Addressing a crowd that filled the main room of Grounds for Thought, Kelly Wicks officially kicked off
his campaign for mayor of Bowling Green.
Wicks, a Democrat, is running against Republican incumbent Richard Edwards.
“With the help of many great people, I have worked for 25 years to make Grounds for Thought be the best
coffee shop in the state,” Wicks said, also noting his work for the Black Swamp Arts Festival and the
city’s downtown.
“And now, with your vote, I’m ready to dedicate the same level of energy, creativity and hard work that I
have done in 25 years on Main Street into being your full-time mayor.”
Wicks told the crowd he is often asked why he’s interested in public service.
“For me it was really a political awakening in 2010 and 2011” with Ohio Senate Bill 5, he said.
“I realized that what happened in Columbus affected us here in Bowling Green.”
Wicks – who unsuccessfully challenged Tim Brown in the Ohio House election in 2012 – said that he had
been considering a run for mayor for more than a year.
“I’m interested ultimately, as mayor, in seeing what we can do together.”
“I see a city I love, a wonderful place to live and do business, a town with great people and a bridge to
the future,” he said. “I see challenges, but mostly I see opportunities” to preserve the best aspects of
Bowling Green while working toward economic development and quality of life improvements.
Wicks highlighted a number of focus areas during his address, including making the city a leader in
public transportation: “Public transportation is good for business, it’s great for people.”
He also said the city should continue to be a leader in responsible energy policies, noting that BG
generates a third of its power from sustainable sources and should increase that.
Speaking on rising electric prices, Wicks said answers coming from the current city administration on the
subject were unsatisfactory. The city, he said, needs to explore ways to keep costs reasonable and
stable.
Discussing the recently-adopted Future Land Use Plan for the city, Wicks said that the city should “work
towards long-term implementation so the Land Use Plan doesn’t stress other city services or raise
taxes,” to be creative with the city’s resources and make responsible action items related to the plan,
or else the document would remain “a good idea, and lots of talk.”
On education, Wicks noted that he will seek to enhance the city’s reputation as a leader in that field.
“As mayor, I will do everything in my capacity to help the university succeed. When BGSU does well,
Bowling Green does well.”
He noted the connection between jobs at the university and jobs in the city as a whole.
For city schools, he said that public education must be made the best it can be, instead of cutting
resources and telling schools to make the best of it.
Bowling Green, he said, has much to offer companies looking to add jobs and grow. Improving the city’s
quality of life is a way to create long-term, high-paying jobs and retain people who have a strong
commitment to the community.
Addressing state cuts to municipal budgets, Wicks said he will “stand up for Bowling Green and advocate
for an agenda that will help this community and everybody in it.”
Wicks also assured his audience that, during the campaign, the day-to-day operations of Grounds for
Thought would be handled by his wife, Laura.
“Coffee will be flowing like normal,” he said.
