Finalists set for Aug. 25 election, some re-elected on Tuesday

Published 7:36 am Thursday, July 23, 2020

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

VALLEY — The qualifying period for candidates to seek office in the August 25 municipal election ended at 6 p.m. EDT on Monday.

Six seats in Valley will be unopposed. Only two of nine potential races will be on the ballot in late August.

In District One, incumbent Jim Clark is being opposed by Bo Colley and in District Two, long-time incumbent Jim Jones is in a race with Whit Bradley.

Email newsletter signup

Jones is seeking his sixth term. He’s had opposition four of those races, three times by Bradley.

Under Alabama law, City Clerk Kathy Snowden certified the seven unopposed candidates as winners of their race. The action took place at Tuesday’s 6:30 p.m. council meeting. New terms will begin on Nov. 2, 2020, for Mayor Leonard Riley and council members Randall Maddux, Marquetta Madden, Kendall Andrews, Henry Cooper and Jimmy Gilson. All but Andrews are incumbents. Andrews was the only candidate to qualify in the District 5 race. He will succeed Cassie Carlisle, who did not seek a new four-year term.

The newly certified office holders took turns thanking the voters of their district for having confidence in them.

“I thank the voters of District 3 for their support,” Maddux said. “I am looking forward to working with Kendall (who was present) on the new council.”

“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” Madden said.

“I want to thank the voters of District 6 for allowing me another four-year term,” Cooper said.

District 7 Council Member Jimmy Gilson said that he was overjoyed.

“This is the first time I haven’t faced opposition in my district,” he said.

Riley thanked citizens throughout Valley for giving him another term. It will be his third term as mayor.

“We have a lot of good things going on in the city,” he said. “We will continue to see them through. I want to thank the citizens for their support.”

In Lanett, Mayor Kyle McCoy faces a challenge from Stanley Roberts, a former council member who lost to McCoy four years ago. In District 3, incumbent Charles Looser is being challenged by Ronnie Tucker, a former recreation director in the city, The most crowded race is in District 5, where three candidates will be vying for the seat. They include incumbent John Motley, Tifton Dobbs and Tony Moffett. Motley was recently appointed to the seat to fill out the term of his mother, Shirley Motley, who recently passed away. District 1 Council Member Tony Malone and Jamie Heard in District 2 are unopposed.

LaFayette will have 13 candidates seeking six available seats on the council.

There are four candidates for mayor. They include Barry Moody, the incumbent; Brandon Brooks, Anna E. Troxell and Kenneth Vines.

Two candidates, Terry Mangram and Emily Milford, are seeking the council seat in District A. Three candidates will be on the ballot in District B. They include Charlotte Blasingame, the incumbent, along with Shannon Hunter and Andrew Vines.  District D incumbent Michael Ellis is being opposed by Patricia Davis.

District C Council Member Toney Thomas and Tammie Williams in District E are unopposed.

In his report to the council, Police Chief Tommy Weldon said that he wanted to thank local business owner Kevin Chen for donating 1,200 face masks to Valley Police Department. Chen made the donation Tuesday afternoon at Zen House. Weldon said officers will be using the masks when interacting with the public and citizens can use them when they come by the police station to file a report or to discuss something with an officer.

Valley Parks & Recreation Director Laurie Blount said that things had been going well in recent youth baseball games and that a men’s softball league had been organized.

“We will have six teams,” she said. “I want to thank those who have been coming to our farmers market. The crowds haven’t been as large as we would have liked. We do have social distancing, and we encourage people to wear masks. We are there from 3 until 6 on Fridays. I know it’s been hot, but people could be out under the sun for a few minutes to show support for farmers who are out all day under the sun on their farms.”

Tuesday’s meeting began with a public hearing. Planning and Development Director Travis Carter reviewed what had taken place at a condemned property located at 104 Railroad Street. In the regular session that followed, the council confirmed the costs of cleaning up the site. The total cost comes to $4,650. A lien in that amount will be placed on the property so the city can recoup that cost.

The council authorized a contract for a school resource officer and another contract permitted Valley police officers to work security this fall at Auburn University football games.

In other action, the council approved ordinances selling property to Henry Lee Meadows Jr. and Spurgeon A. Heard.

Meadows purchased lots on Crestview Lane, Greenery Circle and 67th Street for a total of $3,000. Heard purchased lots on 51st Street and 58th Street for $1,500.

The council will be meeting in a work session to discuss the 2020-21 fiscal year budget at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 6. The next meeting will take place at 6 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 10.