Longtime Bartlett mayor, alderwoman face challengers

Two incumbents with long histories in Bartlett are being challenged by newcomers in the Nov. 6 election.

Mayor Keith McDonald, who began his first term in 2003, is being challenged by John Lackey, a retired engineer with the Shelby County Government who was also a reserve deputy sheriff for 21 years.

Emily Elliott, who became an alderwoman for the city in 1998, is being challenged by Mitch Arnold, who is retired from being a facility maintenance supervisor with the county.

“I’m running for alderman because we need to bring some new blood, a breath of fresh air, a new perspective on our great city,” Arnold said. “The current board is very tenured. I just think it’s time for change and a new perspective and outlook.”

McDonald and Elliott say there are already “term limits” of sorts in Bartlett: That if the citizens weren’t happy with their actions, they would vote them out.

If re-elected, McDonald plans for this to be his final term as mayor. When first elected, he wanted to run for three terms, allowing some time to learn and make connections and then make a true impact.

When the recession hit in 2008, however, McDonald found himself acting as a caretaker rather than an innovator.

“We spent a number of years trying to make sure we were giving the citizens the service they were accustomed to and dealing with our personnel costs through attrition and not laying anybody off,” McDonald said.

Now, the city has begun work renovating W. J. Freeman Park, has added additional police officers and is at work on bringing a Tennessee College of Applied Technology to Bartlett. Those are some of the things that McDonald said he wants to see through.

Candidates emphasize housing

McDonald also said he wants one more term to look at Bartlett housing, ensuring that there are houses on smaller plots to appeal to millennials and retirees, and to make sure that city employees have properly funded retirement programs and health care.

One of the things McDonald said he is most proud of is the creation and success of the school system, something he wants to continue for another term.

“I understand what it takes to educate and the cost of that, how to run the city and have relationships with people that can help us and hopefully not hurt us with additional regulations,” McDonald said. “I have the experience.”

Lackey said if he is elected as mayor, he would emphasize strong public safety and education.

Other priorities would include flood control for west Bartlett, getting a pension back for police and fire employees and saving the city money, Lackey said. He also wants the police department to hire a spokesperson.

“It should be just a rule of thumb,” Lackey said. “If something goes down in Bartlett, I think it’d be more professional to have a Bartlett police spokesman telling you about it.”

Lackey said he also believes the city could have saved money by spending less than $60 million on its high school renovation.

Elliott, who is a registered nurse, said that like McDonald she is proud of creating the Bartlett school system. She also is proud that the city did not have to layoff employees in 2008.

Now, she is working on building a monument to honor first responders, a project she hopes to continue next term. If re-elected, she also wants to recruit new businesses and encourage developers to look into mixed-use communities and houses on smaller lots.

She has served on almost every city committee and currently is on the parks and recreation, design review and Bartlett city beautiful committees.

“People will tell you if they know me that if there’s something going on in Bartlett and I can possibly be there, I’m there,” she said.

Elliott said she also agrees with McDonald on term limits.

“If I and the mayor are re-elected, people are obviously pleased with the service that we have provided,” she said.

Arnold agrees with others about looking into mixed-use housing, but also wants to advocate for a new senior citizens center if elected.

It’s important to have multiple candidates in a race to give people options, he said.

“In my opinion, I’m not running against anybody,” Arnold said. “I’m running for the people of Bartlett to have a choice.”