Incumbent Sara Coffey wants another term on the Henderson City Council. Coffey holds the Ward 1 at large seat and faces challenger Clementine Hunter in the May 17 primary.
Coffey spoke with John C. Rose as part of WIZS’s election coverage; the recorded and unedited interview aired during Tuesday’s Town Talk segment.
She draws upon her experiences in law enforcement – both as a law enforcement officer and in her business as a bail bondsman – to help guide her work on the city’s public safety committee.
“I can spot safety issues,” Coffey said. “I have been trained to be aware of problems in the criminal element and the justice system,” she said.
And she said she has the knowledge to deal with issues that Henderson faces when it comes to public safety as well as other challenges.
She said she fully backs construction of a third fire station. “If all for it,” she said. “We have a dire need for it” somewhere in the Dabney area. “Our firemen are cramped in the quarters they’re in now.”
She said she and her fellow Council members have become a cohesive group, collaborating to address challenges in the city. And she said she’d like the opportunity to continue to build on the progress that the council has made in areas like beautification and affordable housing.
“We don’t have enough housing – affordable housing,” Coffey noted. “I mean decent, affordable housing,” she added, not substandard units.
A second issue – trash – she said is probably linked to the low home ownership rates in the area.
She said the city’s trash problem is one of the worst trash issues she’s seen in the various places she has lived over the years.
Renters in substandard housing to begin with, she said, may be less motivated to keep their place tidy. “You’re renting…your house is halfway torn up to start with – it kind of spirals from that and we end up with a big trash problem,” she said.
She would like the council to work with landlords on a continuing basis to offer better homes to rent to city residents. Having some restrictions and standards in place would make things better for residents and for the city overall. “We need to find a happy medium,” she added.
Coffey is a native of Vance County. She moved back to the area and opened her business in 1998. Just like with her clients, she said she has an open door policy when it comes to hearing from her constituents. As an at large member, she represents all city residents, not just those in a particular ward.
“I was brought up to be honest,” she said. “There’s really no hidden agenda for me – what you see is what you get.”
One tradition she enjoys is feeding city employees as a show of appreciation. She recently fed who she calls her “city guys” at the operations center. She brings in food as a show of thanks for their hard work and dedication to the city and its residents. She said she tries to do that a couple of times a year, as well employees of the fire department, jail, 911 call center and animal control.
“That’s my way of saying thank you,” she said, “and you mean a lot to me and your service means a lot to me. I’m very proud to be a part of that.”
Note: WIZS contacted challenger Clementine Hunter, who kindly declined the opportunity to be interviewed.