One of the longest serving members on the Albany City Council left office after the end of last year. Leland Hicks had served a total of over 18 years in a span of about two decades, first being appointed around 1990 and was elected to nine different terms.

Hicks missed being re-elected only two times over that period–losing the two races by a grand total of three votes. One race in the 1990s he was one vote shy of sixth place to fill a seat and this past year, only two votes short.

However, the former councilman said he never really considered asking for a recount of the vote, saying “if you’re beat, you’re beat.”

Former councilman Hicks was first appointed under an appointed mayor, the late Bobby York, and has served with three mayors total, including the late James A. Brown and current Albany Mayor Nicky Smith. He has also served alongside several different council members.

Hicks feels the biggest change, and possibly most important the city has undergone on his years in office was the total upgrading of the sewer and water system, the new treatment facility and especially moving the water pump from 76 Falls to Lake Cumberland.

“What was also important to me was the loop system” (water line project) around the city of Albany, including downtown, that replaced old, worn out lines with completely new lines. This meant more water availability to everyone and cleaner, safer water for consumption.

That project saw all overhead power and utility lines buried underground around the downtown area, something Hicks said he would like to see throughout the entire city limits.

Hicks also said the new sidewalks and other downtown improvements was a major asset to the city, making it a more attractive location for local residents and visitors alike.

The long-time councilman said the thing he would miss the most about serving in that capacity is talking and working with people. “I enjoyed helping people who wanted small things done, such as replacing street lights, putting up traffic safety signs in locations where they were needed and so forth.” Those small things citizens request are sometimes overlooked in the major scheme of things when a city has a budget of over $3.5 million.

Hicks said that as he leaves office, he feels the City of Albany is definitely headed in the right direction. “We have a balanced budget and even a surplus budget,” he said, adding, “I’d like to see more money and personnel in the street department…but you can only do so much with the money you have.”

Compared to other cities of comparable size, though, Hicks feels Albany is fairing well despite a lagging economy state and nationwide.

Hicks said if he had any advice to the new council, it would be to “watch the budget and do the best you can with what resources you have.”

Another project Hicks said he would like to see happen in the city eventually would be a larger fire department facility with a training area and more room for equipment. “I have a lot of respect for them (fire fighters),” he added.

The former councilman who was a strong advocate of making the mayor’s position full-time, said that “people need the mayor on a continuous basis and that conducting city business was a full time job.”

Hicks also credited Mayor Smith for “being relentless” at applying for grants and making trips to Washington D.C. and Frankfort on the city’s behalf. “He don’t care to ask for help,” he said.

Hicks is actually a native of Wayne County, but has lived in Clinton County since he was two years old. He was born in the Pleasant Ridge area of Wayne County, “about 500 yards from the Clinton County line,” he said.

Hicks attended Clinton County schools but finished high school in the military, having been an engineer in the Army. After military service, he went to trade school, majoring in industrial electricity. He retired after 25 years with General Telephone of Kentucky.

The former councilman also noted there had been a lot of changes and improvements with the phone system over the decades, saying he retired about the time the new switching system came in causing the need for less employees and no more ‘party-lines.’

Hicks is somewhat semi-retired, working part-time now with the school district.

He and his wife Joyce have three children, Tim, a carpenter, Eric, who works at Lexmark in Lexington, and Deveta (Dee), who is a nurse.

They also have four grandchildren, Jolie, 10, Rheagan, 8, Benjamin and Houston, both 6.

When asked if he would consider seeking elective office in the future, he replied, “I’m enjoying my freedom right now, the responsibilities aren’t there.” But, he didn’t really nix the idea, saying it would depend on his health, who may be running and other factors.

Hicks closed by saying he appreciated the support of the citizens of Albany throughout the past several years and wishes the mayor and city council the best of luck in the years ahead.