Phillip Peterson

Republican 

candidate for 

Magistrate, 
District 6
Philip Peterson, 52, of Pembroke Fairview Road in Pembroke, owns and operates KP Security. He is deputy chief of the Pembroke Volunteer Fire Department. He is seeking his second term as District 6 magistrate.

If elected, how would you help address the housing shortage?

I believe we have a good incentive package now. But I also believe there is room for improvement. I believe we should look at other counties such as Warren, and discuss with the builders themselves to see what we could do to get more affordable housing in Christian County.

If elected, how would you work together with government, nonprofit and business leaders to encourage economic development?

I believe economic development plays a critical part in our community. I think Christian County is in a perfect area to develop; with the Oak Grove area on I-24 and the industrial park in the Pembroke area that has a rail-head availability. I would work with state and local officials to improve our infrastructure in both those areas; such as road, water, and natural gas. When an economic development prospect is looking at our area, the county needs to be able to say, "We have all you need, in place, to build here."

If elected, how would you support tornado recovery and the development of rural storm shelters?

I believe after the Dec. 10 tornados, this is a very important issue. I have been involved with the local Pennyrile Area Development District office and the Christian County Emergency Management. We are actively applying for state and federal grants to install shelters and tornado sirens in District 6 and all of Christian County. I would also work to create incentive packages for local churches and community centers (if able) to modify their existing buildings for storm shelters.

If elected, what specific steps would you take to help grow jobs in the area?

I believe to help grow jobs in the area we have to have to bring in industries, but not just any industries. The industries we bring should have good work reputations and well paying jobs. I believe our education system should work with industries so that our students could work while getting an education. This could help them decide what line of work they would like to go into before they graduate high school or college.

Do you support reducing the county’s tax burden? If so, what steps would you take to make this happen?

I believe we should reduce the tax burden. This year we reduced the property tax 1/10 of a cent. I would work with state offices to help counties move to a more consumer base revenue stream and away from property and income tax.

Do you support the establishment of a library tax?

I do not support a library tax. The county has fully funded the library's requests in their budget. I don't believe that an un-elected board should be responsible for tax revenue.

Is there another issue not addressed in these questions that you believe is extremely important? If so, please explain it briefly.

I believe countywide internet is a very important issue with our voters. I voted to use the American Rescue Plan funding to enter into a partnership with Pennyrile Electric and Hopkinsville Electric Systems. They are currently running fiber and every house in Christian County will have access to high-speed, fiber internet by late 2023 or early 2024.