Farmington Mayor Announces For Re-Election

FARMINGTON — Mayor Ernie Penn gave his annual State of the City address last week and closed his remarks by announcing that he plans to run for re- election in the November 2014 General Election.

“I’m very fortunate that I’ve lived here a long, long time,” Penn said, noting the city has excellent people serving on the Farmington City Council and excellent city employees.

“It’s a great honor for me to be the mayor of your city.”

Penn has served in city government for about 18 years, first as a member of the City Council and then as mayor. He first served as mayor 1999-2002.

He didn’t run for re-election for the next term but then threw his hat in the ring in 2006 and was elected to serve another four-year term. Penn was re-elected in 2010 to his current four-year term.

Penn said he is running for re-election because he wants to stay involved with the city. He specifically pointed to economic development and said he wants to be more involved in that area. He added that he wants to see the city pay off some of its debts and see improvements made in infrastructure, such as street repairs, and possibly expand city services.

Other ideas in the future might include additional recreational facilities, though Penn said he does not have anything in particular in mind in this area.

“I enjoy doing it and I enjoy being part of city government,” Penn said, adding he also sees serving as mayor as a way to give back to the community.

Penn said he originally ran for office because he wanted to see the city of Farmington move forward and be ready for the future. One of his goals over the years has been to make city government a “more professional atmosphere.”

Penn said he believes his financial experience with Arvest Bank in Farmington has helped him as mayor, adding he believes it’s important to have someone with a financial background in the position.

“It’s a more challenging job than people realize,” Penn said. “The financial responsibility of the city falls on the mayor.”

He said he would like to be re-elected to “see our city continue to grow and prosper and to continue good relations with the chamber and school.”

The City Council has discussed in the past whether Farmington is ready for a full-time mayor. Penn said he believes the ecomomic growth of the city in the next few years will determine the need for a full-time mayor. He pointed out that the city’s tax base would have to increase to justify a full-time position.

“We would want to make sure it’s a good financial decision before doing that,” Penn said.

The mayor’s position is non-partisan and will not be on the Primary Election ballot in May.

Penn