I was extremely interested to hear of the Nov. 17 runoff election between the two mayoral candidates who received the highest number of votes, Katrina Keith and Bob Cleary.

I am not into the politics of the city,but I do know Katrina Keith and enough about her history to have every confidence that she should be our next mayor.

I retired here and have been an Ironton resident for 15 years. In those years I have attended many volunteer group meetings held to make plans to improve the city. Katrina Keith was a regular attendant of these meetings. Not only did she attend, she was always a voice for positive action. More than once I have seen her discourage naysayers and remind the group tactfully that negativity accomplishes little.

She is presently in the non-paid position of co-chairwoman for Ironton Alive. This tells me where her heart is.

In addition to two decades of giving her spare time to her city’s betterment, she is uniquely qualified to take the helm of city government. Her job has included working closely for years with city leaders, often in leadership positions herself, such as coordinating the city’s website and safety programs.

She has demonstrated a good grasp of city finances. In her role as worker’s comp coordinator, she has overhauled and improved the program, saving the city a significant amount of money.

As a retiree, I am excited about a candidate at the height of her career willing to take on this leadershop position. In my opinion, this is the age group that can best serve our interests.They are computer savvy and full of energy and ideas.

And last, but certainly not least, I am proud that this capable candidate is a woman. I may be old-fashioned, but I think men and women have different perspectives and I will be intrigued to see what she thinks is important and what changes she will make. Successful female mayors in other cities are no longer rare.

I would hope that Ironton women voters in particular will not only support her in the runoff election, but be inspired to get involved with her efforts to make our city come alive!

I hope you will vote for Katrina Keith for mayor.

 

Judy Sanders

Ironton