Florence City Council (11 candidates, vote for 6)
- Angie Cable
- Mel Carroll
- Lesley Chambers
- J. Kelly Huff
- Jenna Kemper
- Brian Kinross
- David Osborne
- Jonathan Trimble
- Diana Whalen
- Patricia Wingo
- Gary Winn
Lesley Chambers
Lesley Chambers is running for a second term on Florence City Council.
Outside of city council, Chambers works as a manager and bartender at a local restaurant. She said her job and her different perspectives help the council “ connect with all different kinds of people” in the community.
“I serve all the residents of Florence,” she said. “Each and every individual deserves to feel valued and safe. This includes people who love differently than myself.”
As such, Chambers said, she would support an ordinance or proclamation to say that the LGBTQ+ or any minority population are welcomed and deserving of the same respect as others.
The focus of Chamber’s reelection campaign is to listen and advocate for the Florence community. In the future, she said she wants to be a part of the city’s upcoming park master planning and find solutions to mitigate Florence’s traffic.
With her first term nearly finished, Chambers said this election is an opportunity for her constituents to evaluate her service over the past two years.
“This time I’m equipped with more knowledge about the challenges of the job, Chambers said. “I have to hope that I’ve earned the confidence of the people.”
Chambers said she agrees with a proposal to decrease the real property tax rate in Florence as a way to tackle the housing crisis in Northern Kentucky.
As Florence continues to grow and change, Chambers said she would like to see the city’s community events calendar continue to grow and bring together the community while highlighting cultural diversity.
“I would like to see the mayoral administration expand on the city’s relationship with local nonprofits like FIESTA,” she said.
FIESTA is a nonprofit that provides food, clothing and community resources for the Hispanic community of Northern Kentucky.
Patricia Wingo
Patricia Wingo joined the Florence City Council three and a half years ago to fill a vacant seat. Wingo also served on the council briefly in 2012. She is running for reelection for a second full term.
Wingo has a background working for the City of Florence, serving as Florence’s assistant city coordinator from 2018-2019 and as the main street and neighborhood revitalization program manager until 2020.
Additionally, she has experience in historic preservation and sits on the Boone County Historic Preservation Review Board.
In a future term, Wingo looks to continue helping with the master planning, which will include upgrades to the parks and the aquatics center.
“Because I’ve been involved with council for so many years in different ways, as an employee and as a member of council, I think that is where we can make the most impact,” Wingo said. “Local politics really does have the most impact on residents of the community.”
LINK nky is still hoping to reach all of the Florence City Council candidates, if you are a candidate or know a candidate, please email mgoth@linknky.com.