struggle—and in some cases, lose their homes—simply because they couldn’t afford the rising cost of property taxes. That should never happen.
Let me be very clear:
No one—Black, White, Purple, Pink, Brown, or Blue—deserves to live in fear of losing their home due to unaffordable property taxes.
The solutions I plan to propose include:
• Mentorship programs
• Skill-building workshops
• Community engagement initiatives
• And most importantly—being a positive role model for our youth, showing them that they can be anything they put their minds to
Gun violence, drugs, and the streets are not the only path. You don’t have to fall back on those things to “look like somebody.”
To strengthen our public safety, I propose:
• Community Violence Intervention – by treating violence like a public health issue
• Invest in our citizens – engage more with the people, and build relationships
• Show our community that law enforcement can be a safe space, not just a force that pulls people over or makes arrests
I hope I have said something today that will earn your vote—whether it’s during early voting or on Election Day.
Early Voting is from September 18 – October 4, and Election Day is October 7th.
Thank you, and may we move forward with NEW VISIONS, NEW DIRECTIONS, AND LEADERSHIP THAT YOU CAN TRUST!
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