The main challenge facing the incoming Athens municipal government will probably be controlling city expansion.
After Foley, Athens has the second-highest population growth in Alabama, according to U.S. Census data. With a population of over 35,000, the seat of Limestone County rose by over 5% in just the past year.
The Athens municipal election polling station will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The deadline to apply for an emergency absentee ballot is Monday. On Monday, absentee ballots can be delivered by hand until 5:00 p.m.
On November 3, the municipal council and mayor will start their new terms.
Mayor
Since entering office in 2010, Mayor Ronnie Marks has overseen a large portion of the expansion. Dan Williams resigned when he was elected to the Alabama Legislature.
In Tuesday’s municipal election, Marks, a former member of the city council, is up against resistance as he runs for a new term. An Army veteran, Marks has worked as an instructor, with the Alabama Department of Human Resources, and on a number of boards, such as the Athens-Limestone Hospital Board and the Athens Planning Commission.
Danny Whitfield, the owner of Market & Monroe, and Mark Wilson, a small business owner who challenged Marks in 2020, are running against him.
Whitfield was on the council, just like Marks. Whitfield was a business entrepreneur and, after 35 years as global accounts manager at Sherwin-Williams, retired from the company.
City Council
Two city council members are not running for reelection at the same time that Marks is. Neither District 5 Councilman Wayne Harper, a former Athens police chief, nor District 2 Councilman Harold Wales are looking for further terms.
Additionally, there is no competition for District 1 Councilman Chris Seibert’s reelection.
Wales is looking to be replaced in District 2 by Tim Colling and Allen Creasy, a former football coach at Athens High School. They are both new to politics.
James Lucas of District 3 is running for reelection, although he has opponents in Henry White, Kellie Dye, and Sharon Coffman Carter. Lucas was on the Athens City Board of Education before. White is a former state lawmaker and a former council member.
Councilwoman Dana Henry of District 4 is running for reelection. Jarrod Schulte confronts the owner of Hyatt & Sims. According to his campaign website, Schulte is the site procurement analyst for a local company, overseeing 12,000 parts and more than $20 million in inventory. In addition, Henry and her spouse run a franchise for cruise planners.
Jamie Elliot and Amy Golden are hoping to take Harper’s spot in District 5. According to Elliot’s Facebook site, he was previously employed at United Launch Alliance, General Motors, and Aerojet Rocketdyne. Golden’s campaign Facebook site states that she has been the director of the Athens Activity Center.
If a runoff election is required, it will take place on September 23.
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Scott Turner
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