Re-elect Mossotti in 9th Council District

District 9 Council member Jennifer Mossotti is one of Lexington’s most experienced and capable local officials: attentive to her district, knowledgeable of important citywide issues and independent in her voting.

She was so effective when she served four terms in the position from 1998 to 2004 that residents asked her to run again in 2014. Voters in the district — largely south of New Circle Road between Harrodsburg and Nicholasville roads — should choose her for another term.

Her challenger, businessman Jacob Glancy, is a first-time candidate who offers little reason why she should be replaced and no clear evidence that he is prepared to take on the job.

Mossotti has been praised by neighborhood leaders and the Fayette County Neighborhood Association for her response to community concerns and neighborhood improvement. Chair of the council’s Planning & Public Safety Committee, she has a strong grasp of citywide issues dealing with planning, public safety and environmental concerns.

In recent years, she successfully pushed for an increase in the city’s minimum wage — a good idea that the Kentucky Supreme Court ruled should be done at the state level. She currently is a leader in the effort to get a downtown statue honoring a local woman by 2020 and has been recognized for her overall political leadership by the National Foundation for Women Legislators.

Mossotti, a Realtor, supports the Purchase of Development Rights program aimed at preserving farmland from future development. Her willingness to hold the line on sprawl has been contrary to the real-estate political action committee. She did vote for a study to determine the criteria and best areas for future expansion.

On the city hall debate, she voted against entering negotiations on a plan to relocate to the current Herald-Leader site. She was concerned that there were no plans for what would be done with the city-owned buildings the government currently occupies.

Glancy, owner of Jake’s Cigars and a Jimmy John’s restaurant in Nicholasville, grew up in south Lexington and lives in Stonewall. He also works as a substitute teacher in Jessamine and Fayettte counties.

His priorities include beefing up public safety, lowering taxes, cutting city regulation on businesses, allowing more development, saving urban greenspace rather than rural lands and cutting city spending on social issues such as homelessness.

He demonstrates an enthusiasm to serve, but not an adequate appreciation of the complexity that involves. For example, he shows little understanding that unchecked development does not result in lower taxes. And he complains about city spending while admitting that he has never looked at the city budget.

We think he has much to offer the district and city but that he could deepen his education by participating on panels, task forces or in discussions about citywide issues.