Longtime Union Commissioner John Mefford is looking to make the jump from serving on the city’s legislative body to leading it as mayor.
Mefford has lived in Union for nearly three decades and has served on the commission since 2006, making him its longest-tenured member. He currently serves as mayor pro tem and oversees fiscal planning and the city’s finance department.
Outside of city government, Mefford’s career has spanned both the public and private sectors. Most recently, he taught chemistry at Ryle High School for 19 years before retiring.
Mefford believes his experience will let him hit the ground running if elected, as he’s already familiar with the intricacies of how the city runs on a daily basis.
“My almost 20 years of experience as a commissioner will serve to ease my transition into the role as mayor,” he told LINK nky. “Having been in this city’s legislative capacity for an extended period, there should not be much of a learning curve and the city’s day-to-day functions should see no disruption in productivity.”
Similar to Florence and unincorporated Boone County, Union has faced growing concerns from residents who believe the pace of development is moving too quickly. Union’s population more than doubled between 2000 and 2020, growing from 2,893 residents to 7,416, according to U.S. Census data.
As such, managing growth has become a central focus of Mefford’s mayoral campaign. He said he would take a more measured approach to development while balancing the city’s continued growth.”
“Many residents are calling for development to slow down,” he said. “Green space is being lost at an alarming pace while infrastructure is not keeping up. I have heard these concerns and will work to responsibly expand the city’s footprint and associated development.”