McMinnville Mayor Jimmy Haley says the city is starting to gain energy with a vibrant downtown and a number of new projects.
Mayoral challenger Terry Mullican says the city is beginning to misplace its priorities, especially when it comes to parks and recreation.
The two candidates spoke and answered questions from the audience Thursday afternoon during the regular weekly meeting of The Rotary Club of McMinnville. The election for McMinnville mayor is Nov. 8.
“This election is about leadership and vision,” said Haley. “Over the past four years, I’ve worked every day to be the best leader I can be. I feel like I’m the face of the city. I feel I’m the person to step forward and help this city grow.”
Mullican says the city is losing its focus when it comes to providing recreational opportunities for children. He said when McMinnville Civic Center was constructed 42 years ago, it was built to be a centerpiece for the community where there could be craft fairs and other events. He said it was also intended as a place for affordable recreational opportunities.
“I went in the Civic Center the other day to shoot basketball with two of my grandsons and it cost us $9 to shoot basketball for 30 minutes,” said Mullican. “What you see now is a $5 million proposed note to do some renovations there, and I’m sure at 42 years old you probably need some renovating, but I think we’ve lost the core value of what we’re trying to accomplish.”
Haley was born and raised in McMinnville and is a lifelong educator. He is finishing his first term as mayor, a term in which he’s accomplished such projects as reopening the Park Theater, purchasing a new ladder firetruck, obtaining a $1 million sidewalk grant for Sparta Street, and saving the Driver Testing Center.
“We did all this without a tax increase,” said Haley. “All it takes is a look downtown and you see the new energy.”
Mullican said he decided to enter the race to give voters a choice in the Democratic process. He said McMinnville is a great place to call home, but he and Haley do have their philosophical differences.
“My way of doing things is probably a little more conservative,” said Mullican, who is a Warren County native. Mullican retired from Caney Fork Electric about five years ago and has also served as the city’s Parks and Recreation Department director.
When the floor was open for questions, Terry Hines asked about the city’s relationship with the county, which is often viewed as rocky. Haley says the relationship is fine.
“I talk regularly with the commissioners and I attend their meetings,” said Haley. “The recent partnership with the Driver Testing Center is proof we can work together.”
County officials have voted in committee to fund half of the $4,000 monthly cost to keep the Driver Testing Center in McMinnville. The measure goes before the full Warren County Commission on Monday.
Mullican said the idea the city and county are separate entities is somewhat misleading because one can’t do well without the other.
“It’s very important for the county for the city to be a thriving entity,” said Mullican. “It’s a misnomer for the county and city to be viewed separately.”