By Benjamin Bullard
The Cullman Times
CULLMAN —
Philip Widner of Fairview has announced he will seek the Place 1 (East side) seat on
the Cullman County Commission.
Widener, who is running as a Democrat, faces no party opposition in the June 1
primary. He will run in the November general election against the Republican Place 1
nominee, who will be either incumbent Doug Williams or challenger Willy Hendrix.
Widner, 47, served as the county engineer for Cullman County from 1999 to 2006.
Pledging to work with fellow commissioners and officials in the City of Cullman, Widner said he would push to resolve the protracted controversy over securing a long-term water supply for the area. The best way to accomplish that, he said, is to join with the city in moving forward on the Duck River Dam project.
"I don't know what the best choice was 25 or 30 years ago, when the county and the city came together and made their agreement," said Widner. "I do know that today, after several hundred thousand dollars; and thousands of man hours that have been spent; and several legal issues resolved, we can't go back to square one and start over. We do not have another 25 years to wait while some other option is being considered, planned and debated. We need to move ahead with the Duck River project."
The dam project may be the most contentious issue the county faces now‚ but it's not the
only one, Widner noted.
"Water and roads are always issues at the forefront of every local election," he said.
"Our county water and road systems have unlimited possibilities and potential. With good sound management and leadership, both can be improved tremendously to meet the needs of our population. We need county officials who understand the concept of a budget, and who realize that government has to be diligent in its spending, and not go beyond its financial abilities."
For Widner, that means the commission must exercise greater restraint on discretionary spending, even if it means curtailing support for nonessential projects.
"From my experience, I realize transportation funding is limited,” he said. “However, this only strengthens the fact that proper road maintenance and repairs are the only way we are going to get our county roads back to a safe and satisfactory condition. We need commissioners who have the understanding, experience and education to realize our roads will continue to deteriorate at an alarming rate if constant and consistent attention is not directed to our transportation system.
"During my twenty years of involvement with local government, I have gained a very
good understanding of this reality and, as commissioner, will always be opposed to adding additional and unnecessary expenses to taxpayers such as ATV parks, luxury vehicles and equipment duplication. As long as there are roads that need paving, and water issues that need resolved, we need to have somebody who's been around the practical side of the county's annual construction schedule and who has worked for years and understands what can‚ and cannot‚ be done in the field."
Electing officials that can responsibly handle the county's large‚ but tight‚ annual budget is crucial in today’s economic climate, said Widner.
He maintains that unspent funds should be conserved until needed when major emergencies strike.
One such emergency, said Widner, is the persistent funding crisis gripping the county school system. He believes the county could have immediately assisted the Cullman County School board when the board approached commissioners requesting they levy a half-cent countywide sales tax increase for schools.
"The people of Cullman County elected our superintendent and our school board to
represent them. When Superintendent Hank Allen came to the county commission and said — 'Hey‚we're hurting; we need money, and we need money now' — well, the state of Alabama granted the county commission that authority for just such an emergency," said Widner.
"If the school board comes up there and asks‚ as they did‚ we need to listen to them.
They had a legitimate concern, and I think we should have passed a tax. It could have
gotten the school system out of a crunch, and in the meantime the county commission
could have put that tax on a ballot, and let the people vote on whether to keep it. It could
be voted on in the very next election. A half-cent is not going to hurt us for a year or so,
and it would help the school system immediately until the people decide whether they want it to continue."
Having served as county engineer under previous administrations, Widner said he is well-versed in all phases of the county road construction cycle.
Widner said his career has been enhanced by affording him the opportunity to take on positions of leadership with a number of associations and government offices. He has served as President of the Alabama County Engineer's Association (ACEA), as Chairman of the ACEA Legislative Committee, as a member of the Board of Directors for the Alabama County Commission Association (ACCA), as a member of the Alabama Department of Transportation Advisory Committee (ADTAC), as well as a member of the ACEA Board of Directors. He has also served on the Fairview Park Board for the past 10 years, and said he tries to stay active in the community and with Fairview schools. He has two sons, 17-year-old Dillon and 14-year-old Ethan.
Widner holds a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from The University of Alabama-Birmingham and worked as an engineer for the county for more than 20 years. He is a 1980 graduate of Fairview High School and has been certified as a Professional Engineer in Alabama since 1992.
* Benjamin Bullard can be reached by e-mail at bbullard@cullmantimes.com or by telephone at 734-2131 ext. 270.
