The Associated Press

VERSAILLES, Ky. - Besides running the town, Versailles Mayor Fred Siegelman is lead vocalist in a rock band, Catch-22, and makes and delivers pizzas for the five Little Caesars stores he owns.

The work, Siegelman said, keeps him in touch with people around town and lets him see the area's problems first-hand.

It's a style that draws praise from both Democrats and Republicans and has some saying the 40-year-old Republican mayor could be an attractive candidate for higher state office in the future. It also has drawn fire from political opponents, who see Siegelman as someone too close to developers and attention-getting projects that are bad for the area.

"He just has a very good way so that you want to work with him, and I think that kind of bipartisan cooperation is sorely needed," said Jody Richards, speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives.

During Siegelman's time in office, the town wooed the roving eyes of Hollywood to use Versailles as the background for scenes in "Elizabethtown," a major motion picture starring Orlando Bloom and directed by Cameron Crowe, floated a bond issue to increase the treatment capacity of the city's water plant and assumed control of police patrols and protection throughout all of Woodford County in a merger of the county police department into the Versailles Police Department.

Woodford County Judge-executive Joe Gormley has nothing but praise for Siegelman.

"He leans toward cooperation. And he's not just concerned about what happens within the city limits," Gormley said of the Republican. "If he makes a decision, in my opinion, he asks 'How will this affect all of Woodford County?'"

Siegelman is also drawing attention from the state's top executive.

"The governor knows Fred and thinks he's doing a good job as mayor, and thinks he has a bright future," said Doug Hogan, press secretary for Gov. Ernie Fletcher.

Others aren't so complimentary. Former Mayor Charlie Reed, whom Siegelman defeated in 1998, notes that merchants are still fuming over the closing of downtown streets during the movie filming. Siegelman said the state was ultimately responsible for the street closings, but Reed scoffs at that.

"Hell, he put the movie first and the merchants and the people second. And I just don't believe in that," said Reed, who adds that he intends to run against Siegelman in a rematch for mayor.

Jenny Sue Given, chair of the Woodford County Republican Party, said she is concerned that city rate hikes in water and garbage bills are putting a strain on retirees.

Others cite the city's aggressiveness in annexing land in its urban service area. The city has annexed 650 acres since Siegelman took office, a sign to some that the mayor is too cozy with developers.

For his part, Siegelman, an Evanston, Ill., native, calls such criticisms "100 percent hogwash."

Siegelman won't say if he has plans to run for higher office in the future, saying only that he aims to stay positive and keep up his current level of activity.

"I've just always had the attitude that positive thoughts get you positive results," Siegelman said. "My motto has always been 'Every day above ground is a good day.'"