Cullman County Associate Commissioner, Place 2, candidate Gary Marchman, left, answers a question Thursday night during a political forum hosted by the Dodge City Merchants Group.

With the June 3 primary a month away, candidates for Cullman County Commission and District 4 Alabama Senate squared off in a political forum Thursday night hosted by the Dodge City Merchants Group.

A few dozen residents filled the Dodge City Community Center where the event was held, and attendees posed questions ranging from county finances to pay raises for educators. All seven candidates for the Cullman County Associate Commissioner races — Places 1 and 2 — participated along with incumbent Paul Bussman and challenger Bruce Whitlock for District 4 state senate.

The Duck River Dam project and escalating costs of water for residents and industry alike dominated the commission candidates’ discussion. In the senate race, the state’s finances and in particular, pay and benefits for teachers was a recurring topic.

Moderator Scott Edmondson first question was commission candidates’ plans to keep water rates from rising and how much additional ownership they were willing to take on in the $110 million project to provide Cullman County and its municipalities with a second drinking water source.

“It’s going to be expensive, especially for high-volume users,” Gary Marchman who is running for Place 2 associate commissioner. “I think the best thing we can do is to make sure we have good representation on our water boards.”

J.P. White, also running for Place 2, said as a poultry farmer he is very concerned about the rising cost of water.

“I would look at putting together a group of people to see what could be done to keep rates affordable, especially for our major users like industry and our poultry farmers,” White said.

James Graves, another Place 2 candidate, said the county is not involved in construction of the Duck River Dam, other than agreeing to buy its water from that source.

“It’s a city problem, but we’re part of that problem because we buy our water from them,” Graves said of the ballooning project’s cost. “Excess water could also be sold which could help offset extra costs.”

Doug Williams, also running for Place 2, said the project was a great idea because the county needs the water supply.

“I’m willing to work with the commission and the water board to do what I can to keep the rates down,” he said.

Incumbent Place 2 Associate Commissioner Stanley Yarbrough echoed Williams, saying he would continue working with the commission to do everything they could to make keep water rates affordable.

Kerry Watson, who is running for Place 1, said he was concerned higher rates would affect senior citizens on a fixed income as well as poultry farmers.

“I will work as hard as I can, but a lot of this has already been taken out of our hands,” Watson said.

Incumbent Place 1 Associate Commissioner Darrell Hicks said the Duck River Dam project was the best and cheapest option for a second water source. He said he expected with seven companies planning to bid on the project, the $110 million price tag could drop due to competition.

“I think Cullman County having a strong water system that’s well managed, we can hold rates down,” Hicks said. “I’m going to work with the county water department to make sure they are very efficient and are supplying water in the most economical way possible.”

The second question was commission candidates’ plans to maintain the county’s high bond rating and what risks they were willing to take with taxpayer money for economic development.

Marchman said as commissioner, he would look for ways to support existing industries and small businesses because they were the “backbone” of the county and its municipalities. White said he thought the county has done a good job helping municipalities, but he would look for other ways to help them financially in an “honest and fair way.”

Graves said his priority would be to put back money in the county’s reserves to comply with a state recommendation of 10 percent of a government’s general fund in savings and to have flexibility in its finances. He said if Bass Pro Shop wanted to locate at the new Interstate 65 interchange at County Road 222, the company needed to come up with the $28 million to build it.

Williams said to help keep Dodge City and the county growing, he would work with the town and other municipalities for economic growth. Yarbrough reminded the audience that a Bassfishing Hall of Fame, not a Bass Pro Shop, was planned for the new interchange.

“That’s going to generate more revenue that’s put in a pot to be divided across municipalities,” Yarbrough said of the hall of fame.

Yarbrough said in addition to working with the cities of Cullman and Good Hope on securing the interchange, the commission installed a new water line at Dodge City for a new truck stop, helped with road work in Fairview for a new Brandin’ Iron Steakhouse and helped the Margaret Jean Jones Center with a new facility on Beech Avenue.

Watson said he would manage the county’s finances the same way he manages his own, and he work with local economic development departments to recruit industries to give jobs to young people who are leaving the area for better opportunities.

Hicks said in addition to municipalities having access to county equipment and personnel for projects, he would like to look for ways to help unincorporated communities in the county that don’t have a tax base.

Edmondson’s final question asked how commission candidates would handle being appointed to the North-central Alabama Regional Council of Governments (NARCOG) Board.

Marchman said he would try to get to know officials in Morgan and Lawrence counties, which NARCOG also serves. Graves said NARCOG’s most significant function is its senior programs, and he and Yarbrough both praised the SenioRx program it operates which was started in Cullman County before becoming a statewide program.

Yarbrough said the makeup of the 11-member board is based on population with Cullman and Lawrence counties each having three representatives and Morgan County with five. He said NARCOG’s Revolving Loan Fund has provided financing to many businesses in the area and is a beneficial program.

Hicks explained County Commission Chairman Kenneth Walker serves on the NARCOG board and selects an associate commissioner and the president of the county mayor’s association to serve on the board.

White, Williams and Watson all said they were not familiar with the agency but would be willing to work with board members if appointed.

Edmondson then invited attendees to ask questions.

Brandin’ Iron Steakhouse owner Josh Speakman asked if the county follows its policy of posting job openings for seven days to allow current employees to apply first before making the position available to the general public. Yarbrough said the county’s human resources manager handled all job postings and made recommendations of who to hire for a position.

Edmondson asked if there were any changes candidates would make to the sheriff’s department and its operations if elected. Hicks said the county appropriates money to the sheriff’s department from its general fund, but he didn’t think commission had discretion to tell the sheriff what to do with his department.

West Point Mayor Kenneth Kilgo asked if there was any way to determine what the long-term cost of water would be with the Duck River Dam project. Hicks said monthly bills will be $3 to $5 more, and that would cover the city’s bond payment.

“The more water is sold, the cheaper it is, if everyone gets on board,” Hicks said.

Yarbrough said the city raised its rates on the county twice and the county has been able to absorb those increases without passing them on to its customers, however that may change in the future.

Daniel Moss asked what experience the candidates had managing a nearly $50 million budget. Yarbrough said commissioners work closely with the county administrator who handles the county’s finances, with the goal of a balance budget. White and Watson said neither had managed that much money before, but they would be as frugal with the county’s finances as they are with their own. Graves emphasized trying to plan ahead, putting money back when possible and keeping a close eye on revenues.

Marchman said in his military career, he had handled budgets as large or larger than the county’s, everything “from beans to bullets.” Hicks said while you can’t run a government like a business, you could apply good business principles to a county budget.

“We’ve built up our reserves back you, we haven’t had any layoffs and we’ve given two pay raises since I’ve been in office,” Hicks said.

County commission candidates will meet again 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce for a political forum hosted by The Cullman Times and the chamber.

 * Tiffeny Owens can be reached at towens@cullmantimes.com or 256-734-2131.

*Editor’s note: Dodge City Merchants Group hosted a joint County Commission, Senate candidate’s forum. The following videos contain the forum as it occured unedited.