HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – Desaepa Vansauwa is the Independent candidate for Mayor of Hopkinsville in the upcoming Nov. 3 General Election. In order to allow residents to make an informed decision about their vote, the Hopkinsville League of Women Voters held a public forum on Oct. 1, where each candidate was able to answer questions about key issues.
Vansauwa is currently up against Republican candidate Russ Guffey and Democratic candidate Markeeta Wilkerson. During the forum, all three of them were given two minutes for opening and closing remarks, three minutes to answer each question, and one minute for rebuttals. Questions were not given to the candidates beforehand.
Below is a summary of how Vansauwa responded during the forum. A full live stream is available on the City of Hopkinsville YouTube channel.
Topics discussed:
Opening statement
“I choose to run as an Independent because the challenges facing our city, from fixing infrastructure to supporting local businesses, don’t care if you’re Republican or Democrat. The violence in our community doesn’t care what party you sit on. I’m running without a party label, and what that means for me and the rest of the City of Hopkinsville is that I don’t answer to the bosses at the state capital, and I don’t answer to national donors.”
He added that if he was elected mayor, he would answer directly to the residents of the city and looks forward to potentially mapping out commonsense solutions to the city’s problems.
Top priorities
The candidates were asked the following question: In three words or less, what would be your top priority as mayor?
“Safer streets, small business support, and accessible transit,” said Vansauwa.
How to fund mayoral priorites
The candidates were asked the following question: Name one specific city program or expenditure you would be willing to reduce or eliminate to fund one of your priorities.
“We have different things in our community where I think we are putting the cart before the horse, and I would like to take a look at that,” he said, referencing the current push to further develop downtown even though there is not parking or infrastructure available to support that growth.
He said it is important to look at what the city already “has on the books” and establish clear priorities for investing further. Vansauwa stressed the need to rework the city’s public transit system which could include updating bus stops and adding new routes so that it is more accessible to residents and youth.
What would you do differently as mayor
The candidates were asked the following question: What is one problem in our city that previous leadership has failed to address, and what specifically will you do differently?
The biggest issue he pointed out was transparency, saying that he has noticed that some decisions that were pushed by a previous mayor were not openly discussed in the public before they were implemented. Vansauwa believes that the community should be involved in the decision-making process, and if he was elected, he would maintain the transparency he has established with his business now and make himself available to the public.
“These things need to be spoken so we can kind of hear what the heartbeat of the city is for these situations,” Vansauwa said, comparing the process to applying for a liquor license which requires public advertisement before it is approved.
New fire station and upgrades
The candidates were asked the following question: A feasibility study for the Hopkinsville Fire Department recommended a sixth fire station to be located in the Commerce Park area and also identified significant upgrades or replacement for three others. What would your plans be to address these important findings.
In response Vansauwa said he would have to look at the data to determine the best path forward and evaluate the specific need for that area. He does believe that funding should be regularly available to replace equipment as needed, however the city should ensure that they are investing in quality items that will last and possibly collaborate with other neighboring agencies for assistance.
“I want to make sure that what we are buying stands the test of time, is durable for the job that is required or asked to do and just make sure we are properly equipped,” he said. “While keeping the taxpayer in mind…let’s get what they need the first time so the city don’t pay for it later.”
Data centers
The candidates were asked the following question: What is your position on locating data centers in Hopkinsville-Christian County?
Although he agrees that the city should establish some “non-negotiables” and any data center coming into the city should operate on a closed loop system to keep the city’s water supply safe, he added that more research should be done in what impact the cooling system will have on electricity. Also, when it comes time to dispose of condensation that has been collected or replace the water in the system, he wants to know where exactly that water will go and how it will impact the local ecosystem.
As far as jobs go, he pointed out that data centers do not produce an abundance of job opportunities, but they do produce high paying jobs. He recommended that they partner with the school system to supply adequate training so local residents can be prepared to take on these positions as they become available.
He said, “Our entry level jobs are held by out-of-town residents, so how do we guarantee that the jobs that are said to come here, whether its 20 or 5,000, will be able to reach the people that are in our city?”
Flock cameras
The candidates were asked the following question: What is your position on the use of Flock cameras?
“I’m not for it, I think it’s a violation of constitutional rights,” Vansauwa said. He added that he spoke with the Hopkinsville Police Chief and was told that when the budget gets tight, the first thing that is eliminated is specialized training, which guides officers into best practices for their job. He believes that focusing on this training would prevent the need for the assistance of Artificial Intelligence.
Vansauwa also expressed concerns about where exactly the data obtained by the cameras is going, pointing out that there are parent companies that may also have control. He said, “I don’t trust information being collected for unneeded reasons.”
Closing statement
“As your Independent mayor I must stress to you that I answer to you, and I am here to serve you. I know we’re tired of the same bureaucratic answers and bureaucratic red tape when it comes to solving our local issues,” Vansauwa said at end the evening. “Take a look at who we are outside of this seat, who we are to our community and what impact are we currently making in our vicinity.”
He pointed out that although he is thankful for the forum, the time given to them was not long enough and the questions were not tough enough compared to what he has been hearing from the community. He invited residents to further engage with him before the election, adding that over 80% of registered voters do not show up to the polls.
Find more about Vansauwa’s campaign here.
More from the other candidates: