In a City Profile interview hosted by Mayor George Bray, Paducah city commissioner and mayor pro tem Sandra Wilson said population growth, housing affordability and downtown and riverfront redevelopment are her top priorities.

Wilson, who told Bray she has served seven consecutive terms and served as mayor pro tem for five of those, traced her entry into public service to a 2010 committee appointment to study higher education needs in Paducah. "I remember thinking, we should be doing better than this," she said, describing the effort that led Paducah and McCracken County officials to partner with Murray State University on a regional campus.

Why it matters: Wilson said the Murray State satellite campus has been a "game changer" for students and the local economy, and she tied future economic prospects to population growth. She noted Paducah recorded about 8% growth in the 2020 census and described population growth as "one of the most important aspects of what to make our community better."

Wilson outlined several connected priorities. On reindustrialization, she pointed to the Department of Energy site near Paducah, which she said "ceased operation in 2013" and is in cleanup, and called the available land an opportunity for attracting good-paying, living-wage jobs. She said multiple companies and economic-development efforts are working toward projects that target a 2030 time frame.

Small businesses and workforce supports were another focus. Wilson said local partners must secure funding to keep a Small Business Development Center in Paducah and praised Sprocket for supporting entrepreneurs. "Every time a small business adds more jobs, it's economic development," she said.

On housing, Wilson described a local shortage and said the city is studying tools used by other Kentucky communities and the Kentucky League of Cities on zoning and development. She advocated a bold, clustered approach on the South Side — including preparing infrastructure and partnering with developers and nonprofits such as Habitat for Humanity — so new construction can be profitable for builders and affordable to young families and workers.

Wilson also discussed downtown and riverfront investments. She said the city reapplied for a federal BUILD grant after a prior denial, won funding and is delivering riverfront elements including a new pier and an amphitheater, though she noted COVID-driven cost increases have affected project budgets.

She listed infrastructure maintenance and public safety — police, fire, bridges, sidewalks — plus the Sportsplex project and child-care availability among other priorities needed to support growth. "We have to provide services to city residents. We have to make sure that they're safe and they're secure with their police and fire," she said.

On leadership and visibility, Wilson said being present at events and approachable to constituents helps elected officials gather input and explain decisions. Reflecting on her career, she said she hopes to "leave it better than when she found it."