HENDERSON, Ky. — Over the course of three days, the city of Henderson is welcoming more than 100 fifth graders to the Henderson Municipal Center to learn more about their city government.
The event aims to help students better understand how decisions are made and how they can have a voice in their community, even at a young age.
Spottsville Elementary School student Norah Burton acted as the newly elected mock mayor of Henderson.
“It was very nerve racking getting up there, but after I did it, I felt slowly I would get less nervous,” Burton said.
Here’s the platform the fifth grader ran on:
“I would make more opportunities for the citizens for them to get more income. And I would help get them to be able to give me some ideas of improvements that I can make in the city,” she said. “We’re like the United States, but just a city. Together, we can do big things, just like the country can do big things. I could help make more safe road options, as well as helping parks and other things.”
It was convincing enough for her classmates to elect her. It was all part of the mock city government Henderson does once a year with all fifth graders in the county.
“I think it’s really important, especially at an early age, that they get involved, or learn how to get involved. Because a lot of times, there’s this gap. Before people turn 25 years old even, even after high school, because they don’t know or they’re not familiar with or they’re uncomfortable with how to talk to people in their own city government, then a lot of times their voices aren’t heard,” Henderson Mayor Brad Staton said.
Burton was joined by a mock city manager, mock city attorney, mock city clerk and mock commissioners, which included Mason Arvin. They got to hear from the rest of their classmates, playing the part of citizens, who voiced pros and cons of adding speed bumps to a busy street.
“Once you get up there, you can see both sides, like if you put a speed bump, it could cause more wrecks, but it could also keep wrecks from happening, and keep kids from being hit,” Arvin said.
Those kinds of critical thinking skills come in handy when discussing topics that might seem simple on the surface.
“It was really eye opening,” Burton said. “I’m gonna cherish this moment for my whole life, because this is a special thing, not just for me, but it could be for my family, because it’s really hard to be elected mayor. It’s not an easy task.”
It’s certainly not an easy task, but it’s one she may be up to down the road.
“I might end up trying to be the actual mayor someday, but I don’t know. I’m not quite there yet, but it just depends how the rest of my future plays out,” Burton said.
If it plays out with her sitting in Staton’s seat one day, he said he’d be just fine with that.
Students from East Heights, Spottsville, A.B. Chandler, Bend Gate, Jefferson, Cairo and Holy Name School are participating. The last day of the event will be Monday, May 5.
