All City of Alexander officials have filed for the November election, all have opposition

There will be no automatic re-election for any of the City of Alexander’s elected officials. The city recorder, city treasurer and all eight of the council members have filed for the November General Election ballot and at least one person has filed against all ten of the incumbents.

The terms for city recorder and city treasurer are four years. The term for aldermen is two years. The mayor is also a four-year term, but that election isn’t due until 2018.

City Recorder Sharon Bankhead has filed for re-election. She will be opposed by former Alderwoman Regina Watson.

City Treasurer Kenneth Miller is actually running in his first election for this position. He is opposed by Julia Ann Wilson.

Miller was appointed about two years ago to fill a vacancy on the Ward-1 Position-2 seat. He was already on the ballot for that position but lost to current Alderwoman Stephanie Beck, who was also on the ballot. He was then appointed to fill the vacancy for city treasurer.

In Ward-1 Alderman Louis Hobbs is seeking re-election to his Position-1 seat. He is being opposed by Joe Pollard.

In Ward-1 Position-2 Alderman Farren Wadley is being opposed by Elizabeth Bland. Wadley was on the council previously, but gave up his seat when he ran for mayor in 2014. He was appointed to fill a vacancy created when Alderman Jeffrey Watson moved out of Ward-1.

In Ward-2 Position-1 Alderwoman Stephanie Beck is running for re-election. She is being challenged by Joy Gray.

Beck was elected in 2014 when she defeated Kenneth Miller. Miller had been appointed shortly before the November election to fill a vacancy in that position created by a resignation.

Alderman Andy Mullins is running for re-election to keep his Ward-1 Position-2 seat. He was elected in 2014 when he defeated Alderwoman Juanita Wilson. Wilson was elected to that position in 2012. She is opposing Mullins in an attempt to regain that seat.

There is a three-way race for the Ward-3 Position-1 seat currently held by Alderwoman Andrea Bearden. This is the first time Bearden will have any opposition in her re-election bid. She is being opposed by former Alderman Samuel D. Gregory and new-comer Harold Timmerman.

In Ward-3 Position-2 Alderman Dan Church is being opposed by Corliss Jerry Ball. Church was elected in 2014. In that same election Ball was one of four candidates for mayor. He and Wadley lost in the first round. Current Mayor Paul Mitchell defeated incumbent Mayor Michelle Hobbs in a run-off.

In Ward-4 Position-1 Alderwoman Melissa Ratliff is seeking re-election. She is being opposed by Tammy Pille. Ratliff was elected in 2014 in her first attempt at politics.

Alderman Lonny Chapman is seeking re-election to his Ward-4 Position-1 seat. He is being challenged by former Alderman Jeffery Watson. Watson was elected to the Ward-1 Position-2 seat in 2014, but had to resign when he moved to Ward-4.

Alexander’s new building permit fee ordinance was absent from Monday meeting

It will be another month before members of the Alexander city council will have a chance to discuss a proposed ordinance concerning new fees for building permits. Copies of the ordinance never made it into council members’ meeting packets. Mayor Paul Mitchell suspects when he gave it to office staff it was after the packets had been prepared.

The new fee structure has been in the works for several months. Fees from other cities had been studied and language in the previous ordinance has been brought up-to-date.

The only other item on the agenda was a report from the planning commission. Chairman Robert McKeon was not present and commission member Alderwoman Andrea Bearden had nothing to report.

In other business for the August 15 meeting;

Bearden asked Mitchell about the progress of street repairs. Mitchell said ditches are getting cleaned and repairs are being made.

The city uses the Saline County Highway Department to do the larger projects such as cleaning ditches and replacing culverts. However, the crews are only made available on Fridays and the weather has been a factor.

Mayor Mitchell received verbal consent from council members to explore purchasing an electronic sign to replace the blue and white wooden sign in front of the municipal complex. Mitchell said the wooden sign needs to be replaced and an electronic sign would allow the city to post messages such as meeting dates and burn bans.

The next meeting of the Alexander city council will be Monday, September 19. The meeting will be held at 6 PM in the courtroom at the Alexander Municipal Complex. The public is invited to attend.

Business permit ordinance only action item on City of Alexander agenda

The only item on the Alexander city council agenda, expected to result in any action, is in the category of “Unfinished Business.” Council members will be discussing, and may vote on, an ordinance establishing new rates for building permits. At a previous meeting there was a brief discussion on updating the city’s building permit fees.

The only non-action item listed is a report from the planning commission.

The next meeting of the Alexander city council will be this Monday, August 15. The meeting will be held at 6 PM in the courtroom at the Alexander Municipal Complex. The public is invited to attend.