BY CINDY SCHROEDER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS -- In an election where at least two out of three Northern Kentucky judge-executives will change, issues of integrity, experience and growth dominated debates Saturday.
The debates among candidates for the top elected posts in Kenton, Boone and Campbell counties were in Northern Kentucky University's Greaves Concert Hall. They were sponsored by The Kentucky Enquirer, InterMedia cable, the Community Recorder Newspapers and the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.
Unlike recent elections, Northern Kentucky voters will choose at least two new judge-executives when they go to the polls on Nov. 3. Democrat Ken Lucas recently stepped down as Boone judge-executive to run for Congress against Republican Gex "Jay" Williams. And in Kenton County, Judge-executive Clyde Middleton resigned earlier this year in a controversy involving the awarding of a courthouse construction bid to Covington-based Corporex Cos.
Kenton County: The race features two political veterans: Republican Dick Murgatroyd, a two-term state lawmaker from Villa Hills; and Democrat Denny Bowman, Covington's 11-year mayor who made an unsuccessful run for Congress two years ago.
Both said that choosing a site for a new jail would be a priority of their administrations, but declined to say which of the proposed sites they favor.
Mr. Murgatroyd, recently rated one of the best lawmakers representing Northern Kentucky in Frankfort in an Enquirer survey, pledged to be a leader and consensus builder, especially in growth and development issues.
Mr. Bowman credited his city's teamwork approach for attracting more than $500 million in investment during the past decade.
Campbell County: Economic development is one of the top issues in a race featuring Democrat Ken Paul, the current judge-executive and a 13-year officeholder, and Steve Pendery, the Fort Thomas mayor who has been described as a rising star by Republican Party leaders.
Mr. Pendery called for new business-like leadership to rid the county of its "anemic tax base," and become part of the development boom seen elsewhere in Northern Kentucky.
Mr. Paul maintained that Campbell County residents don't want all the growth that other parts of the region are experiencing. He cited the county's low unemployment rate, and an enterprise zone that's attracted 69 businesses and $157 million in investment.
Boone County: How to manage growth in rapidly developing Boone County is a key issue in the campaigns of Democrat Jim Collins, who emphasized his business and governmental experience, and Republican Gary Moore, who pledged to surround himself with a qualified team if elected judge-executive.
Mr. Moore, the vice president - general manager of Wiseway Supply Inc., said that his door-to-door campaigning has convinced him that residents want a judge-executive "who is not playing catch-up" when it comes to planning, but "is proactive, rather than reactive."
Mr. Collins, a 29-year businessman who has served as the Boone County administrator and deputy judge-executive for the past seven years, defended his administration's job in planning and zoning.
"We do, I think, a good job of planning," he said. "We have a comprehensive plan . . . We do listen to the citizenry."
The debates will be repeated 14 times on InterMedia cable, starting at 1 p.m. today on Channel 6.
