The Journal Record has an article recapping all Marion County elections. Also, there are a couple of pictures of Missy Miles working on the city's downtown mural. You can see the online version at http://www.myjrpaper.com.
You can follow Missy's progress at http://organicvessels.blogspot.com/.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Thank You!!!!
Thank you all, once again, for your help and support during this election. While we'll never all agree on every topic, I do feel we have elected a strong mayor and city council who will be very productive and move Guin forward. I really believe this group will be able to work together without the circus council meetings we've had during the last four years. I thank you, also, for your interest in this blog. I will continue using this site as an outlet for a two-way discussion on the issues affecting our city, so please continue to check in on a regular basis.
On a personal note, I have an announcement to make. Heather and I recently found out we are expecting our first child. We just returned from our first ultrasound in which we saw and heard the heartbeat. We are very happy and very excited about bringing a new life into this world. The due date is April 21st. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers during this process.
On a personal note, I have an announcement to make. Heather and I recently found out we are expecting our first child. We just returned from our first ultrasound in which we saw and heard the heartbeat. We are very happy and very excited about bringing a new life into this world. The due date is April 21st. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers during this process.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Election Results
Winners are marked with an asterisk.
Mayor:
Ken Randolph - 319
Phil Segraves - 484 *
City Council:
Bobby Bellew - 532 *
Phillip Garrison - 562 *
Bill Green - 404
Randall Guin - 358
Mike Hawkins - 151
Elaine Junkin - 563 *
Mineo Lindsey - 544 *
Steve Lolley - 279
Cerell Metcalf - 415 *
Tim Pierce - 197
"Boozer" Pinkerton - 448 *
Gary Randolph - 638 *
Brian Wideman - 115
Kevin Williams - 151
Thank you so much for your support. I'll post more later.
Mayor:
Ken Randolph - 319
Phil Segraves - 484 *
City Council:
Bobby Bellew - 532 *
Phillip Garrison - 562 *
Bill Green - 404
Randall Guin - 358
Mike Hawkins - 151
Elaine Junkin - 563 *
Mineo Lindsey - 544 *
Steve Lolley - 279
Cerell Metcalf - 415 *
Tim Pierce - 197
"Boozer" Pinkerton - 448 *
Gary Randolph - 638 *
Brian Wideman - 115
Kevin Williams - 151
Thank you so much for your support. I'll post more later.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Election Time!!!
It's finally here! Tomorrow, we'll go to the polls to elect Guin's future leaders. Please remember how important this election is to our city's future. This is a critical time for our region given the expected growth along I-22 and it's imperative we elect those people who will carry us forward and give us the opportunity for success. I know the weather is expected to be less than perfect, but please make an effort to get out and voice your opinion through your vote.
It has been fun to watch the polls on the right side of my site to see how readers expect to vote in tomorrow's election. Of course, none of this data is scientific and the election could turn out totally different than what the polls say, especially given our 7-vote system of electing a city council. It will be interesting, though, to see how the polls correlate to the election and if my readership is a good representation of people in our community. There are a few hours left to vote in my poll, but if the election were to go as the readers of this site predict, the following people would sit on our city government for the next four years:
Mayor:
Phil Segraves
City Council:
Bobby Bellew
Phillip Garrison
Mineo Lindsey
Elaine Junkin
Bill Green
Cerell Metcalf
Steve Lolley
Finally, I hope you've found this blog to be informative and a way to follow the activities of your city government. If elected, I do plan to continue using this as a way to not only inform the community of issues facing our city, but as a way of also gaining input from our citizens on those very same issues. I feel that I've proven myself to be a forward thinker and one who is willing to make the tough decisions to move Guin forward. So, as you go to the polls tomorrow, I respectfully ask for you vote and support for another four years on your city council. If you have questions for me before the election, feel free to post a comment publicly or email me privately at bobbybellew@gmail.com. I'll get back to you as soon as possible.
One more note: I'll be at City Hall as the results of the election are posted tomorrow. As soon as I get the results, I will post them here. The polls close at 7, so expect results sometime between 7:30 and 8:00 P.M.
It has been fun to watch the polls on the right side of my site to see how readers expect to vote in tomorrow's election. Of course, none of this data is scientific and the election could turn out totally different than what the polls say, especially given our 7-vote system of electing a city council. It will be interesting, though, to see how the polls correlate to the election and if my readership is a good representation of people in our community. There are a few hours left to vote in my poll, but if the election were to go as the readers of this site predict, the following people would sit on our city government for the next four years:
Mayor:
Phil Segraves
City Council:
Bobby Bellew
Phillip Garrison
Mineo Lindsey
Elaine Junkin
Bill Green
Cerell Metcalf
Steve Lolley
Finally, I hope you've found this blog to be informative and a way to follow the activities of your city government. If elected, I do plan to continue using this as a way to not only inform the community of issues facing our city, but as a way of also gaining input from our citizens on those very same issues. I feel that I've proven myself to be a forward thinker and one who is willing to make the tough decisions to move Guin forward. So, as you go to the polls tomorrow, I respectfully ask for you vote and support for another four years on your city council. If you have questions for me before the election, feel free to post a comment publicly or email me privately at bobbybellew@gmail.com. I'll get back to you as soon as possible.
One more note: I'll be at City Hall as the results of the election are posted tomorrow. As soon as I get the results, I will post them here. The polls close at 7, so expect results sometime between 7:30 and 8:00 P.M.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Candidate Forum
The En Evant Study Club sponsored a candidate forum tonight to allow voters an opportunity to hear candidates views on four separate issues facing our city. There were nine city council candidates who participated and Mayor Segraves was the only mayoral candidate present. The council candidates were myself, Mike Hawkins, Kevin Williams, Tim Pierce, Elaine Junkin, Mineo Lindsey, Boozer Pinkerton, and Cerell Metcalf. Steve Lolley, Gary Randolph, Randall Guin, Bill Green, Brian Wideman, and Ken Randolph did not participate.
Thank you to those 60 or so people who were in the audience for your support, but for those who were unable to attend, I am including the four questions we addressed. My response follows each question. I hope you'll find the information useful. If you have questions, feel free to comment and I'll be glad to respond.
1. Do you support the continuation of the school tax as it stands?
I believe the most important gift we can give our children is the gift of an education. The problem with this, though, is that a quality education can be costly. The state of Alabama has traditionally not funded education as well as we all would like. That puts a tremendous burden on communities around the state to fund their school systems sufficiently. Those communities who’ve taken on that responsibility through various funding projects and provided the necessary resources for their schools have seen a lot of success. Some of those schools and school systems are rated among the best in the country. Those who choose not to fund their systems sufficiently struggle to provide their children with the necessary resources for a quality education. And, unfortunately, those are some of the lowest rated schools in our country. This discrepancy in our state is very unfortunate, but one we have to deal with.
Several years ago, our community leaders decided it was important to provide needed resources to our schools through a one cent sales tax. Through this sales tax, our citizens funnel over $100,000 per year to our children. This money has been used over the years for facilities improvements, school supplies, technology, and many other areas needed to provide a quality education. Without this additional funding, there is no doubt much of this would not have been available to our kids.
I would love to see the day when we could find other avenues to provide sufficient funding to allow our children the education we all desire, but until that day comes, I will continue to support the 1% sales tax designated for our local schools. The future of our children is too important to not provide them with the very best education available.
At the end of each year, on this very stage, our students accept tens of thousands of dollars in scholarship money. This is a testament to the hard work of our students, but your tax dollars have provided them with the resources needed to prepare them for college. We should all feel a sense of pride for the small amount we may have contributed to the educational successes of these students.
2. Would you support land use regulation (zoning)?
Land use regulation or zoning is something our community has yet to face, but it’s something we’ll need to address as we look to grow our city. Zoning can entail many things, much of which I’m still learning. The primary purpose of zoning, though, is to segregate uses that are thought to be incompatible. Primarily, zoning is used as a permitting system to prevent new development from harming existing residents or businesses or to preserve the "character" of a community.
Zoning may include regulations of the kinds of activities which would be acceptable on certain lots such as open space, residential, commercial, agricultural, or industrial. It can include such things as regulating building heights, the amount of space a structure may occupy, how much parking should be provided, or even the type of landscaping required for certain structures. It’s yet to be seen whether or not any or all of this would apply to our community, but I do feel it’s something we have to look at. It’s important to Guin’s future that we bring in new business. And whether it be industrial or commercial, businesses look for these type regulations when scouting a community for potential expansion.
Creating a land use plan is a very complicated process and, I’m sure, can be a controversial topic, but it’s something we have to consider given the requirements of potential industry. I do support some type of zoning legislation for Guin, but not without significant involvement from all areas of our community. It’s very important we bring growth to our community, but, it’s also important we do it with the goals and aspirations of our citizens in mind. If we work together, this city can grow and succeed while maintaining the quality of life we all enjoy.
3. How do you propose the next city council avoid the bickering and other embarrassing conduct reported in the local newspaper?
Disagreement is nothing new to city government. I personally believe disagreement can be healthy for the process if it’s done in a professional manner. Expressing one’s opinion, whether we agree or not, allows us to see all aspects of the issues we face. And when we act on those issues, we can do so knowing we’ve considered all angles.
The problem, though, is that our city council sometimes disagrees or bickers in a way that’s a detriment to our city. That bickering, while achieving nothing, guarantees us a spot on the front page of our local newspaper for all the wrong reasons. While some may consider these antics entertaining, and many do, I consider them to be embarrassing. My goal is to do my very best to move Guin forward, but each time we create this circus, we, as a city, move one step back.
As our city council enters a new term, we approve a set of rules which establish order for our meetings. First and foremost, it’s important we know those rules of order and abide by them. Those rules require that an agenda of specific topics be established prior to the meeting and that any changes or additions be approved by the majority of the council on the day of the meeting. This ensures that each member of the council has time to sufficiently prepare for the items which require action and are not blind sided by issues or complaints that are brought up during a meeting.
Secondly, there are many issues and areas that don’t initially require action by the city council and need to be taken up with the department heads in charge of those aspects of Guin’s day-to-day business. If one cannot get the desired response through the proper channels, then those issues should be brought before the council. These day-to-day issues have proven, over the last four years, to be a significant source of much of the bickering we’ve encountered in our meetings. If we can take care of those issues with our department heads before a meeting, we eliminate this source of contention and are able to take action on those issues we are responsible for.
Lastly, council members should respect each other and the responsibility they’ve been given to lead our community. If we respect our colleagues, we can offer up differing opinions and views and debate in a manner that can be healthy for our community. It’s important that we support our views with factual information and refrain from personal attacks when someone disagrees with a certain viewpoint. We should also respect the position which our citizens have trusted us to. If we bicker and cause our city harm through our antics, we have disrespected the position we’ve been elected to perform.
Whether or not we believe it, prospective industry reads our local newspaper and knows exactly how we get along. The city council can disagree and debate the issues of our community, but it’s imperative we do it in a manner that doesn’t bring harm to this city.
4. Will you commit your support to whoever is elected as mayor and/or city council in their efforts to move the city forward?
Absolutely! Each candidate has their own views and opinions on how we move our community forward. Some of those opinions may correlate with others running for office, while others may wildly differ, but I sincerely believe we all have the best for Guin in mind. I’m running for re-election for that very reason. I love this community, want to raise a family here, and retire here. I want to provide our children and grandchildren opportunities to come back and live here if they so choose. I would be doing you a disservice if you entrust me with another four years on the city council and I refuse to work with my colleagues because their views differ from mine. If we’ll work together, I have no doubt that this community will grow and succeed and the goals and aspirations we all have for our city can be achieved.
I thank you so much for your time and respectfully ask for your support in our municipal election on Tuesday.
Thank you to those 60 or so people who were in the audience for your support, but for those who were unable to attend, I am including the four questions we addressed. My response follows each question. I hope you'll find the information useful. If you have questions, feel free to comment and I'll be glad to respond.
1. Do you support the continuation of the school tax as it stands?
I believe the most important gift we can give our children is the gift of an education. The problem with this, though, is that a quality education can be costly. The state of Alabama has traditionally not funded education as well as we all would like. That puts a tremendous burden on communities around the state to fund their school systems sufficiently. Those communities who’ve taken on that responsibility through various funding projects and provided the necessary resources for their schools have seen a lot of success. Some of those schools and school systems are rated among the best in the country. Those who choose not to fund their systems sufficiently struggle to provide their children with the necessary resources for a quality education. And, unfortunately, those are some of the lowest rated schools in our country. This discrepancy in our state is very unfortunate, but one we have to deal with.
Several years ago, our community leaders decided it was important to provide needed resources to our schools through a one cent sales tax. Through this sales tax, our citizens funnel over $100,000 per year to our children. This money has been used over the years for facilities improvements, school supplies, technology, and many other areas needed to provide a quality education. Without this additional funding, there is no doubt much of this would not have been available to our kids.
I would love to see the day when we could find other avenues to provide sufficient funding to allow our children the education we all desire, but until that day comes, I will continue to support the 1% sales tax designated for our local schools. The future of our children is too important to not provide them with the very best education available.
At the end of each year, on this very stage, our students accept tens of thousands of dollars in scholarship money. This is a testament to the hard work of our students, but your tax dollars have provided them with the resources needed to prepare them for college. We should all feel a sense of pride for the small amount we may have contributed to the educational successes of these students.
2. Would you support land use regulation (zoning)?
Land use regulation or zoning is something our community has yet to face, but it’s something we’ll need to address as we look to grow our city. Zoning can entail many things, much of which I’m still learning. The primary purpose of zoning, though, is to segregate uses that are thought to be incompatible. Primarily, zoning is used as a permitting system to prevent new development from harming existing residents or businesses or to preserve the "character" of a community.
Zoning may include regulations of the kinds of activities which would be acceptable on certain lots such as open space, residential, commercial, agricultural, or industrial. It can include such things as regulating building heights, the amount of space a structure may occupy, how much parking should be provided, or even the type of landscaping required for certain structures. It’s yet to be seen whether or not any or all of this would apply to our community, but I do feel it’s something we have to look at. It’s important to Guin’s future that we bring in new business. And whether it be industrial or commercial, businesses look for these type regulations when scouting a community for potential expansion.
Creating a land use plan is a very complicated process and, I’m sure, can be a controversial topic, but it’s something we have to consider given the requirements of potential industry. I do support some type of zoning legislation for Guin, but not without significant involvement from all areas of our community. It’s very important we bring growth to our community, but, it’s also important we do it with the goals and aspirations of our citizens in mind. If we work together, this city can grow and succeed while maintaining the quality of life we all enjoy.
3. How do you propose the next city council avoid the bickering and other embarrassing conduct reported in the local newspaper?
Disagreement is nothing new to city government. I personally believe disagreement can be healthy for the process if it’s done in a professional manner. Expressing one’s opinion, whether we agree or not, allows us to see all aspects of the issues we face. And when we act on those issues, we can do so knowing we’ve considered all angles.
The problem, though, is that our city council sometimes disagrees or bickers in a way that’s a detriment to our city. That bickering, while achieving nothing, guarantees us a spot on the front page of our local newspaper for all the wrong reasons. While some may consider these antics entertaining, and many do, I consider them to be embarrassing. My goal is to do my very best to move Guin forward, but each time we create this circus, we, as a city, move one step back.
As our city council enters a new term, we approve a set of rules which establish order for our meetings. First and foremost, it’s important we know those rules of order and abide by them. Those rules require that an agenda of specific topics be established prior to the meeting and that any changes or additions be approved by the majority of the council on the day of the meeting. This ensures that each member of the council has time to sufficiently prepare for the items which require action and are not blind sided by issues or complaints that are brought up during a meeting.
Secondly, there are many issues and areas that don’t initially require action by the city council and need to be taken up with the department heads in charge of those aspects of Guin’s day-to-day business. If one cannot get the desired response through the proper channels, then those issues should be brought before the council. These day-to-day issues have proven, over the last four years, to be a significant source of much of the bickering we’ve encountered in our meetings. If we can take care of those issues with our department heads before a meeting, we eliminate this source of contention and are able to take action on those issues we are responsible for.
Lastly, council members should respect each other and the responsibility they’ve been given to lead our community. If we respect our colleagues, we can offer up differing opinions and views and debate in a manner that can be healthy for our community. It’s important that we support our views with factual information and refrain from personal attacks when someone disagrees with a certain viewpoint. We should also respect the position which our citizens have trusted us to. If we bicker and cause our city harm through our antics, we have disrespected the position we’ve been elected to perform.
Whether or not we believe it, prospective industry reads our local newspaper and knows exactly how we get along. The city council can disagree and debate the issues of our community, but it’s imperative we do it in a manner that doesn’t bring harm to this city.
4. Will you commit your support to whoever is elected as mayor and/or city council in their efforts to move the city forward?
Absolutely! Each candidate has their own views and opinions on how we move our community forward. Some of those opinions may correlate with others running for office, while others may wildly differ, but I sincerely believe we all have the best for Guin in mind. I’m running for re-election for that very reason. I love this community, want to raise a family here, and retire here. I want to provide our children and grandchildren opportunities to come back and live here if they so choose. I would be doing you a disservice if you entrust me with another four years on the city council and I refuse to work with my colleagues because their views differ from mine. If we’ll work together, I have no doubt that this community will grow and succeed and the goals and aspirations we all have for our city can be achieved.
I thank you so much for your time and respectfully ask for your support in our municipal election on Tuesday.
Monday, August 18, 2008
City Council Meeting - August 18th
There was no business done tonight for lack of a 5 member quorum. Mayor Segraves was in Montgomery to meet with the state highway director Joe McGinnis and was unable to make it back for the meeting. Those available for the meeting were myself, Elaine Junkin, Phillip Garrison, and Clarence Atkinson. Wade Peoples, Roger Agnew, and Randall Guin were absent.
We were to take up two items in tonight's meeting. We were to decide on a one time lump sum bonus for the city's retirees, as well as approving a resolution which would allow us to apply for a $100, 000+ grant that would be used to build a walking trail around the creek that runs through downtown. My understanding is that the trail would run from the main highway downtown to our high school softball field adjacent to the elementary school. We will, of course, carry these items over and take action on them at our next meeting.
Note: We are only 8 days away from our municipal election. Please remember it's important that we all vote and voice the concern we have for our future by electing those candidates who will move Guin forward. The En Evant Study Club is sponsoring a "Meet the Candidates" forum on Friday night at 7 P.M. at the high school all purpose room. Those participating will have five minutes to discuss four separate issues important to our city. I encourage everyone to attend and listen to the candidates views on these important topics.
We were to take up two items in tonight's meeting. We were to decide on a one time lump sum bonus for the city's retirees, as well as approving a resolution which would allow us to apply for a $100, 000+ grant that would be used to build a walking trail around the creek that runs through downtown. My understanding is that the trail would run from the main highway downtown to our high school softball field adjacent to the elementary school. We will, of course, carry these items over and take action on them at our next meeting.
Note: We are only 8 days away from our municipal election. Please remember it's important that we all vote and voice the concern we have for our future by electing those candidates who will move Guin forward. The En Evant Study Club is sponsoring a "Meet the Candidates" forum on Friday night at 7 P.M. at the high school all purpose room. Those participating will have five minutes to discuss four separate issues important to our city. I encourage everyone to attend and listen to the candidates views on these important topics.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Residential Planning
The Journal Record has an article on their site outlining the residential planning project I discussed in a previous post. You can see it at http://www.myjrpaper.com.
Note: Remember that when the new edition is posted on their site on Wednesday, older articles will not be available for viewing.
Note: Remember that when the new edition is posted on their site on Wednesday, older articles will not be available for viewing.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Development Projects
The City Council met tonight to act upon bids which were accepted last Thursday for an industrial access road to our property along the future I-22. We've received a grant for this project totaling $369,253. No match from the city is required. The construction bid includes grading, drainage, and stone base for the roadway. Additionally, a chip seal will be placed on the roadway. The low bid was from Trout Construction for a total of $334,483.23. That's approximately $35,000 less than the available funding. We'll use the remaining funds to "dress up" the roadway with curbing, landscaping, etc.. We're very grateful for the funding we received for this project. This, along with the legwork already done for the Magna project, only allows us to be better prepared to present our property to potential prospects.
Separate from the called council meeting, many of the council members, including myself, hung around to hear a presentation from Intresinc, a marketing firm, and McKim & Creed, an engineering firm specializing in planning and land development. Barbara Spohn from Intresinc and Mark Brock and Mark Smith of McKim & Creed presented several of our community leaders (mayor, city council, water board, Chamber of Commerce, etc..) with a conceptual plan for a residential development on a 76 acre piece of property adjacent to the Travel Inn Motel. The concept, which is a work in progress, would be a semi-gated community including homes of several different types and price ranges, tennis courts, pool(s), walking trails, a lake, and even limited retail within walking distance of the main development. The homes might include townhomes, mid-range houses, and/or even upscale type homes on larger lots, all of which could be phased in based on market conditions. Of course, this is all in the conceptual phase right now and is subject to change depending on community input. According to Miss Spohn, though, there are investors interested in this project, so the concept could become a reality sooner than later.
This concept is something that Guin sorely needs. Unfortunately, we have a shortage of mid-range to upscale type homes that many families are looking for when they move into our area. And ultimately, we end up losing these families to some of our neighboring communities who have these type homes available. This type of development would not only allow us to attract those families to our community and to our schools, it can also be a tremendous tool when we're recruiting industry to our area. Housing is a very important piece of a recruiting package we might present to an industry and one which we lack in currently.
Attached is a picture of the conceptual design. It's not a great picture, but hopefully you can get an idea of what the development might look like. I'm also attaching a second picture of a design, also from Intresinc, that is planned for the Healthtex property once the building is brought down. The plan is for a retail development located on the ground floor with loft apartments located above those businesses.
Separate from the called council meeting, many of the council members, including myself, hung around to hear a presentation from Intresinc, a marketing firm, and McKim & Creed, an engineering firm specializing in planning and land development. Barbara Spohn from Intresinc and Mark Brock and Mark Smith of McKim & Creed presented several of our community leaders (mayor, city council, water board, Chamber of Commerce, etc..) with a conceptual plan for a residential development on a 76 acre piece of property adjacent to the Travel Inn Motel. The concept, which is a work in progress, would be a semi-gated community including homes of several different types and price ranges, tennis courts, pool(s), walking trails, a lake, and even limited retail within walking distance of the main development. The homes might include townhomes, mid-range houses, and/or even upscale type homes on larger lots, all of which could be phased in based on market conditions. Of course, this is all in the conceptual phase right now and is subject to change depending on community input. According to Miss Spohn, though, there are investors interested in this project, so the concept could become a reality sooner than later.
This concept is something that Guin sorely needs. Unfortunately, we have a shortage of mid-range to upscale type homes that many families are looking for when they move into our area. And ultimately, we end up losing these families to some of our neighboring communities who have these type homes available. This type of development would not only allow us to attract those families to our community and to our schools, it can also be a tremendous tool when we're recruiting industry to our area. Housing is a very important piece of a recruiting package we might present to an industry and one which we lack in currently.
Attached is a picture of the conceptual design. It's not a great picture, but hopefully you can get an idea of what the development might look like. I'm also attaching a second picture of a design, also from Intresinc, that is planned for the Healthtex property once the building is brought down. The plan is for a retail development located on the ground floor with loft apartments located above those businesses.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Seven Vote System - Cumulative Voting
As most of you know, we use a system of voting in Guin that gives a voter seven votes to be split any number of ways to elect a seven member city council. The system was implemented by the Justice Department in the 1980s as a result of a lawsuit brought against a number of communities in Alabama. The link below gives an informative rundown of what the voting system is and how it came about. The site gives several opinions that I don't necessarily agree with, but there is factual information there related to the voting system that might help you understand why we use this particular system.
http://www.fairvote.org/?page=516
There are a wide array of opinions on this subject, but much of what I hear is one of dislike. The system does allow a small number of voters to elect a candidate if they choose to vote for that individual seven times. While the result may have been what was envisioned when the system was implemented, it can knock out those candidates who may have received votes from a larger number of people. I, personally, would love to see us implement another system, but we are sort of hamstrung by the decision put in place years ago. The lawsuit which originally brought about these changes has been dropped giving us the freedom to go in another direction, but any changes we make will have to be approved by the Justice Department. Essentially, that limits us to just a couple of options. The most viable of those is going to the district format. We have discussed going to 5 districts, but the feedback we've received is that the city will only get approval if we move to 7 districts. In that case, given our size, it would be very difficult to draw off districts of any significant size at all.
Whether or not you agree with the voting system in place, it's unlikely to change in the near future. So, it's important we use the system to our advantage and place the most desirable candidates in office. There are many theories as to how one should use their seven votes. Some will use all votes on one candidate, while others may split them seven different ways. I, personally, believe we should educate ourselves on all candidates, choose those who we feel most strongly about, and split those votes accordingly. If you feel strongly about only one candidate, he or she should get all seven votes. If you feel there are three candidates qualified for office, split your votes among those three candidates. Whatever the case may be, it's important we all realize the criticality of our decisions on August 26th and elect those who will move Guin forward. These are exciting times for Guin and Northwest Alabama and the leaders we choose will have a lot to say about our future.
As always, thank you for reading the site. I hope the information provided is helpful. Any and all comments are welcome.
http://www.fairvote.org/?page=516
There are a wide array of opinions on this subject, but much of what I hear is one of dislike. The system does allow a small number of voters to elect a candidate if they choose to vote for that individual seven times. While the result may have been what was envisioned when the system was implemented, it can knock out those candidates who may have received votes from a larger number of people. I, personally, would love to see us implement another system, but we are sort of hamstrung by the decision put in place years ago. The lawsuit which originally brought about these changes has been dropped giving us the freedom to go in another direction, but any changes we make will have to be approved by the Justice Department. Essentially, that limits us to just a couple of options. The most viable of those is going to the district format. We have discussed going to 5 districts, but the feedback we've received is that the city will only get approval if we move to 7 districts. In that case, given our size, it would be very difficult to draw off districts of any significant size at all.
Whether or not you agree with the voting system in place, it's unlikely to change in the near future. So, it's important we use the system to our advantage and place the most desirable candidates in office. There are many theories as to how one should use their seven votes. Some will use all votes on one candidate, while others may split them seven different ways. I, personally, believe we should educate ourselves on all candidates, choose those who we feel most strongly about, and split those votes accordingly. If you feel strongly about only one candidate, he or she should get all seven votes. If you feel there are three candidates qualified for office, split your votes among those three candidates. Whatever the case may be, it's important we all realize the criticality of our decisions on August 26th and elect those who will move Guin forward. These are exciting times for Guin and Northwest Alabama and the leaders we choose will have a lot to say about our future.
As always, thank you for reading the site. I hope the information provided is helpful. Any and all comments are welcome.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Absentee Voting
Just a quick note on absentee voting - You can find the state procedure for absentee voting by visiting http://www.sos.state.al.us/Elections/AbsenteeVotingInfo.aspx.
You may follow the procedure outlined in the link above, but some of you, especially college students, may be in town for another week or two. If so, you can go to city hall and the city clerk will have everything you need. She'll help you fill out the necessary paperwork and you can vote while on site.
We are so fortunate in this country to be able to elect our leaders. It's important that we all speak through our votes and elect those candidates who best represent our views and ideas. And, most importantly, remember to vote Bobby Bellew for Guin City Council. :-)
You may follow the procedure outlined in the link above, but some of you, especially college students, may be in town for another week or two. If so, you can go to city hall and the city clerk will have everything you need. She'll help you fill out the necessary paperwork and you can vote while on site.
We are so fortunate in this country to be able to elect our leaders. It's important that we all speak through our votes and elect those candidates who best represent our views and ideas. And, most importantly, remember to vote Bobby Bellew for Guin City Council. :-)
Monday, August 4, 2008
City News - August 4th, 2008
We had our first council meeting of August this evening. Below are a few notes from tonight's meeting:
In old business, the proposed move of David Adkins to maintenance director and Zane Miles to park director was approved. The move will ultimately save the city $4000 per year. Both guys are very experienced and I'm confident they'll both do a great job in their new positions.
Missy Miles, a local artist, brought us another rendering of a mural which will go on the building behind the city's fountain. The new rendering took into account some changes the building owner requested. Those changes earned the owner's approval, so, tonight, we gave the go ahead to begin work. Work should begin almost immediately. Also, the Mayfest committee agreed to pay for the work, so, other than some initial cleaning by our street department, there will be no city money used for this project. You can see the rendering below.
In new business, we made a $300 appropriation to Safe Place and a $4538.37 allotment to the North Alabama Council of Local Governments for appropriation dues and funding for the Area Agency on Aging. We also assigned election workers for the municipal election on August 26th.
In other news, Police Chief G.B. Blaylock presented us a quote for top of the line taser guns. We'll take action on the quote at a later meeting, but this is a something that's important to the safety of our officers and we shouldn't have a problem getting this one through the council.
Finally, here a couple of pictures of our new firetruck and police car:
I continue to be amazed at the interest in my blog. I think it shows the concern each of you have for our future. Thank you also for the support many of you have shown for me and my campaign. Keep the comments coming and please pass on a link to the site to your friends and family. I've got a ton of material to cover in the next few weeks, so check back on a regular basis.
Friday, August 1, 2008
New Mural Possible For Guin
Please take a moment to check out the online version of the Journal Record at http://www.myjrpaper.com. There's an article on their front page outlining plans we have for a new mural backdrop to be located behind our fountain in downtown Guin.
On a personal note, there's also an article there about Trad Godsey, a former baseball player of mine. He has received a degree from Harvard University. I'm always proud to see any student further their education in any way, but to read what he's done is amazing.
One final note: Unfortunately, the Journal Record does not have an archive feature which would allow you to see their older articles, so if you're trying to reach some of those outlined in some of my earlier posts, you will only see the current version of the newspaper.
On a personal note, there's also an article there about Trad Godsey, a former baseball player of mine. He has received a degree from Harvard University. I'm always proud to see any student further their education in any way, but to read what he's done is amazing.
One final note: Unfortunately, the Journal Record does not have an archive feature which would allow you to see their older articles, so if you're trying to reach some of those outlined in some of my earlier posts, you will only see the current version of the newspaper.
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