Mayor Clifford F. Kerby Calls It
a Career
An interview by Andy McDonald
When the Berea City Council adjourns for the holidays on Dec. 17, it will mark the end of Mayor Clifford F. Kerby’s 44 years in public service, 23 of which were spent as Berea’s chief executive.
 Courtesy of Brunner Studios |
I caught up with Mayor Kerby the day photographers from Brunner’s Studio were doing a photo shoot for his official portrait that will soon hang in Berea City Hall. When I asked him to reflect on his years as the man in charge, Mayor Kerby showed why Madison County scribes consider him to be one of the best interviews in town. McDonald: Growing up in Berea, did you ever imagine you would one
day be mayor? From that time until now, is there anything about Berea that has
stayed the same despite the passage of time? |
You’re noted for two other things in Berea besides being mayor,
including being a physician and an actor. How did being a doctor help
you in your job as mayor?
“Physicians are trained and have the personality
to make some of the most important decisions – often decisions of
life and death. We’re not averse to making decisions, and I think
that’s helped me.”
Is there any acting in your future here in Berea?
“How many old parts are there?” Kerby
laughed. “I guess I could play Big Daddy in Cat on A Hot Tin Roof
again. Last of the Red Hot Lovers, that’s probably out. I would
be tempted. Certainly I think theater was such a nice addition to this
town when we were staging plays and drawing good crowds. It would be nice
if the community had something like that again. I’m not sure I’d
be part of it, except maybe as a director, not an actor.”
Do you regret that community theater is not a bigger part of Berea’s
culture?
“I really respect the city of Danville, and
the cultural offerings they have over there. I think Berea should rival
the city of Danville in that respect. We certainly have the people to
do it and the desire to do it. Not all of life is basketball games. There
are other things we can enjoy.”
What was your best day as mayor of Berea?
“The thing that sticks out in my mind the
most is the day that Tokico decided to buy some land from the Industrial
Authority and build a factory here, because that started the roll and
it was a good day. The man who was then president of Tokico came to my
house last year and we were laughing about standing in the weeds out there
up to our backsides. He reminded me that 100 employees were to be hired
and that I wanted 75 of them to be from Berea. He said, ‘Now we
have just gone over our 800th employee. Did you ever imagine it would
be like this?’”
So when local historians stack you up against mayors Gay and Hensley,
what about your administration would you like them to remember most?
“I think I’d like to be remembered most
as the man who brought jobs to Berea.”
What was your worst day as mayor?
“November 5, 2002,” Kerby quipped, recalling
the night Steve Connelly won the mayoral race. “One major thing
was when we had the tornado. It was awful what had happened to the city
we were so proud of. Sorting that mess out was the first trial at being
a true leader.”
What was the hardest part of being mayor?
“It was a financial sacrifice for me, because
they’ve certainly never paid their mayors much, and then when they
do finally raise the salary, they kick me out of office,” Kerby
joked. “But it’s something I wanted to do – nobody forced
me.”
Is there anything left undone during your tenure that you would have
liked to see finished?
“We need to get rid of the 70,000 nerve gas
rockets laying in our backyard, which is an ever increasing danger. I’ve
worked hard for 20 years on this and we’re still talking. Other
people are getting rid of theirs and we need to get those things out of
here. Without a doubt it’s going to be a disaster one of these days
if we don’t.”
So you don’t think the matter was resolved with the recent decision
by the Army to pursue alternative technologies for weapons disposal?
“Well, it’s not proven. It may be fine.
They’ll have a long proving time for the method for mass destruction
of these weapons. And just this past week, the National Science Foundation
reversed itself and came out and said what I’ve been saying all
along: Incineration does work, it can move ahead, and it can meet the
timing schedules. I’m not insisting on one method but it’s
as safe as any we know. It’s been proven despite some of the things
that are being said about it. It is a proven method and we should not
throw it out. But if they come up with a safe method, and no method is
going to be 100% safe, I’m perfectly willing to accept that.”
Is there any advice you’d give to the next mayor as he prepares
to take office?
“I think he ought to retire at the end of
January and turn it back over to me,” Kerby laughed. “I like
Steve. He’s capable. He’s got good plans for the future and
he wants it to continue doing well. I think he’ll work hard at it.
Steve can handle it.”
When you adjourn your final meeting as mayor this month, the city of
Berea will have a $6 million surplus despite making some pretty impressive
investments in infrastructure. That’s a far cry from the financial
position you inherited in 1978.
“Back then I was looking month to month just
to meet the payroll. We were never in the red, we’ve never been
in the red, but we were really knocking on the door. We don’t have
to worry about that now. With good management, we could probably operate
for three years and not bring in a penny if we had to. I’ve always
said I wanted to leave the city better than I found it, and I think I
am. It’s a good feeling.”
