Local business man elected mayor of Hastings

HASTINGS, Neb. (KSNB) - On Election Day, the city of Hastings decided who they wanted as their next mayor. Both candidates in the running are local business owners, but one pulled out a narrow victory.

Jay Beckby is a well-known business man in central Nebraska and now he's Hastings Mayor-Elect. Beckby captured 55 percent of the city's votes to defeat fellow business owner and his good friend, Jacque Cranson. He describes the experience of running for mayor as "interesting."

"I never really thought about politics before. I never aspired to be a politician," said Beckby. "I looked at the city of Hastings over a lot of years and I saw some things that I thought I can bring to the table from a business aspect to run the city like a business."

Why did Beckby decide to run for mayor?

"I just..I looked in the mirror and everyday I kept looking in the mirror and it kept telling me more and more just put your ideas out there you know," said Beckby. "Speak up. Say what you wanna say, and if people don't agree with you that's ok."

Beckby won by just over 1,000 votes and he plans to be a mayor all of Hastings can be proud of.

"I only hope that with the next coming years maybe I can garner some of those people's trust and make them believe in what I'm for; because I'm here for only one reason," said Beckby. "I didn't get in this race to make friends. I didn't get in this race to fit in at the golf course and I just got in is because I saw a need that needed an answer, and I hope I can win those people over with my actions in the next four years."

Beckby shared his feelings on becoming mayor.

"I guess there's a few feelings, because I would've woke up with a smile on my face either way. Because either I had work to do for the city of Hastings or I was going to back to work in my small businesses that I want to thrive as well."

So why did Beckby want to win?

"I wanted to win just because I'm a competitor. I wanted to win also because I think I've got some abilities to bring some change to the table that I think Hastings citizens have wanted for a long time and haven't seen. I want to give everybody a chance to see what I can do."

But if he would've lost, "It wouldn't have been a bad thing if I would've won or lost but I think I would've missed an opportunity to show Hastings what I can do; but I would've been happy either way."

Beckby owns multiple businesses in central Nebraska, three in Hastings. He also spent 22 years in the Army, 19 years in a leadership role. He will rely on his leadership experience to guide Hastings City Council.

"Once I became an Officer, I became in a leadership position, and the biggest thing is getting everybody on the same sheet of music. No matter what type of ideology that you wear on your sleeve. We need to get people fighting for the citizen, what's right for the citizen and I think getting on the same team is very important."

He also has a plan on how to get everyone on the same sheet of music.

"What I'd like to is first day in office, I want to sit down with all my city leadership, my city council and I want to have a 30 to 45 minute meeting with them all. I want to explain to them a little bit about me. I want them to explain about them. What they've done in the last year, what their accomplishments are, what their current accomplishments are, and what their goals are for the next year."

Beckby feels that will provide a framework for city government to move forward. Some may wonder how Beckby plans have time to be mayor while also operating multiple businesses in central Nebraska.

"It's about the people that you surround yourself with. You surround yourself with a good, intelligent city staff which we already have. You surround yourself by council men and women that are willing to listen to the citizen and provide oversight for that city staff and parameters for that city staff."

Beckby also stated at last months candidate forum what his leadership style will be like.

"Actions speaks louder than words my man. That's all you gotta do. You can talk to me all day long about something, but if you don't do something about it or change something; then the words don't mean anything. That's where we've been at for a long time. We got a lot of people that have talked you know talked a game and not followed through. I plan on following through with everything I've said."

Beckby's focus will be leadership, accountability, transparency, economic growth and cutting spending. He also wants to establish a committee of developers. That committee would explain the problems they had attempting to develop in Hastings.

"Maybe they can get together, I can get the regulatory agency to speak to them as a group as a committee to say 'look where could we find common ground, and were can we push forward with development.' Because that's what it all amounts to. Instead of butting heads, let's all get together and work on this thing."

Beckby said he's thankful for the opportunity to be mayor of Hastings.

"I'm glad that the citizens of Hastings are going to give me an opportunity to show what I can do for four years because I don't think they're going to be dissatisfied when it's all done." Beckby said. "It may be a little different, this type of leadership; but I think I can get everybody on the same sheet of music."

Beckby said when this all shakes out in four years, he just wants people to be able to come up to him and say 'hey you did a good job, you really did.'

Beckby starts his term as mayor in December. He plans to promote from within to fill city city positions such as city administrator, fire chief and city clerk. Then he will backfill positions while repurposing and restructuring to shrink the number of city staff.