Louisville Races

Tops For A Reason
Louisville was recently tabbed the third best city to live in by Money Magazine. While we know that those rankings are hardly scientific, it says something grand about the state of the city, which is why little change is needed on council heading into the election. This is not to say we expect the incumbents to sit around and look pretty. Actually, the next four years are crucial to Louisville’s long-term health since major redevelopment plans in Old Town should be laid out and serious mitigation must be considered for the commuter train line that will be pulling into town as part of RTD’s voter-approved FasTracks program.

Mayor
Charles L. Sisk over Randy Luallin
First off, we were happy to see Randy Luallin enter the race at the last minute. It just doesn’t seem right to see the mayor’s seat go unopposed. Again. But Charles L. Sisk has served well as the city’s mayor for four years (and as a council member since the 1990s), and we see no reason he shouldn’t continue to lead the city over the next four years. Sisk takes an even-handed approach to issues such as downtown development, cares deeply about affordable housing, and has a firm grasp on the hurdles facing the city with the future FasTracks line. Sisk also wants to up the city’s green incentives to make Louisville more eco-friendly.

Ward I
Dave Clabots over Annie Hughs
We like the challenger Annie Hughs quite a bit, but the direction she wants to take Louisville isn’t all that different than the incumbent’s—meaning we’ll go with experience here and give Dave Clabots the nod. Clabots is a realist who refuses to make promises he cannot keep. He wants to put priority on finding money to supplement RTD’s FasTrack expansion into Old Town Louisville so tracks can run under South Boulder Road and a pedestrian underpass can be built. RTD won’t pay for these two projects RTD that could cost as much as $30 million—a steep price tag. He’ll find a way to get it done.

Ward II
Sheri Marsella over no one
Just for the record, Sheri Marsella wants to see the groundwork laid for Highway 42 and downtown redevelopment to coincide with the FasTracks transit system coming to town. She also plans to push for a citywide recycling program put in place and the tax sharing revenue program for communities in Boulder County and the North Metro area. So even though she’s running unopposed, we still felt like it was worth going out of our way to endorse her for a second term in office.

Ward III
Matthew Jones over Hank Dalton
With much being said about redevelopment in Old Town, Matthew Jones has some great ideas of how to improve the area without losing its historic charm. He wants to put priority on creating sound/safety corridors for the FasTracks line—at a somewhat considerable expense—so the trains can pass through town much quieter. That being said, he will watch city spending like a hawk to ensure current budgetary issues won’t become crises down the line, champion for more open space and work to make sure residents feel included in many of the big decisions the city faces.

No on ballot issue 2A
Louisville Revitalization Commission
The reasons supporters are backing this issue, which would severely hamper the Louisville Revitalization Commission’s power, seem to be little more than scare tactics. The LRC doesn’t have absolute power over city monies that come in through development taxes. The city council approves all LRC budgetary spending through an agreement the two entities have in place. While it’s important to make sure a board of non-elected officials doesn’t have too much power when it comes to spending tax money on redevelopment projects, voting in favor of 2A will add too much red tape to the process. The result would likely scare away potential developers who want to invest in Old Town and Highway 42 projects. Bottom line, city council has plenty of control over what goes on with the LRC. Without further ado, we’ll end with this grand cliché: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.?