Paid Political Advertisement | Candidate Spotlight
MOREHEAD, Ky. — With the November 3 general election approaching, Morehead City Council member Edna Schack is seeking to become the city's next mayor through a write-in campaign, bringing decades of experience in education, public service, municipal government, and community development to her candidacy.
Schack, a retired Morehead State University educator and current member of the Morehead City Council, has centered her campaign on four guiding principles: responsible management of taxpayer dollars, exploring housing opportunities, enhancing recreation, and strengthening cooperation among the organizations and institutions serving Morehead.
Education and Public Service
At Morehead State University, where she retired as a Full Professor after 34 years, she taught thousands of teachers and served as founding co-director of the MSUTeach program, which continues today.
During her university career, she secured and administered more than $5 million in external grant funding, experience she believes is particularly relevant to managing municipal resources and pursuing opportunities for community development.
Her professional background also includes recognition as a Fellow of the Appalachian Regional Commission's Leadership Institute and as a Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Civic Leadership Fellow. She is also a graduate of the Kentucky League of Cities Leadership Institute.
Schack has remained involved in educational initiatives through the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence and Rowan County Schools.
Her experience in local government began with six years of service on Morehead's Planning and Zoning Commission. She subsequently won election to the Morehead City Council twice and is currently serving her second term.
During her council service, Schack helped lead the development of the Creating Vibrant Communities planning grant awarded through the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Other grant initiatives benefiting Morehead have included Complete Streets, Bluegrass Realtors, and the AARP Toyota Community Challenge.
She has also completed more than 230 documented hours of municipal government training and regularly participates in educational programs concerning housing, transportation, and local government finance.
Four Principles for Morehead's Future
Schack's campaign is built around four priorities to guide municipal decision-making.
Fiscal Stewardship
At the center of her platform is responsible stewardship of public money.
Schack believes city government must balance essential needs and desirable improvements while maintaining the financial resources necessary to respond to unexpected challenges.
Her campaign emphasizes developing budgets that address immediate municipal responsibilities without losing sight of Morehead's long-term financial stability.
Explore Housing Opportunities and Options
Recognizing the challenges associated with housing availability and affordability, Schack advocates examining land use, exploring alternatives, and considering innovative approaches to meeting the community's changing housing needs.
Her goal is to encourage housing opportunities for residents across different income levels while preparing Morehead for future growth.
Enhance Recreational Opportunities (Lifelong Sports, Arts & Music)
Schack wants Morehead to build upon its existing youth sports programs by expanding opportunities for residents of all ages.
Her vision includes greater attention to lifelong recreation, museums, cultural activities, and the arts.
She also emphasizes continued cooperation between city and county government to make recreational resources more accessible throughout the community.
Collaborate Across the Community
Schack identifies Morehead State University, UK St. Claire, local businesses, the school system, and surrounding government entities as important partners in the city's continued development.
She has already begun building those relationships. She attends Morehead State University and UK St. Claire board meetings and Economic Development Council meetings when her schedule allows and meets periodically with Rowan County Schools and Rowan County government leaders to listen, share information, and look for common ground. As mayor, she plans to meet individually with every council member and with each board and committee connected to the city.
She believes the trust that makes shared goals possible is built by showing up consistently, well before there is a decision to be made.
Experience With Property Taxes and Municipal Finances
Schack points to her record on the Morehead City Council as evidence of her willingness to examine financial proposals before casting a vote.
She has never voted to adopt a property tax rate increase. According to Council minutes, she opposed recommended property tax rate increases in both 2023 and 2024.
In 2025, she supported a reduction of nearly 20 percent in the city's real property tax rate and a further reduction in 2026.
Her broader approach emphasizes balancing the cost of government services with the financial pressures facing residents and property owners.
Her Position on Flock License Plate Recognition Cameras
One issue generating considerable discussion in Morehead has been the city's use of Flock automated license plate recognition cameras.
Schack has consulted cybersecurity and constitutional experts, law enforcement officials, and residents holding differing opinions about the cameras.
She acknowledges that the technology can be useful in criminal investigations but has raised concerns about personal privacy, potential misuse, and Flock's business practices.
She has since concluded that the city knows enough to act.
At the October 19, 2026, City Council meeting, Schack formally recommended that the city:
• Not repair or replace the damaged Flock camera equipment.
• Not extend the existing contract with Flock.
• Work to minimize or eliminate any remaining financial obligations to the company.
• Explore alternative methods of strengthening public safety without compromising individual privacy.
Because the October 19 meeting was a special-called meeting, the item could not be voted on at that meeting. The City Council is expected to take up her recommendations at its November meeting.
Schack maintains that protecting public safety and safeguarding constitutional rights should not be treated as mutually exclusive responsibilities.
Increasing Transparency in City Government
Another priority Schack identifies is making information about Morehead's various municipal boards, commissions, and affiliated organizations easier for the public to access.
She notes that two organizations hold a distinctive place: the Morehead Utility Plant Board, funded by utility fees and grants for capital projects, and the Morehead-Rowan County Recreation, Tourism, and Convention Commission, which is defined by state statute. Each has its own budget, and both are audited alongside the city.
The city also has many boards and commissions with resident members. Schack sees these as the key opportunities to make more visible and open to new members — a practical way for residents to learn how city government works, serve their city, and step into civic engagement.
Schack proposes creating a centralized section on the city's website where residents can learn about these organizations, including their purpose, leadership, board appointments, meeting schedules, and opportunities for public participation.
Why a Write-In Campaign?
According to her campaign website, Schack developed an interest in serving as mayor during her time on City Council.
When another candidate withdrew approximately two weeks after the regular filing deadline, leaving only one name on the ballot, a write-in candidacy became her remaining path to entering the mayoral race.
Morehead Is Home
Beyond her professional and public service experience, Schack describes Morehead as the community where she and her family have established deep roots.
She and her husband, Mark, live downtown, within walking distance of several of the city's parks, businesses, and gathering places.
Their four adult children were born at St. Claire. Two continue to live in Morehead, while the others live close enough to visit on a weekend.
For Schack, the mayoral race represents an opportunity to continue serving the community where she has spent the bulk of her adult life.
Her campaign emphasizes listening to residents, studying issues carefully, and making decisions intended to benefit the broader community. If elected, she commits to be Morehead's full-time mayor.
How to Vote for Edna Schack
Because Schack is running as a write-in candidate, her name will not appear among the printed mayoral candidates on the ballot.
According to her campaign instructions, voters wishing to cast a ballot for her should locate the City of Morehead mayoral race, write Edna Schack, or Schack, in the designated write-in space, and fill in the accompanying selection box. Her campaign sums it up as "Find, Write, and Fill" — no fill, no vote. The same steps apply to absentee, early, and Election Day voting.
Her campaign asks voters to spell her last name S-C-H-A-C-K — six letters, with two Cs for Commitment and Community. Because she listed 18 spelling variations with her filing papers, there is some leeway for misspellings.
The general election is Tuesday, November 3, 2026; early voting runs through October 31.
Residents interested in learning more about Schack's qualifications, campaign priorities, and positions on local issues can visit her campaign website or Facebook page, or reach her directly:
https://schackformayor.com/ | facebook.com/SchackforMayor | [email protected] | 606-356-3619
Paid Political Advertising Disclosure: This Candidate Spotlight is paid political advertising purchased by the Edna O. Schack mayoral campaign. Information regarding the candidate's experience, priorities, and positions was provided by the campaign and obtained from its published materials. Publication does not constitute an endorsement by The Morehead Minute. Advertising opportunities are available to qualifying candidates regardless of political affiliation.
Paid for by Edna O Schack for Mayor.