In 20 years of service, Bruce Hawkins, Mount Vernon City Council president, said he has never seen partisanship sour the council’s legislative process.
He is a Republican, as are all of the members of the council, but party affiliation on the municipal level is different than it would be in other offices such as Congress or the state legislature, he told the Mount Vernon News.
"City Council has some conservative members but also some that are more progressive," he said. "It's an interesting mixture. We counter-balance each other. In my 20 years on the council, R’s and D’s have never made a difference once they are elected. And that is the way it should be. We're there to serve our constituents."
Challenges faced by the City Council include homelessness, drug abuse, inflation, infrastructure improvement, housing and jobs, which all reach beyond the realm of partisan politics, said Hawkins, a former Danville school superintendent.
"Drug abuse is a major issue for the city, the police department," he said. "Drugs have become more pervasive everywhere. We have to face that."
Hawkins moved to Mount Vernon in 1976.
"I planned to stay about five years," he said. "I never left here because I love this community."
During his career, he was interested in education and technology, which became particularly valuable during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He believes Mount Vernon will benefit greatly from the new Intel microchip factory that was recently announced by the company.
"A major issue will be housing," he said of the growth expected from the new plant. "We need to have housing for all levels of income. As more people come in, housing prices are going to go up because of demand. That's going to cause an even greater housing shortage than we have now."
Hawkins is a trustee of the Central Ohio Technical College Board, which will play a big role in training and educating workers for the Intel plant.
"Intel is a major, major issue for us," he said. "It's interesting that the head of Intel graduated from a community college like COTC. So he is very supportive of that type of educational background."
Hawkins supports Mount Vernon mayor Matt Starr's agenda but believes City Council has an oversight role, particularly on funding issues.
"The mayor is looking at the big picture," Hawkins said. "He's trying to bring City Council along. He did a strategic plan. City Council is looking at what it is going to cost. We have the money in the budget right now to do many things he wants. But as he adds more people in order for Mount Vernon to grow, what are total costs and the benefits and what will it do to our budget overall?"
Hawkins will keep those and other questions in mind as the council meets for its next meeting June 27 at 7:30 p.m.
