By Staff
Our View
Tuesday, qualifying for Atmore city elections began. As we reported in the Atmore Advance, the sitting mayor and council members have announced their bids for reelection. One challenger for the mayor's office has also announced his campaign for the office.
Qualifying ends July 20, giving any potential candidates out there less than three weeks to file their papers.
The filing period is short, and the cost is $50. It's not much if you're serious about running for local office.
Again, we encourage Atmore residents to register to vote and take interest in city elections.
Volunteer to help those you support. Running a campaign can be expensive, and volunteer help has always been a cornerstone of good campaigns.
For those who are so inclined, qualifying to run for office is not difficult, and we encourage you to give it full consideration, both the risks and benefits for yourself and your city.
Whatever you do, taking an active role in local elections can help you learn a great deal about yourself and help you discover things about your city and your neighbors.
With the city taking on projects such as the SAIL Center, and the development of industrial and commercial parkland near I-65, it is an important time for the city.
Proper financial management, when one considers the city's general obligation bonds, will be critical for the foreseeable future.
Infrastructure repair and improvement is always an issue for city governments and the proper funding of police and fire departments can be tricky.
Of course, one of the biggest issues for most residents is economic development, how to bring in new jobs while preserving the vitality of our local small businesses.
All of these issues will require careful attention over the next several years.
The Atmore Advance will be conducting interviews with all city candidates once the filing period has ended. We'll ask about these issues and more, and we'll print the candidates' answers in full for you to read and digest before casting your vote in August.