Q&A with candidates in Guntersville Mayor Race

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4 days ago

GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — Municipal elections will be held across Alabama on Aug. 26.
Voters in North Alabama will be asked to decide on mayoral races, city council races and, in some communities, school board races.
⭐ News 19 is Your Local Election Headquarters! Click here for more election coverage ⭐
In order to provide voters with detailed information about the candidates running for mayor in 12 North Alabama cities, News 19 sent out a number of candidate questionnaires starting in mid-July.
We are going to post the answers we received over the next 10 days. Not every candidate responded, and that will be noted.
Some answers will also be edited for length, grammar or spelling reasons, but otherwise the content will be published as submitted. Viewer feedback is always welcome.
In Guntersville, incumbent Leigh Dollar is facing challenger Jeff McLaughlin in the race for Mayor. Both Dollar and McLaughlin provided answers to the questions below.
1. Please provide a short biography
Dollar: I have lived in Guntersville my entire life, except while away at the University of Alabama, where I earned an accounting degree. I am a CPA and have an accounting office, Dollar & Watson LLC in Guntersville. I have three boys: John Clay (wife Tori), Cade and Cale. I have two grandsons, John Wilson and George, and a granddaughter Alli. My parents are George Barnett and the late Dianne Barnett.
McLaughlin: Born in Decatur, grew up in Guntersville, raised in Guntersville, graduated high school in Guntersville and after college and teaching in Birmingham, then law school, I came back to Guntersville to raise my family and build a law practice. I have been the managing partner of McLaughlin & Edmondson, LLC for thirty years.
2. What led you to run for Mayor?
Dollar: I have always wanted to run for Mayor since I was in high school. My father was mayor when I was born, but was city attorney my growing-up years, so I was always around local politics. In 2012, I ran for my first election and now in 2025, I'm running for my 4th term. I'm seeking office to continue the significant strides we've made over the past 13 years, but there is still more to be done. I am excited to keep working with the outstanding team at the City to build on the progress we've already made and continue to move our community forward.
McLaughlin: Over the years, and especially the last year or so, a number of folks in town have asked me to run. I believe in public service, so I decided to throw my hat into the ring this summer.
3. What will be your top priority if you are elected?
Dollar: If elected, I will keep working with the outstanding team at the City to build on the progress we've already made and continue to move our community forward.
There are several larger projects that I want to work towards if elected, which includes the continued renovations to the remaining recreation facilities, the addition of Fire Station #3 north of the river, and safety improvements at key intersections. Large projects take a significant amount of time and effort and a proven ability to work in a positive way with your council to make them happen.
McLaughlin: My top priority would be doing whatever can be done by the City to improve our school system. Guntersville City Schools used to be in the top 10 or at least the top 25 systems in Alabama. Through working with the school board, I want to see Guntersville return to that higher level. Our children need it and deserve it, and the school system is probably the No. 1 driver of economic development in a town like Guntersville. Companies looking to locate here want to know Guntersville has a top-flight school system.
4. What are the main challenges currently facing the city? How do you plan to address those issues?
Dollar: Overall, I feel Guntersville is in great shape, but you can always be better. I work every day to make this City better than it was yesterday. One of the issues we have to work on is managing the growth of our City. Guntersville is no longer a hidden gem, and it takes smart planning to maintain the quality of life of residents as we enjoy the benefits of increased tourism and other job-creating business development. Maintaining that focus will be a top priority during if I am re-elected. One specific issue is the ongoing issue of stormwater draining due to older infrastructure that has been in place for a very long time. The City requires new developments to have proper drainage (which sometimes has to be tweaked if not functioning properly). Stormwater infrastructure is very expensive and the City is slowly working on troublesome areas. Overall, keeping up with all infrastructure is a critical issue moving forward as we continue to grow. We will continue working with utilities, engineers, and others in the planning process to ensure we have the proper infrastructure.
McLaughlin: See above comments about our schools. Another issue is economic development. With Huntsville booming, we need to plan what we want Guntersville to be 5-10-20 years out. We want intelligent growth. Recently, the City approved a sixth Dollar General Store in Guntersville, right across a state highway from one of our elementary schools. A lot of people, especially school-age kids' parents and those in the neighborhoods adjoining to the new store, were opposed to that. The City needs to evaluate applications like the one from the 6th Dollar General very closely and do what's best for the people.
There are plenty of other issues. Walking the streets and knocking on doors, I've heard a lot from residents. They're concerned with the things I've raised, and they are also concerned about speed bumps, municipal debt, agreements the City has made with developers, maintaining and improving our infrastructure (like our roads, sewer system, and surface water run off system, etc.).
5. Do you have a personal hero? Who is it and why?
Dollar: My personal hero(es) would be my parents. They have always been my strongest supporters and encouraged me my entire life. They taught me the value of education, hard work and serving my community. They always told me that I could do anything that I set my mind to.
McLaughlin: I suppose my personal heroes would be my parents. They raised five children and imprinted in all of us the need to work hard, think for ourselves, and to help our neighbors. And all that with a great sense of humor.
6. Tell us something about you that might surprise people.
Dollar: I love to travel and have been to all 50 states.
McLaughlin: I don't think I have anything like a hidden talent or anything worthy of surprise. However, it may surprise some of your readers that there's a politician who won't accept donations – I ask that those who would like to contribute to put that money into their church or favorite charity – maybe the United Way instead. Lots of politicians talk about doing good, but this way we're doing real good, right now!
7. Why should people vote for you? What makes you stand out from the other candidates in the race?
Dollar: Guntersville is a truly special place—a great place to live, work, and play. But maintaining and growing this quality of life doesn't happen by chance. As your Mayor, I will continue to focus on what's best for our community and work to preserve our city's excellence for both residents and visitors.
Guntersville's unique geographical location gives us a distinct advantage for growth, and we're already seeing the positive impact of that growth. But the potential is even greater, and much of the groundwork has been laid to leverage that potential. I'm committed to continuing this work by promoting smart, sustainable development, with an emphasis on tourism and recreation as well as on commercial and industrial development.
Our city is full of opportunities, many of which are already turning into real accomplishments every day. I'm proud of the role that positive leadership has played in those successes—from fostering strong relationships with the City Council to creating a culture of teamwork and ownership within our city staff. The results speak for themselves.
As Mayor, one of my top priorities has been to protect and optimize Guntersville's natural resources. This includes not only maintaining infrastructure but also enhancing our resources to support responsible growth. Under my leadership, we've made great progress in both areas.
It takes strong management, financial stewardship, and a forward-thinking vision. As a CPA, I have the financial ability to manage the large budget that comes with running a City. You have seen my forward-thinking vision in action over the past 13 years, and I have no plans of slowing down. My experience – with proven leadership and results –- is what sets me apart from my opponent. Plans are always important, and the improvements and success of Guntersville over my three terms as mayor are the best indicators of a well-planned and well-managed City.
McLaughlin: I hope people can see that I have experience, which will help me to serve in the office to the benefit of all our citizens. I tried to evaluate everything I voted on when I served in the Legislature from 2001 to 2010 from as to whether it was best for the people I represented, not the special interests, the lobbyists, or the monied interests. I would take that same approach to serving as mayor of Guntersville.
News 19 will be posting more candidate Q&As for mayoral races across the Tennessee Valley in the coming days.
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