Ballard announces he will run for a seat on the Bardstown City Council

If elected, Ballard hopes to achieve the following goals:

Reform the occupational tax. Ballard favors exempting the first $25,000 of income for working families and eliminating the cap. Ballard says, “The poverty guideline for a family of four in 2012 is $23,050. Adding any tax to families that are already below the poverty line is only adding hardship to them.. Retirees that work part time to supplement their SSI or other retirement are unduly burdened as well. All taxes should be reviewed annually and be reduced at any opportunity through spending cuts.”

Property rights. While no one wants to see shoddy housing or repairs on buildings in the historic district, or any other area of town for that matter, rubber stamping whatever the HRB recommends, as the city council members generally do, is not the answer. The city council needs to infuse common sense, on the citizens’ behalf, into voting on the HRB ‘recommendations’.

City Council follow its own ordinances. The city council needs to hold the Mayor to a high standard of following ordinances to the letter. The council should police itself in not violating ordinances as well.

“The public is expected to abide by the ordinances of the town, so shouldn’t the town leaders be held to the same standard? It’s time government starts leading by example,” he said.

Mark currently lives in Salem Hills with his wife Becky and two daughters. Mark and Becky are the local coordinators for the Nelson County Special Olympics. Mark enjoys hunting, shooting and photography. Contact Ballard at Mark.Ballard.1966@facebook.com.

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