By ZEINAB NAJM
Sunday Times Newspapers
TRENTON — Incumbent Mayor Steven Rzeppa, 28, and resident Tom Kinney, 47, are running for a four-year mayoral term in the upcoming general election.
Currently, Rzeppa is also the AFSCME Council 25 Political and Communications director and Kinney works in continuous improvement at a manufacturing facility.
Both candidates answered questions relating to the city and how they would work to serve the residents who will cast their votes Nov. 2.
Each was asked three questions with a 100- to 120-word limit for each. Responses over the word limit may be edited.
1. How will you work to prioritize the needs of residents and address their concerns?
Kinney: Once I am settled in and have an administration in place, I would have to evaluate all aspects of the city to see where the most need is. I would then develop a plan to determine what the No. 1 priority is. While this is taking place, we would remain transparent with our residents on all situations. I feel communication between all is imperative.
Rzeppa: We’ll continue to prioritize the needs of residents and adequately address their concerns the same way we have already been doing so — by being accessible and open with them and having a high quality and talented administrative team who can deliver results. Over the past several years on council and as mayor, I’ve knocked on thousands and thousands of doors in the community to hear from residents directly about their concerns and answer their questions. I pride myself on how accessible we are, and how we do our best to communicate with residents via social media, email, and on the phone even when we couldn’t have as many in person meetings during the pandemic.
2. What improvements or changes would you like to see happen within the city?
Kinney: I want to get some developments started. We will soon need to replace some tax base (DTE closure) and can’t afford to sit on our hands. I would like our downtown to really flourish and look forward to working with business owners. I’d also like to work with our parks & rec, senior, and youth groups to make sure we are providing services that appeal to them. Last but not least, I want to maintain the level of city services we receive at no extra cost to our residents.
Rzeppa: We must continue to deliver high quality police, fire, and city services while looking for ways to expand upon them. We’re already starting to do that by bringing a curbside recycling program and are looking at ways to do more city grass cutting in-house too. We can continue to build on the momentum we see in our downtown with more retail, dining, and community events to maximize our potential and vibrancy. We’ve made many great strides on this already with the creation of our Social District and the half dozen ribbon cuttings at businesses downtown this summer and fall with more in the works. It’s an exciting time to be in Trenton and I want to keep the momentum going.
3. Why are you seeking re(election)? Why should people vote for you?
Kinney: I am running for mayor for many reasons but mainly because I love our city and I want to do my part to make it one of the best cities downriver. I want to develop, grow, and make Trenton a desired place to start a business and more importantly raise a family. People should vote for me because I will bring transparency and accountability to the position. I will have no trouble answering to our residents for actions our city takes. I have the drive, experience, and work ethic to get things moving forward. I will surround myself with the best and most qualified people to help me run the city and I will communicate and be available to our residents.
Rzeppa: I firmly believe that Trenton is a great place to live, and I want to make sure it stays that way for generations to come. I take great pride in the fact that Trenton is my hometown and serving has been the honor of a lifetime. In just a short time, and even in the backdrop of the pandemic, we’ve accomplished so much but our work is not finished. I have a track record of success in bringing about positive change in the community and have the vision to continue to do that. Vote for me to keep Trenton moving forward and continue on the right path.
(Zeinab Najm can be reached at [email protected].)