Why would anyone want to be Metro's next mayor?

Video: Word On The Street (7/30/07)

The city's chief executive is away from his home and family virtually every day and night.

If the next mayor's duties include the same as the present mayor, Bill Purcell, he must walk or run in all of the local 10K foot races, pass out trophies and medals at all of the schools and attend virtually every retirement party and so-on and so-on.

He's been doing this for eight years. Purcell's salary is only $137,500 a year.

So why would mayoral candidates spend a million dollars or more to become mayor of a city who's funds are desperately low?

I asked some of the leading political advisors about why someone wants to be Nashville's mayor.

'You simply can't apply business sense to it," one advisor said, referring to the large amount of money spent by candidates. "It does not make economic sense."

"It's an ego trip," another said.

Still a veteran of political races said candidates hope they can use the mayor's job as a stepping stone to climb the political ladder.

The total spent by seven mayoral candidates have already reached well over a $1,300,000 million on their campaigns.

They also have about the same amount on hand to spend for the election this week.

Two of the candidates will need these reserve funds, since its a certainty there will be a run-off election.

Who ends up paying for a candidate's race?

The debts will be retired by those who want to be close to the mayor, an adviser said

But, why spend so much money, both yours and your supporters, to have the problems that the next mayor faces?

But, as they said, that's politics and politicians.