Ask the candidates: Five seek to succeed Williams in District 2 seat on City Council
Five candidates are vying for the District 2 seat on the Gadsden City Council.
The seat is open after three-term incumbent Deverick Williams decided not to seek re-election.
The candidates are David Devine Sr., Ashton Gray, Amy Lipscomb, Steve Smith and David Woodard.
The election is Aug. 23; if no candidate receives a majority of the votes, a runoff will be held Sept. 20.
The Times asked each candidate about their short-term goals and long-term objectives should they be elected. The responses are published as submitted, subject to minor editing.
David Devine Sr.
The phrase “I will work for you” has been spread around like peanut butter on toast. It is often taken to heart, only to find out that when in office, the politicians work for no one but themselves. Their term is spent enriching themselves and telling you how great they are so you will vote them into another “do nothing” term. The cycle continues until a “better looking” candidate comes along.
I guess I’m one of those politicians because I am in this race to get what I want. I want:
1. Schools that are safe for my grandchildren to attend without worry.
2. School programs that will let them direct themselves into whatever career they want to follow.
3. A police department that has all of the personnel it needs, as well as up-to-date training, and the money to keep them when they are fully trained.
4. A fire department that has all of the most modern equipment that they will ever need to do what they are trained for; a competitive raise in pay and benefits, and incentives to keep them after they are fully trained.
5. A drastic reduction in crime. By enlarging our police presence, we can cut the amount of crime in this city. There are programs out there that, if we can implement them, provide more training and quicker response time for our first responders. Remember, Gadsden has been marked as the sixth most dangerous city to live in here in Alabama. I’d be happy with being the sixth safest, as long as we are striving for the No. 1 safest.
6. Better maintained streets. A lot of the roads (I MEAN A LOT) in our city are like driving on a washboard. Instead of working on them at election time, let’s clean them up right away. It’s the same money. Better now than when someone gives us a bill to fix their car.
7. Entertainment venues for our children and families. Yes, we have the sports venues, but that only entails a few hours a week. It does involve some parents, but not all. I’m thinking mini golf, go-kart tracks, skateboard and motocross tracks, etc. These are all venues that the entire family can get involved in. Involve the whole family, and you involve the whole community and surrounding communities.
8. Get our homeless off the streets and get them jobs. People are homeless for a multitude of reasons. We need to confront those problems and give these people a hand up, not a hand out. We have the programs. We just need to get these people in and get them help.
9. Good-paying jobs. We need to entice businesses into our city, but most of what will entice them I have listed above. I’m talking small businesses as well as large ones. The small business owner is the backbone of this country. The big ones just go along for the ride. We also need to entice outsiders to shop, work and play here. We can’t do that by sitting on our thumbs.
10. You knew this one was coming. I want you to trust that I will work with the new mayor and council to get these things done, or at least get them on their way to getting done. Nobody can make promises and be able to keep all of them. I make no promises except that I will work on things that matter to me, and hopefully to you, too. Aug. 23 is your chance to do what your heart tells you to do. I can only hope that your right thing is to give me a chance.
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That is my 10-point “I want” list. I don’t want these things just for myself. I want them for the people of Gadsden so we can have a city that we can more proudly call our home.
Ashton Gray
Short-Term Goals:
The City of Gadsden is one of the most beautiful cities in Alabama with its unique landscape and genuine sense of community. Gadsden is located on the Coosa River and has a majestic waterfall, which thousands visit annually. Though there is a strong sense of community in this Alabama city, for years communities in Gadsden have been overlooked. These communities have received poor sanitation practices. There has not been proper maintenance and upkeep to the drainage systems, which has caused flooding; roads have continuously patched rather than repaired; and several city projects within these communities have been negated by not being maintained and, in some cases, completed.
For example:
• The East Gadsden Community Center, a $5.5 million project, broke ground in February 2018 and was opened four years later in March 2022; however, the project was incomplete. The building lacks a sign for the general public and/or visitors to our city to recognize it; the community center does not have an elevator and is not handicap accessible (at the time this was written).
• A significant stretch of riverfront property has been developed; however, debris often litters the Coosa River and there is a significant amount of plant vegetation that is overgrown in many of our parks, boardwalks and along the highways.
Though there are several inadequacies regarding some of the communities in Gadsden, it does not negate my love for this city and the beauty that it holds. Thus, to better serve the citizens of Gadsden as District 2 councilman, my work will begin by seeing to the completion and development of the East Gadsden Community Center. I see the community center being the heart of this community, where our children and teens have a safe place to gather, and our young adults and professionals can have a place to network, as well as offer programs for our senior adults.
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I will meet with directors of various departments to learn the needs of each department and discuss how we can make the City of Gadsden a place where the locals are proud to call home, and a place travelers will add to their must visit list.
I will work with our sanitation department to discuss and implement solutions that will alleviate the amount of debris that litters our neighborhoods; as well as meet with the city's engineering department to learn about and discuss improvement to our roads, traffic flow and drainage issues. Both of these departmental meetings will bring insight to the workflows of our community, as well as the beautification measures to help our community grow. Everyone deserves a clean and well-functioning community which they are proud to call home.
Lastly, District 2 has a host of local businesses and entrepreneurs that are not highlighted for their unique contributions to our city. I will work diligently with business owners and local media to help create visibility of our local businesses and encourage community members to shop local, which ultimately will benefit our economy.
Long-Term Objectives:
I plan to work with and listen to ideas regarding the development of the river front property here in Gadsden.
Another goal that I plan to implement is to develop a civil rights tour that will educate locals and visitors alike to learn Gadsden's role in human rights history.
As we know, higher education is essential to the future of our communities and nations alike, not to mention community support in regards to higher education is a must. I would hope to see the development of city-led programs that would give graduates from high school and students from institutions of higher education information that will be a boost in their career paths and set them up for successful futures.
Amy Lipscomb
My vision for District 2 is to make our residents feel safe, for our families to grow and prosper and for the people of our district to work alongside one another to better our community. My hope is that we can inspire surrounding communities to implement similar practices, ultimately benefiting the entire City of Gadsden.
Short-Term Goals:
My short-term goals begin with binging awareness to the changes that need to happen in my district, as well as the City of Gadsden. I would like to see an increase in police presence in our neighborhoods, in an effort to decrease crime. Also, I believe in focusing on the youth of our community, so improvements to our parks and community centers are a priority. It is important for our residents to feel a sense of pride in their community, and I believe that adding an additional trash day will help with the cleanup that our community needs.
Long-Term Goals:
My long-term goals coincide with my short-term goals, as they are an extension of that vision. I would like to bring back the CAPP program, beginning in District 2. Providing an officer to patrol our communities would help with decreasing crime, as well as deterring speeders in our neighborhoods. Opening recreation centers on the weekends for children to have somewhere to go and play safely is a must. Our families deserve to see the city youth programs built back up without a high cost for children to play. Every child deserves a chance to participate in youth sports and parents shouldn't have the burden of outrageous fees. Bringing in viable jobs to the area and developing our riverfront would provide opportunities that allow our residents to work in their own communities. I also believe that raises for first responders and public works are important for retaining employees, ultimately cutting down turnover.
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These are just a few goals that I will work hard to accomplish for District 2, helping our city to grow and prosper.
Steve Smith
Short-Term Goals:
If elected, my short-term goals will be to began immediately holding meetings with residents of District 2. I believe in order to effectively address the needs of the community, and also be a good steward, of taxpayer dollars, we need to find out what those needs are, then address them accordingly.
Long-Term Goals:
If elected, my long-term goals will be, first and foremost, collaborating with the other council members, along with the mayor's office, to attract industry. We need better jobs, and we need to add additional jobs. I believe the more people we can put to work, or put back to work, the quicker we can see morale change.
Secondly, school safety, all of our schools should have security present anytime out kids are on the grounds during normal school hours.
Thirdly, housing, I will push for affordable housing, and with a collaborative effort, clean up our neighborhoods and address our drainage issues.
David Woodard
A vote for me is a vote for our young people.
A vote for me is a vote for our first responders.
A vote for me is a vote for street and drainage repair.
A vote for me is a vote for for our Rec program.
A vote for me is a vote for safer and cleaner neighborhoods.
A vote for me is a vote for improved infrastructure.
A vote for me is a vote for unity.
Together we are Gadsden strong.
This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Gadsden District 2 City Council 2022: Meet the candidates in this Q&A
