With their nominations in hand, Republican Wayne Willingham and Democrat Norman “Pete” Tucker are preparing to square off in the race for the place 2 associate county commissioner post.

One a newcomer to the commission, the other a familiar face, they both say their position is an advantage for the upcoming race.

Willingham is currently serving his second term as West Point mayor. Never having served on the commission before, he says, he is a fresh face voters will be attracted to.

“People have already seen the past,” he said. “Now, voters are ready to look ahead to the future with some new ideas. That’s what I have to offer.”

Willingham’s platform is based on returning “peace and unity” to the commission, which he says has been rocked by conflict and controversy in the past term.

As to qualifications, Willingham says his experience as West Point mayor, a store owner and a father of two more than qualify him for the job.

Tucker, on the other hand, has served two terms as chairman of the commission, from 1992 to ’96 and from 2000 to ’04. He says his experience and record of success will attract voters to his side.

“It’s true the voters tend to wipe the slate every four years, but we can’t always be falling back to the goal line if we’re going to move forward,” he said. “If it’s not broke, maybe we shouldn’t keep fixing it. I’m proud of my record, and I’ll stand by it.”

According to Tucker, while in office, he brought the county’s general fund from zero dollars in 1992 to more than $4 million in 1996.

He also said his financial planning allowed them to purchase the County Sanitation Department, paying cash. In addition, he claimed partial responsibility for the building of the Cullman Regional Medical Center, for which he signed the release to build while in office.

The two candidates will face each other in the general election Nov. 7.

“I’m all about helping the county be a better place for families to live, to raise kids in and to work in,” Willingham said. “I just want the opportunity to work for the people of Cullman County.”

“I will run on a platform of conservative government,” said Tucker. “It will all be about the basics if I get elected.”



Tucker

ä Roads: The top issue for his campaign, Tucker proposes over budgeting the Road Department, since the cost of material and fuel will surely rise, he says. He also calls for additional state and federal grant money, which he said he is well-prepared to obtain.

During his previous terms, Tucker said, he raised well over $1 million for the county. He says the secret is knowing what grants are available and when to apply for them.

ä Water: Supporting the proposed pipeline to the Tennessee River, Tucker says the county needs to do whatever it takes to supplement Lake Catoma, which is predicted to fall short of demand in approximately 20 years.

Whatever is done, he says the county needs to include other entities in the plan. It is not wise to “go it alone” during the so-called “water wars,” he said.

ä Parks: Having appointed current Park Board Chairman Rodger Abbot, Tucker says the county’s park system should be returned to the board’s control.

“The commission has more important things to worry about,” he said. “Everything is already in place. I don’t know why you would change anything.”

Tucker qualifies that statement, saying he would need to make sure the board’s concerns against the county are legitimate before returning the parks. (The current commission voted 2-1 to take control of the parks from the board last year.)

ä Lawsuits: With internal lawsuits from the Revenue Office and the park board hitting the county, Tucker likens the conflicts to domestic disputes, saying they are merely battles of personalities.

“Two reasonable people can come up with a reasonable solution to any problem,” he said. “The only ones that gain from internal lawsuits are the lawyers.”

Willingham

ä Roads: Willingham says the current road maintenance program is little more than patchwork.

“We’re always running around, putting out little fires with the road maintenance,” he said.

Instead, he proposes, a more proactive plan, which, he says, is better since it will allow the Road Department to complete significant repaving projects rather than maintaining already bad roads.

His program also calls for over budgeting the Road Department to compensate for rising costs of fuel and material. In addition, he says he has the experience to bring in state and federal grant money. As mayor of West Point, he said, he brought in more than $300,000 in grant money.

ä Water: Willingham, too, says the Duck River Dam proposal is dead.

“Even if they do build it, the water will be too expensive for us to afford,” he said.

As an alternative, Willingham says he will support a pipeline to the Tennessee River, but he will have to inspect the matter deeper before he can say definitively.

ä Parks: Unlike Tucker, Willingham said he will not support returning control of the parks to the current board.

“It’s just gone too far,” he said. “If they can’t get past their disagreements, I can’t support that.”

He did say he thinks the county should eventually form a new board to run the parks, but that the commission has made a number of improvements since it took them over.

ä Lawsuits: According to Willingham, the key to avoiding internal lawsuits in the county is communication.

“Which is something I excel at,” he said. “We need to do what we can to keep everyone in the county happy, not just the commission.”

Willingham called internal lawsuits a tremendous waste of tax dollars since the county is basically suing itself.