Owens and Miller to bid city council farewell

Two familiar faces on Shelbyville City Council did not file for another term, making this year their last.

Valoise Owens and Michael W. Miller both said they've enjoyed their time on city council and will miss being a part of it.

Owens, assistant vice president with Republic Bank, has been a city council member for the past 20 years. She said she did not file for another term because she wants to spend more time with her family.

There's plenty of family to spend time with. Owens has two daughters, Veleda and Penny, and one son, Keith. In total, they have given her seven grandkids.

"I'm looking forward to it," she said. "After 20 years of serving, I just felt like I needed to spend more time with family."

Owens said in the last 20 years there were many improvements in the city, such as the creation of additional fire stations, making things easier for first-time home buyers, and creating more jobs.

"I'll miss it," she said. "I'll miss the council and the meetings. Everyone on the council is great."

George R. Best, commissioner of the Triple S Planning Commission and a candidate for his first term on city council, said Owens has been a key player on the council for a long time.

"Val will be missed," Best said. "She did a lot of work behind the scenes."

Owens said she will continue to do so.

"I'll still be involved," she said. "Not with city council, but I'll find a way to still be involved.

"It has been a great experience."

Mike Miller

Miller said he also had a great experience and expressed regret that he will not be able to stay on the council. He has served for 10 years. He said he could not file for another term because he will soon be moving just outside city lines, and no longer living in Shelbyville will prevent him from being able to serve on the council.

"If not for that, I'd file and continue to serve," he said.

During his 10 years, Miller said there were many city issues he was proud to help resolve. He said one big problem was when citizens were having their pockets picked by illegal solicitations at intersections for several years. He was a part of the group that worked with Northern Kentucky University to get an ordinance to stop the illegal solicitations of funds.

Owens said Miller has been great for the city.

"Mike is super," she said. "Like me, his main concern is the safety of the community."

Miller said he is proud the city council developed and maintained quality city services during his time in office. More police officer positions were created, and the fire department maintained its fire rating, which keeps homeowner's insurance down, Miller said.

Miller said in the coming years it will be important for the city to keep an eye on costs that would affect Shelbyville residents. To keep costs low, he said expanding the city's boundaries and recruiting good commercial and industrial business is necessary.

"I'd rather taxes go down," he said. "To pay for services, the city needs commercial and industrial, instead of residents, to carry the load."

Miller works as a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Larry Rogers Realty. His wife, Betsy, is a teacher as West Middle School. Their son, Powell, is a senior at the University of Louisville.