FAIRVIEW — There's at least one town in Cullman County where next month's municipal elections are certain to launch the beginning of a new era of mayoral administration.

That's because the mayor's race at Fairview won't field longtime incumbent Randall Shedd, who decided to step away from the job he's held for the past 16 years.

Tuesday's 5 p.m. deadline ended the qualifying period for municipal candidates ahead of next month's slate of local elections.

Instead, the mayor's seat will fall to current Fairview council member Dale Seals, who faces no competition for the spot on the August 28 municipal elections ballot.

"I think it's a big privilege to be able to step into Randall Shedd's shoes," said Sears Tuesday. "I'm definitely stepping into an awesome situation. Our little town is very stable, thanks to the terrific job Randall's done, and I look forward to being able to continue building on what he's done, and still continues to do. I'm definitely glad I'll still be able to rely on is guidance, when I need it."

The turnover at Fairview might not be the only leadership change for the county's 11 municipalities this year — incumbent mayors in every town but Fairview, Good Hope and Holly Pond will face competition to retain their seats. Newcomers to mayoral races in other towns will have to get past incumbents seeking reelection.

Running for local office is often a difficult personal decision; one that forces candidates to think about whom they'll be serving; whom they might even offend, and whether they'll have enough free time to take on the new responsibility.

That painstaking deliberative process has unfolded among civic-minded candidates in small towns across Cullman County ever since qualifying opened July 3.

"Should I run? For which seat? Do I want to compete for a seat against my friend; my neighbor, or do I want to run unopposed for an open seat? Who else is running? What kind of council will I be a part of if I win?"

The soul-searching has even become poignant this year in some towns.

In Garden City, the recent death of beloved council member Rufus McAnnally has drawn a lot of interest to the race for the Place 5 seat — not from opportunistic candidates looking for an easy pathway into local government, but from well-intentioned ones who want to sit in the same seat once occupied by someone they knew and loved.

"It's been kind of tough for some of the candidates who were trying to figure out what seat they were running for, because they didn't necessarily want to run against someone," explained Garden City town clerk Pam Leslie. "Some people wanted to run for Mr. McAnnally’s seat out of sentimental reasons — they just wanted to fill the seat he had filled. Now, there are three or four people running [for that seat]. Really, it's kind of a show of respect."

Some towns' races aren't races at all. Incumbents in all six seats at Holly Pond face no opposition next month. Fairview has no contested races. Cullman's only contested race will be for mayor, and Good Hope only has one council seat up for grabs.

But the municipal election season will be a lively one at Baileyton, Dodge City, Hanceville, West Point and Vinemont, where most seats field two or more candidates.



Following is a list of candidates who qualified to run for city council member or mayor in each of Cullman County's 11 municipalities:



Cullman

Mayor

Max Townson (incumbent)

Marshall Rowe

Jerry Parker

%Verna Jackson Hammons

All of Cullman's current council will run uncontested. The council is composed of:

Andy Page (incumbent)

Garlan E. Gudger Jr. (incumbent)

John W. Cook (incumbent)

Clint Hollingsworth (incumbent)

Jenny Folsom (incumbent)



All of the current Cullman City School Board will run uncontested. The board is composed of.

Kim Addison (incumbent)

Brenda Howell (incumbent)

Steve Sides (incumbent)

Jason Neal (incumbent)

Suzanne Harbin (incumbent)



Hanceville

Mayor

Kenneth Nail (incumbent)

Rodell Knight

Jeff Hancock

Council — Place 1

Joann Walls (incumbent)

Doug Batemon

Council – Place 2

Sally Alexander (incumbent)

Greg Baker

Council — Place 3

Kim Brown (incumbent)

Oscar Santiago

Council — Place 4

Charles Wilson (incumbent)

Connie Martin

Council — Place 5

Jimmy Sawyer (incumbent)    



Good Hope

Mayor

Corey Harbison (incumbent)

Council — Place 1

John Harris

Council — Place 2

Maxie Jones (incumbent)

Council — Place 3

Susan Eller (incumbent)

Council — Place 4

Jerry Bartlett (incumbent)

Council — Place 5

Matthew Glover

Adam Long



West Point

Mayor

Kenneth Kilgo (incumbent)

James Drain

Michael Hall

Council — Place 1

Steve Link (incumbent)

Frankie Jones

Council — Place 2

Darion Daniel

Shannon Mattox

Brad Smith

Council — Place 3

Gerald Schaefer (incumbent)

Pat McKenzie    

Council — Place 4

Jerry D. Smith (incumbent)

Alton Bailey

Council — Place 5

Michael Barnett

Lisa Willingham



Dodge City

Mayor

Tawana Canada (incumbent)

Marshall McDonald

Council — Place 1

Jason Burney (incumbent)

Council — Place 2

Murray Lowe (incumbent)

Council — Place 3

Anthony Todd (incumbent)

Tammy Williams

Council — Place 4

Inez McDonald (incumbent)

Summer McDonald

Council — Place 5

Ervin Chumley (incumbent)

Samantha Duke

Betty McDonald Shelton



South Vinemont

Mayor

Melba Patton (incumbent)

Robert Schweighart

Council — Place 1

Joann Oakley (incumbent)

Council — Place 2

Terry Holcomb

Avel Swann

Sonya Mabry

Council — Place 3

Radginal "Reggie" Dodson

Jeff Brown

Council — Place 4

J.D. Marcum (incumbent)

Jerry Smith

Council — Place 5

Mike Reynolds

Shirley Arnett



Fairview

Mayor

Dale Seals

Council — Place 1

Eugene Pinkard (incumbent)

Council — Place 2

Eric Laney

Council — Place 3

Paula Edge (incumbent)

Council — Place 4 — (open until appointed by new council)

Council — Place 5

Norman Dye (incumbent)



Holly Pond

All of Holly Pond's current council will run uncontested. The council is composed of:

Mayor Herman Nail

Council member Lou Thomas

Council member Michelle Bell

Council member Bartee Bryan

Council member Ricky Carr

Council member Paul Brown



Baileyton

Mayor

Johnny Dyar (incumbent)

Bill McElroy

Council — Place 1

Walker Mead (incumbent)

Council — Place 2

Windell Calloway (incumbent)

Council — Place 3

Roy Shedd (incumbent)

Janice Miller

Council — Place 4

Mark McKelvy

Ray Kent

Council — Place 5

Greg Griffin

Chris "Bo" Tipton    



Garden City

Mayor

Harden Davis (incumbent)

Tim Eskew

Lary "Bird" Walker

Council — Place 1

Butch Bradford

Council— Place 2

Gene Norman

Council — Place 3

Paula Kretzschmar

Council — Place 4

Scott Arnold

Council — Place 5

Frank Nall

Bucky S. Martin

Teresa Martin Goodwin

Pat Chafin (incumbent)



Colony     

Mayor

Morris Fitts (incumbent)

Patrick Ward

Donnis Leeth

Council — Place 1

Brenda J. Johnson (incumbent)

Vernon "B.B." Fields

Council — Place 2 — (open until appointed by new council)

Council — Place 3

Alexander Twitty

Council — Place 4 — (open until appointed by new council)

Council — Place 5

Marcus Bradford (incumbent)

Curtis D. Johnson

    

* Ashley Graves contributed to this story.



* Benjamin Bullard can be reached by e-mail at bbullard@cullmantimes.com or by telephone at 734-2131 ext. 270.