Four vying for two Saltillo alderman posts
Apr. 23—SALTILLO — Saltillo voters will return to the polls Tuesday to finish choosing who they want as their aldermen for the next four years.
During the April 6 Republican primary, only three candidates — Brian Morgan, Scottie Clark and Terry Glidewell — secured the mathematical "majority" needed to win outright. Under state law, the next four finishers must go to a second primary to fill the other two seats.
Scott Knight, Craig Sanders, Dylan Whitt and Sonya Hill Witcher will be on the April 27 ballot. Voters will be able to choose up to two candidates. Since there are no Democratic candidates, the top two finishers will secure the final two aldermen seats.
The polls will open at 7 a.m. at the Saltillo Community Center and remain open until 7 p.m.
Scott Knight
Knight, 48, is the manager of Shoe Carnival in Tupelo. He also served as an aldermen from 2009-2017
His first priority if elected would be to tackle water and sewer rates that are "going out of control," he said.
"I know we are now having to buy water, but we might be able to go a little leaner to take a little of the load off the residents," Knight said. "My personal water bill used to be $50-$70 a month. Since going to river water, it has been as high as $180, but it averages $100 or more. That's too much for a small town."
He said the city streets are in dire need of improvement. If elected, he said he would work to re-establish a good working relationship with the board of supervisors, since the county road equipment is used to repave the city streets.
"We also need to work to improve the parks and recreation programs," Knight said. "We used to have 1,500 to 1,600 kids a year participating but there has been a decline. We need to look at why we don't have more participating."
Craig Sanders
Sanders, 49, manages and oversees maintenance of three apartment complexes in Saltillo. He is also an incumbent aldermen, elected in 2017.
He sees the biggest challenge as updating the city's aging infrastructure.
"We have got to get the inflow and infiltration under control in the sewer system," Sanders said. "Some of the pipes are 50 years old. There is ground water and storm water entering the sewer lines. We are having a lot more water go through the treatment plant than needs to be."
If elected, he hopes to continue many of the projects already underway while continuing to work on economic development.
"In a small town, it is all about the sales taxes. We have got to bring in more businesses," Sanders said. "The challenge for us is we are only four miles away from Tupelo's retail hub at the mall."
Dylan Whitt
Whitt, 30, is a real estate agent and former Saltillo police officer.
"Working as a patrolman, I saw firsthand several problems with infrastructure, including roads and flooding," Whitt said. "With my background in public service, I wanted to step up (and run for alderman) and help the public.
"The biggest challenges facing the city are infrastructure and being able to bring in more revenue. We also need to take a closer look at how we are spending tax dollars to make sure we are reinvesting in the city."
He said recruiting more businesses would help increase revenues for the city. And improving the infrastructure would help to maintain the property values in Saltillo, he added.
Sonya Witcher
Witcher, 51, works at Hanger Clinic. She and her husband own Old Town Steakhouse in downtown Saltillo.
"I decided to run because I think we need some change," Witcher said. "There are eyesores that need to be cleaned up, and we need more projects for youth, (who are) our future.
She thinks the biggest challenge facing Saltillo is the need for economic development, to bring in new businesses and improve sales at existing businesses. Both would help the city bring in more revenues to do more for the citizens.
"I think we need a hotel and a wide variety of businesses," Witcher said.
