Incumbent Bartlett Alderman Brad King is striving to hold his seat on the board as he faces challenger, Jerry Jenkins, a retired military veteran.
The Position 1 seat is one of two other contested races — Position 2 and Position 3 — up for grabs on the Bartlett Board of Mayor and Aldermen in the Nov. 3 election. Early voting lasts until Oct. 29.
King is seeking reelection on the Bartlett BMA after being elected in November 2022. Additionally, King’s other civic duties include being chairman of the Bartlett’s board of zoning appeals and member of the storm water board of appeals.
King is a retired captain from the City of Memphis Fire Department after 33 years of service. He is also a long-time business owner of King James Construction in Bartlett
for more than 40 years.
Jenkins, a Bartlett resident since 2003, retired from the U.S. Army Depot the same year. During his time in the Army, Jenkins said he performed various government duties, while serving as a personnel assistant, supply logistics manager and race relations expert.
King and Jenkins answered a candidate questionnaire from The Commercial Appeal. Their answers are as follows:
Brad King
Why did you decide to run for re-election?
I would love to keep the momentum we have built over the last four years.
One of my priorities is continuing to increase funding for our Fire and Public Works departments, so we can provide competitive pay, retain the employees we have invested in, and keep from losing trained employees to other communities because of compensation.
Top projects supported
We have also been able to obtain federal and state funding for the sewer system in the Fletcher Creek area. The sewer problem there has held back development in our industrial park and surrounding area for several years. With the funding we have secured and the project now underway, I would love to see it completed so we can remove that obstacle and open the door for more development and jobs in Bartlett.
When I first took office, we conducted a survey to find out what our citizens wanted to see when it came to family activities. We have increased those opportunities from around 100 activities to more than 400. From Bartlett Live and our music series to Food Truck Fridays, Fire Pit Fridays, and many other events, we have worked to create something for everyone to enjoy—many of these activities being free for our families.
I’m also pleased about the Bartlett Recreation Center being operated by the YMCA. The city was losing approximately $400,000 a year, and the YMCA has invested more than $1 million into the facility. We are also looking toward an expansion and the beginning of an outdoor water experience in the near future.
I would love to see these and other projects completed and continue building on everything we have accomplished over the last four years. There is still a lot of work to do, and I want to keep this momentum going and continue making Bartlett an even better place to live, work, and raise a family.
Why should the people of Bartlett re-elect you?
I bring more than 40 years of business experience as a business owner in Bartlett, and I also understand the importance of public safety after serving 33 years with the Memphis Fire Department. Those experiences have given me a unique perspective on both running a business and serving our community.
I truly believe Bartlett is heading in the right direction. There is still work to do, but I feel my past experience in business and public service along with the additional knowledge I have gained over the last four years concerning the inner workings and needs of a city, put me in a position to help our city continue moving forward.
I truly enjoy serving our city and its people. If I am re-elected, I want to continue our momentum and build on the progress we have made.
What do you want the board to focus on to improve the city?
Another big priority for me over the next four years will be attracting more upscale restaurants and retail to Bartlett.
Over the last four years, we have worked hard to make Bartlett an easier place to do business. We have seen the results, with more than 20 new restaurants coming to our community. Our retail vacancy rate has also decreased, which is encouraging.
I believe we need to continue looking forward. We need newer, higher-quality retail space that will attract new businesses, upscale restaurants, and retailers to Bartlett. I want to continue working with our business community and developers to create those opportunities and bring more dining, shopping and entertainment options to our citizens.
We have made a lot of progress over the last four years, but there is still more work to do.
What are the major challenges in Bartlett you would like to see addressed?
One of the biggest challenges facing Bartlett is maintaining our roads and infrastructure. We have approximately 301 miles of roads to maintain, and with the cost of paving continuing to increase, it is a challenge to keep up with the demand.
We have more than doubled what we are spending on paving compared with my first year in office. We have also worked to secure grants and federal funding to help with the infrastructure needs.
Looking ahead, I believe roads and infrastructure will continue to be one of our biggest priorities. Along with paving, we have sewer issues that need to be addressed, and we need to continue investing in our infrastructure to keep Bartlett moving forward.
We have made progress, but with 301 miles of roads to maintain and other infrastructure needs throughout our community, there is still a lot of work ahead. I want to continue making responsible investments and finding additional funding opportunities so we can address these needs without putting an unnecessary burden on our taxpayers.
Jerry Jenkins
Have you ever been involved in politics, and if so, what is your background?
This is my first time running for public office. My hope is to foster community relationships to strengthen our community. The experience I have, I believe will help all of us. We are stronger together through community inclusion when we work together for a common cause.
Why did you decide to run?
I’m running because I’m a concerned resident and is keenly interested in shaping the future of Bartlett. We aim to build great communities for everyone and share concern for all residents. Schools are excellent, the community is growing and people are kind and gracious. We want to ensure our community is a place where everyone can come and grow. We want to keep Bartlett beautiful and safe. We achieve this through adequate representation and by enhancing the future vision for our great city of Bartlett. That's the direction I support.
Why should the people of Bartlett elect you?
I think people should elect me because I’m going to listen to the people that voice their concerns about the things that concern them. I’m not going to do things arbitrarily or just make decisions and not listen to what the people are saying.
What do you want the board to focus on to improve the city?
We need to focus on making the streets and roads better in the city. Bartlett is a great city where people can raise their families, but it's being overrun by a lot of apartments, which is what I’m hearing from the people. People are saying that we need less apartments and more new homes being built in the city.
Corey Davis is the Collierville and Germantown reporter with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at Corey.Davis@commercialappeal.com or 901-293-1610.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Bartlett alderman race: Incumbent King faces Jenkins for Position 1
