Dear City of Covington Residents,

Many people are aware that I played football growing up and even played in college. It takes a person with a very competitive spirit to be successful on the football field and I have carried that fire over to my job as Mayor.

The afternoon of September 4, I learned that I will run unopposed for the office of Mayor of Covington. Of course my immediate reaction was to do a touchdown celebration dance, but there were people around and I didn’t want them to see my dance moves. After the initial excitement I quickly felt thankfulness and humility. One of two things happened; either enough people appreciate the efforts that I have put forward the last four years or there isn’t anyone crazy enough to want to hold this position. Regardless of the reason, I am thankful.

I am energized and excited about what is ahead for our city. Of course we have some obstacles, but I will promise you this… if you like things you saw in my first term, you can consider that my pregame warmup. We are about to kick off the Super Bowl and the City of Covington is going to win.

Throughout the past year I have written a series of letters to the citizens in Covington about everything from getting involved in our community to governmental transparency. In the last letter I outlined my vision for Covington in the year 2025 and I am excited I have four more years in office to work towards that vision. I got some interesting responses to my vision and things I would like to see happen in Covington. Most people said “I will believe it when I see it” and to them I say “Game On.”

The Downtown Square revitalization, more than 1,000 new jobs in Covington, lower taxes and 400 new businesses in Covington are just a few of the things accomplished in my first term. In my second term, I am ready to tackle a whole lot more. We are going to work towards a 0 percent unemployment rate, more shopping options and I will attack the literacy issue in our city for both the young and old.

Ernest Hemmingway is quoted as saying “The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.” That is so simple, but so true. I hope I have earned your trust over the last four years and if I haven’t, it appears I will have four more years in office to do so.

Please join me as we work on the same team to move Covington forward.