Five residents are vying for three seats on the Edinburgh Town Council and want to see the community continue revitalization and to support police and fire.
Incumbents Dawn Graham and Jeffrey Simpson face challenges from newcomers Miriam Rooks and Jacqueline Oltman. Lewis Turner previously served on the town council for eight years in the 1990s and is also running for one of the three seats.
Rooks, Turner and Graham won the spring primary and are running as Republicans. Simpson and Oltman registered for the seat after the primary and are listed as independents.
Turner did not respond to multiple calls and messages left recently, but cited street repair and attracting businesses, housing and factories to the Edinburgh area as his priorities in an article previewing the primary race in the spring.
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Click here to purchase photos from this gallerySimpson also listed street repair and continuing existing services with fire and police as his top priorities.
The town is already making strides with street improvement and has milled and paved between 10 and 12 streets this year. He would like to continue a steady pace at improving the streets, he said.
Graham and Rooks would like to also continue improving the city’s fire, police and streets. Both are in favor of applying for grants and other funding that would allow the town to continue to improve those services.
“I would love to provide what we can provide for the safety of the community,” Graham said.
Attracting businesses and continuing downtown revitalization is a priority for Oltman, Rooks and Graham.
Luring more businesses downtown would also help attract tourism to the town, Oltman said.
Oltman is in favor of trying to attract businesses such as a coffee shops, pastry shops and more dining downtown, followed by real estate or lawyer offices that would bring more foot traffic downtown, she said.
“I really just want to fill up Edinburgh, increase the downtown area as far as shopping and dining and then also bring more tourism to the Edinburgh area,” Oltman said.
All of the candidates who were interviewed said they could possibly support tax breaks the town might give to lure businesses to the town, but would need the see the specifics of a deal before making decisions. However, Rooks said the town council should be checking businesses to make sure they are following through on promises they made when seeking a tax abatement.
Rooks would also like to see the town apply for as many grants as possible to help upkeep the town, including grants that are being sought in the town’s new community center, she said.
“It is really important to keep Edinburgh moving forward,” Rooks said.
Oltman, Rooks, Simpson and Graham all said that they supported public input and transparency into what the town council is doing and decisions that are being made.
“I wholeheartedly approve of transparency,” Simpson said.
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ABOUT THE JOB:
Edinburgh Town Council
Term: Four years
Pay: $4,998 per year
Duties: Adopt resolutions and ordinances for the town and set spending. Appoint a town manager.
Boundaries: All of Edinburgh
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Dawn Graham
Age: 44
Family: Two children
Occupation: Vandivier Norris & Solomon, legal assistant.
Education: Edinburgh High School
Memberships: Tri Kappa, American Legion Auxiliary Post No. 233, Project Care Package, Johnson County Recycling District board member.
Jacqueline Oltman
Age: 34
Family: Husband, Adam; two children.
Occupation: Tailwaggers Grooming Salon, dog groomer.
Education: Southwestern High School; Harrison College.
Memberships: Tri Kappa, Edinburgh Fishes and Loaves ministry, Two Shirts Kitchen, President of East Side Booster association
Miriam Rooks
Age: 60
Family: Husband, Curtis; one adult child
Occupation: Johnson County Health Department office clerk
Education: Edinburgh Community High School
Memberships: Jollity United Methodist Church, Beta Sigma Phi Theta Chi chapter
Jeff Simpson
Age: 62
Family: Wife, Rhonda, two adult children
Occupation: Sunoco Flexible Packaging operator
Education: Adair County High School Columbia, Kentucky.
Memberships: Edinburgh Masonic Lodge No. 100
Lewis Turner
Family: Spouse, deceased; two adult children
Occupation: Part-time valet attendant at Columbus Regional Hospital
Education: Lasalle University, Ball State University
Memberships: Sons of American Legion, Moose Lodge, Masonic Lodge
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