Stultz and Painter face runoff for District 4 seat
The five-way Republican primary race for the Walker County Board of Commissioners District 4 seat will be decided in an Aug. 11 runoff between Robert A. Stultz and Alan Painter. District 4 includes the city of Lookout Mountain and ranges from the north end of the county to the south end.
Stultz snared 1,086 votes (35%) to Painter’s 711 votes (23%). Daryl Massey, Mike Nowlin and Alan Slaven received 661, 368 and 273 votes, respectively. The results are unofficial results, pending counting of a few provisional ballots, according to the Walker County Board of Elections. No Democratic or thirdparty candidate qualified to run for the District 4 seat, so the winner of the runoff will not have opposition in the Nov. 3 general election.
“I would like to thank Alan Slaven, Mike Nowlin, and Daryl Massey for running ethical and clean campaigns. Each of these men ran hard campaigns and are well thought of
County Board of Commissioners, he will function as full-time county manager.
“I think the overwhelming majority (of voters) believe in what we are doing and want this debt gone,” Whitfield said of the election results. “We’ve got a proven track record of getting things done, a good team of people (and) do what we say we’re going to do,” he said.
He believes citizens are excited that the county is within four years of eliminating debt that could otherwise encumber the next generation.
Whitfield complimented his opponents on their campaigns and passion. He said he wants everyone to come together to be strong and to collaborate to show Walker County as a great place to be and to live, and by working together the county will achieve this goal more quickly and at a higher level.
In his “Moving Forward in 2020” campaign, Whitfield stated no furloughs, no layoffs, no budget cuts, no property tax increases and debt-free in four years.
Whitfield announced March 20 his temporary suspension of all campaign activities related to the election as the county focused on its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On his campaign website, https://whitfieldcommissioner.com, he listed accomplishments as sole commissioner: increased funding to county libraries; implemented new animal care ordinance for target zero euthanasia; fully funded the Walker County Sheriff’s Department for the first time in 24 years; enacted honeybee friendly policies to protect pollinators; removed more than 406,000 pounds of litter from county roadsides; required submission of balanced budgets for all county operations; maintained the county’s fire protection ISO grade for lower insurance premiums; eliminated tax anticipation note borrowing practices; procured grants for three state-sponsored tire amnesty days; paid off remaining debt of $692,400 on Stearn’s Bank building (now county offices in Rock Spring); created Walker Rocks Program accelerating economic development; reorganized landfill from a taxpayer drain to a valued asset; reduced emergency response times with quick response vehicle; implemented a modern business licensing system; eliminated Erlanger debt in two years; achieved three years of balanced budgets for all county operations; upgraded all Walker County Transit System buses; opened three additional career fire stations for faster emergency response; enhanced the county employees’ retirement program for retention and recruitment; implemented a fire alarms program for free fire alarms to save lives; increased transit system bus hours; reduced debt by more than 50% since the 2016 county audit; and removed financial liens from Mountain Cove Farms, along with the county’s Civic Center, Agricultural Center and Industrial Park.
Harris, previously principal at Gilbert Elementary, is coordinator of innovation for the Walker County School System.
“We need more jobs, better roads and lower taxes,” Harris said while campaigning. “My goals would be to provide fire service on the mountain, move our codes back to complaint based while cleaning up known problem areas, get our water problem fixed. We can’t keep paying mobile filtration units.”
He believed his communication, leadership and customer service skills would be assets to him if elected, he said, adding “I believe that taking care of your employees will result in higher quality employees and better results.”
“Every four years we vote for the best person for the job,” Harris explained. “This job is different than four years ago, and it requires a different set of skills.”
“I ran on a platform of transparency and ethics with proposals to lower the tax bills for the citizens and help small businesses in our county,” Lamb wrote on Facebook after the election. “The voters in Walker County spoke up and told me that what I proposed was not what they wanted, and I do respect that.”
He wrote that he hopes the new board will listen to residents, give them a voice in the new form of government and will protect their constituents’ Constitutional rights.
“I do feel it is time for me to step away from the politics of Walker County and allow this new board to move forward,” he wrote.
Harris did not respond immediately June 10 to an email request for comment.
Lamb, a certified surgical first assistant at Erlanger Health System, sought the sole commissioner’s seat in 2016 against Whitfield and incumbent Bebe Heiskell.
“Leadership and communication are what is most needed as we start this next chapter in Walker County with a new board of commissioners,” Lamb said during the campaign. “An annual survey like the one I conducted earlier this year should be undertaken to assess citizen satisfaction in various aspects of the county as well as gather goals. This will serve as the starting point for the board to develop a realistic comprehensive plan with attainable goals for the county.”
Lamb stressed the importance of government efficiency to do more with less following COVID-19’s impact on the national economy.
“My vision for Walker County is one of collective effort, engagement and open government guided by sound policies to ensure stability and prosperity no matter who is elected in the future,” he said during the campaign.