I am Sue Hood and I am running for City Council. My husband, Lynal, and I have made Murray our home for almost 40 years now. We raised our three children here, and I could not ask for a better place to live. I graduated from Murray State University with a BS in Occupational Safety and Health. Along with working and raising a family, I have been active in this community for many years.
I was a Girl Scout leader, volunteer at Angels Attic, an officer of the court as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for Children(CASA) volunteer, an Honorable Kentucky Colonel and I have made preserving the dynamics of our community a main focus by being an active citizen. I have presented numerous concerns before the City Council, the Board of Zoning Adjustments, Planning Commission, and the Park Board on community preservation issues and along with the support of many others showing up and voicing concerns, have been successful in all of the actions presented. One of the things I learned, is that if you don’t show up …. You have no voice.
Being an active citizen is no longer enough. I want to represent the city I call home and I would be grateful for the opportunity to represent my community on the Murray City Council.
I believe that it is the duty of the government to act in the best interests of the public that it serves. Our city government should meet challenges that face our great city head-on through: maintaining and updating infrastructure; promoting responsible growth while protecting our neighborhoods, encouraging community participation through public forums; fostering community arts and culture; and committing to the future of our youth by improving schools, parks and safety– all while keeping the promises that it makes.
In the past, some city officials have taken actions that were controversial, particularly in the area of raising revenue. I strongly advocated against these actions through the means available to me as a citizen of Murray. This was not enough, and many of us felt that our voices were either not heard, or just ignored by the City Council. I am concerned by this. We must do better! We can and MUST commit to transparency. Taxpayers deserve to know—it is our money. The city is not run with an unlimited budget, but with taxpayer money! It is the responsibility of city leaders*
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In your opinion, who is the most underserved population in Murray? How would you use your position on the city council to address their needs?
I believe our “Children” are the most important. They are our future and what will keep Murray on the map. There is so very little for kids to do, so the Park and its programs are critical. I have lived in cities where the Parks Department had programs that were made available to all kids. Not cost prohibitive. I know our Parks have some big events but what about having - Free or $2 donation movies with Food trucks at the pavilion? Or Kid Music/Dancing Events? What about Basketball Events at the park, again food trucks and a nominal charges.*
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How would you make yourself accessible to constituents outside your existing personal and professional circles, and how would you ensure their concerns are heard?
I think we need to have regular Town Hall Meetings. That way citizens can attend and voice concerns. Currently citizens cannot go before council unless pre approved by the Mayor. This should change.
I would make myself available either by emails, texts, or by phone. I understand that the city would provide this contact information to anyone wanting to speak with me.
When residents have strongly opposing views on an issue before the council, how would you approach making a decision?
Each issue would be different but requires doing the research necessary on the issue and listening to all sides. Town Hall meetings would be a perfect way to gather information and provide a forum for voicing concerns. Due diligence must be done by council for both sides of any issue.and fully understood and examined. Council might only have one side and the other might not be vocal or show up with concerns. In that case, as a council member I would be tasked with knowing the concerns from the opposing standpoint.
Making the BEST decisions for the community, keeping safety,*
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