Morgan County District 3 commissioner candidates focus on roads, employee retention

Feb. 17—Two candidates — one a mayor and one a county employee — are challenging the incumbent for the District 3 Morgan County Commission seat in the March 5 Republican primary, and all three say they're focused on roads and employee retention, especially of jailers.

First-time commissioner candidates Matthew Frost, a District 3 mechanic/operator, and Gary Livingston, the mayor of Eva, are challenging incumbent Don Stisher in the Republican primary for one of four commissioner spots. There is no Democratic challenger in the November general election.

The salary for Morgan County commissioners is $89,465 annually. Commissioners are elected for four-year terms and commissioner races are countywide elections, although the commissioner must live in the district. District 3 covers most of the southern part of the county and includes 325 miles of roads, most of which are rural. The district includes the towns of Falkville and Eva. — Roads

Frost said if he is elected, he will work to keep funds in Morgan County and District 3 and to fix as many roads as he can.

"Use the money you've got to fix what you can fix," he said. "You take your busiest roads, and you work your way down — the most traveled."

Frost said he would try to obtain funding for roads anywhere he could.

"You've got Rebuild (Alabama) money and you've got gas (tax) money," he said. "There's got to be something else there, too, grants or something."

Livingston said if he is elected, he would want to divide the district into four sections.

"Look at each section each year and concentrate and try to get the tax money applied to the roads in those sections that need to be repaired," he said. "Kind of spread the money around. We've got a lot of roads in our area on what we call on top of the mountain that hasn't been touched in years, a long time, and they just need to be looked at."

Livingston said the main road that needs to be addressed is Alabama 55 which runs from the Lawrence County line to the Cullman County line, with the Morgan County portion about 20 to 25 miles long. It intersects with U.S. 31 in Falkville and Interstate 65, making it heavily traveled, especially by heavy trucks, he said.

"It's in pretty bad shape all the way from one side of the county to the other side of the county," he said. "I know they don't have enough money to do (Alabama) 55 because it's going to be a very costly expensive project, but we're either going to have to go to Washington to try to find money or through the state."

Stisher said the district is seeing more people building and ordering online which means there are more heavy trucks on the roads.

"That puts demand on the condition of the road, the traffic that travels the road," he said. "Those are challenges every day to widen the roads and increase the safety of the roadway. ... Safety is on our mind every day, so we want people to commute safe."

Stisher said, if reelected, he will continue the upkeep of the roads by pothole patching, grading gravel roads, and paving roadways. He said the roads are also full of farming vehicles.

"We look at it all as part of the progress to maintain the needs of the people," Stisher said. "So, I don't have a negative thought on what all the roads go through and create situations that basically we have to address. It's all a good thing and a positive thing as the county grows and develops and answers the needs for the people." — Employee retention

Hiring and retaining jailers at the Morgan County Jail has been a constant challenge for the Sheriff's Office.

"I support pay for the job done as much as the budget can afford to allow it to pay. It's a balancing act between a lot of resources. I feel like we've addressed the pay fairly through the years," Stisher said. "It is a challenge to get people in these generations to work in any of the jobs that are available throughout the county, so it's become a challenge to keep good personnel."

Stisher said the personnel problem is widespread.

"I don't think it's isolated to the jail and the sheriff's department," he said. "I think it's all across the field of workers today."

Livingston said jailer pay needs to be increased.

"If you're going to get high-quality people to come in and do your work for you, such as that, such as first responders ... these people who do this type of work, none of them are being paid what they should be paid," he said. "That covers anything. That covers county, city or state troopers; it's not only just the county."

Frost also said salaries need to be raised to retain jailers.

"You've got to match everyone around the area, what other counties are paying," he said. "You need better pay to keep the employees. ... About the time you get them trained and experienced they're going somewhere else to make more money."

Frost said it is the same with district county employees.

"I know there's a lot of turnover in other (district) shops," he said. "I figure it's the pay."

Livingston said he would work hard as commissioner if he were elected.

"I'm just going to put the same work ethic towards District 3 as I have as a mayor," he said. "Just do what's right and do what needs to be done."

Stisher said if he is reelected, he will continue to work every day to meet the demands and pressures of District 3 and all its duties.

"It's a busy life every day, which I'm honored to serve. I still have the energy and I'm still dedicated. I want to continue to be that servant for the constituents of Morgan County," he said. "I get up every day dedicated to address the situations that face me and I'm very optimistic. I see the future of Morgan County very bright, but I do know that it's going to require a lot of work."

Frost said he would use his experience from working in the district to help him be a good commissioner.

"I'm a hands-on guy; I wouldn't send anybody to do what I wouldn't do. And I'm not going to sit in a truck and watch them work; I'm going to be there working just like I do now," he said. "I'm going to listen to everybody. If you call, I will get back with you. ... Everybody's going to be treated the same."

—erica.smith@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2460.