x
Breaking News
More () »

Candidate Keith McLelland Speaks About Mayoral Campaign

The competition for the next mayor of Midland is gearing up as Election Day gets closer. Keith McLelland has lived in the Tall City since he was a child. He's seen Midland grow over the years but he said now it's time for change and that's why he's running for mayor.
By Geena Martinez
NewsWest 9

MIDLAND - The competition for the next mayor of Midland is gearing up as Election Day gets closer.

Keith McLelland has lived in the Tall City since he was a child. He's seen Midland grow over the years but he said now it's time for change and that's why he's running for mayor.

McLelland is a former business owner and is currently a landman and a pastor.

He said he'd been considering a run for a while but the controversial Energy Tower sealed the deal.

"I said enough's enough," McLelland said. "You don't put government money into private projects. If the man wants to buy the land, build his building, pay taxes like everyone else, more power to him. This is a bad deal."

Like other candidates, McLelland plans to focus on water issues if he's elected. He said the current council has done a good job securing water for the future but he'd like to see a more permanent fix.

"We're gonna go the route of reclamation and desalinization," he said. "That's a process that will work, has worked, been proven to work."

Cutting back on debt is high up on his list of priorities. McLelland also wants an across the board pay raise for the ones who've been so busy during the boom: First responders.

"If you're asking people to put their life on the line for you, they need to be compensated for what you're asking them to do," McLelland said.

Another change McLelland said he wants for the city is more transparency at council meetings.

Before You Leave, Check This Out