Bonnie Henderson says she has already been out getting her feet wet as mayor of Clarkson.

"I put on my boots this morning and I've been riding with Carroll Klineline (Clarkson's sewer plant operator). I've been in the mud and the rain today learning what he does," Henderson said.

Henderson is no stranger to public service either, after serving a two-year term as commissioner before conducting her first campaign for mayor and losing to Sam Hodges. Since then she filled another term as a commissioner before being elected mayor.

Clarkson's new mayor is anything but new to the scene, after growing up in the community and graduating from Clarkson High School in 1970.

Henderson said she has lots of plans for the sixth class city.

"First I want to get everything organized and find out what everybody's job is," she said.

Besides four commissioners and the mayor, the city employs two police officers, a garbage truck driver, a city clerk and Klineline. Henderson said, "I feel like I need to know everybody's job in order to run the city better.

Henderson plans to take care of some items the residents of Clarkson have been complaining about for many years.

Immediate priorities include drainage problems on South Patterson Street.

"I don't see why we can't do something about the water. When it rains very much, people's property stands in water," she explained.

Henderson said the problem lies with the continuity of the drainage tiles. She explained that as property was developed along the street each individual had to install a drainage tile. "I think everything is off kilter," she said.

Another of Henderson's priorities is getting a traffic light in Clarkson.

"The people on North Patterson Street are screaming for a stop light, because if you are trying to pull out at night and people are parked on the side of the road, it is hard to see," she said.

Another idea Henderson has is to replace the existing caution light with a traffic light.

"We have been told we're getting the westbound off-ramp off of the parkway soon. This will create more traffic in our area and we may need the light somewhere else," she said.

Henderson said she was very excited about her term as mayor. "I don't want four years to roll around and look around to find things are still the way they are now," she said.

Henderson said she is still checking to make sure her ideas are fiscally sound for the city.

"We don't have a lot of money in Clarkson and there are lots of things I want to do, so I am going to be out there looking for money to do it with," she said.

In her long term plans, Henderson wants to increase the economic power of Clarkson.

With a population just under 800, Clarkson already has the support of Mid Park.

Henderson said she knows of two prime pieces of real estate that would be perfect for new industry.

"We need to get some more jobs created in this community so people will want to live here," she said.

Henderson lives in Clarkson with her husband Kenny, who is retired from the Department of Fish & Wildlife.

She has one daughter, Penny Manion, and three grand children, Chaeli Williams, 11; Tyler Manion 7; and Jessie Manion, one-year old.

Her son Jody Henderson currently lives in Lexington but has just purchased 15 acres in Clarkson.

With four new commissioners on the job too, Henderson said the city is looking to the future.

The new commissioners are David Strader, Ken Lashley, Carl Ball, and Henry Johnson.

"We all want the same things, we just have to get out there and get the money to do it," she said.