As Kentucky’s primary election approaches, the Hopkinsville League of Women Voters kicked off round one of their local candidate forums on Monday where Hopkinsville City Council Ward 10 Republican incumbent Mike Velez and his opponent Steve Keel fielded questions regarding local matters.
This is not the first time the pair have been opponents on the ballot. In the 2024 primary election, Keel, who was the Ward 10 council member at the time, lost his seat to Velez. During the forum the pair answered questions concerning Hopkinsville’s growth, attracting young professionals to the town and how to prevent more historic buildings from being torn down.
Velez and Keel both believe that housing is key factor when it comes to attracting more young people to Hopkinsville. Keel says the Downtown Entertainment District is an attractive factor, but there needs to be housing available that young folks could grow into and one day have a family in.
To attract more young professionals, Velez says the city’s zoning restrictions should be amended so that more affordable housing can be built in Hopkinsville.
When it comes to growth, Keel believes Hopkinsville is being outpaced by neighboring cities. He says he feels as though the city has been focused more on revitalizing old spaces and believes they should explore what other cities are doing to encourage economic and population growth.
Over the past few years, a couple historic buildings in the downtown area have been demolished due to dilapidation. Velez says the city needs to be more vigilant concerning older properties and work with the code enforcement department and engineers before the buildings fall into disrepair.
The full Ward 10 Republican debate is available on Facebook at League of Women Voters – Hopkinsville, KY. The primary election is on May 19.