Concerned with taxes and getting the tenant union underway, Jamie Pennington is trying to get the 6th Ward into better shape.

Pennington, elected in April 1989 to represent the 6th Ward, is concerned with improving community-based communication and the garbage problem.

The tenant union, founded by Pennington, will give tenants certain rights and should resolve tenant and landlord problems, he said. “We will act as the middleman between landlord and tenant complaints,” Pennington said.

Pennington said the job is very time consuming and difficult because it is hard to please everybody, but it is rewarding to help other people.

Trying to improve the relatively low voting turnout, Pennington tries to make the community interested through early campaigning.

“One vote can make a difference. I encourage students to participate as much as possible. They (students) pay taxes, and should be concerned,” he said.

Fiscal concerns also are a big issue for DeKalb, he said. “DeKalb is hurting for money and there is a public demand to maintain taxes. DeKalb is growing very much so the demand of service is growing too. We don’t have the money to provide those services.”

Within the next few years, Pennington hopes for involvement of people in the community and for a successful tenant union.

“I wish to better the university and city relations which historically have not been very good,” he said.