Meet the Candidate: Mr. Ronnie Blevins for Charlestown City Council District B (formerly 2) February 19th, 2023
Author: Franklin J. Walden
Why did you decide to run for City Council?
After much prayer, thoughts and many discussions with family and friends, I decided to run for city council because I truly do care about the people of the city of Charlestown. Charlestown is a special and unique city with lots of potential. As a father of four, husband, resident and educator, I want Charlestown to be safe, prosperous and provide great economic opportunities to our Charlestown families. My children attend Charlestown schools, and I believe that collaboration among all stakeholders is very important for the success of our community. I believe in good financial stewardship, and If elected, I will focus on making Charlestown work for the families of our community.
Can you tell me about any relevant jobs or offices that you’ve held?
I have many years of experience working in the private sector. My family owns a small business, and I have a good understanding of challenges that our small businesses are currently facing. Like any business, you have to balance a budget and work within that budget. The city is no exception. I believe that too many government regulations hurts our small businesses and drives many of them out of business.
In addition, I am a Special Education Teacher in Greater Clark County Schools, as well as work with youth at my church. I see firsthand the many needs of our youth throughout our community. Family is very important to me, and we must provide great opportunities for our children if we want to see them be successful.
What distinguishes you from other Candidates?
I am a lifelong republican that truly loves our small community. I embrace strong biblical Christian values and morals. I feel that with my career experience, personal experience, accompanied by my education, has given me a good foundation of how municipal government works and should operate. I have balanced large budgets, been involved in important business decisions, and have worked with many youth to understand the challenges that we are facing in our community. Sports is a great thing for our youth, but we must not forget that not all of our youth are athletic. As a singer and musician myself, I would like to create opportunities for our youth to become involved in fine arts. I know many that are very interested in music and other fine arts. Along with Sports, this would be a great asset.
What is your vision for Charlestown?
My vision for Charlestown is a community that is safe, prosperous and offers opportunities to all of our families. A community that can work together for a common goal, a city where families can reach their God-given potential. As a community, we have to be united, respect each other’s rights and differences, and love our neighbors, as God instructed us to do. Improving and beautifying our streets is very important to me, and removing blight in the city will help us to keep a lower crime rate and make Charlestown more attractive and open for business.
What are the biggest needs for the citizens of Charlestown?
In Charlestown, we need more family sit-down restaurants. We need competition when it comes to grocery shopping to drive down costs for consumers. I’ve noticed a price difference with many items in our Charlestown grocery store, compared to grocery stores in neighboring cities. Looking for ways to incentivize will help to bring new restaurants and stores to Charlestown. Focusing on and improving our infrastructure is vital for the growth of our community, and must be a priority to ensure that we are ready for smart growth. Affordable housing for lower income citizens and our seniors is important. We have lower income families in our community, and providing assistance and resources is very important. No family should go hungry and do without.
What is the biggest problem Charlestown will face in the next 10 years?
I believe the biggest challenge is going to be growth. Communities are growing all around us, and our population is increasing. We need to ensure that we are ready for this growth by promoting community involvement, public safety, and ensuring that our infrastructure is ready for the kind of growth needed moving forward to be successful.
What does it mean to be a good (ethical, efficient) City Councilman?
To be a good ethical and efficient City Councilman, it starts with being an honest person with moral principles. Including not making backroom deals, not participating in any unethical behavior, avoiding conflict of interest, working for the people and not for self-gain, being open and transparent with the public, and being highly effective in producing positive results for my constituents. It is my desire to be able to work with both sides to get positive results for my constituents. If we can’t work together to maximize great results for Charlestown, then we are wasting our time, our constituents time and this is not healthy for our community.
Do you have any opinions about the new developments occurring in town?
The recent new developments are a great thing for Charlestown. We need to collaborate with business owners to help support these businesses so that they have the necessary resources to stay open and be successful. Empty buildings just sitting is not a good thing for our city, and we must find a way to revitalize these areas. Hucks is a great addition to Charlestown. Since their opening, I have already seen many truckers utilizing Hucks to fill up for fuel. I believe this does help to alleviate some of the traffic congestion in the center of town by allowing an accessible location that is convenient for truckers as well as other motorists that commute down Highway 62.
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