Latest news with #BillyJackson
Yahoo
01-08-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Jackson believes he can provide change for city as mayor
Aug. 1—[italics] Editor's note: Between now and the election, The Decatur Daily will profile each of the four Decatur mayoral candidates. [end italics] After almost three decades on the Decatur City Council, Billy Jackson is running for mayor of a city he believes desperately needs a change. Jackson is running against Kent Lawrence, Butch Matthews and Suzie Wiley. They all want to replace outgoing Mayor Tab Bowling, who chose not to seek a third term. The Municipal Election is Aug. 26. Jackson said he thinks the city "has been void of leadership and of transparency from the mayor's office for many years. If we are going to grow, and, if we are going to thrive as a community, you have to have those components in place." Jackson said he's the only candidate with the necessary experience and educational background to be mayor. While other candidates have business experience, he said running a city is different from running a business. Jackson said he's the only candidate "who can start the process from Day 1" and not have to figure out what a mayor does or what powers the position has. "I'm the only one who can start moving this process in a positive direction to make sure that we can address the issues that have been left unaddressed for years or need to be addressed for the future," Jackson said. Local attorney Carl Cole, a former mayoral candidate, said he is supporting Jackson. "Billy's got more institutional knowledge of City Hall and how things work than probably anybody up there," Cole said. In discussing the city's leadership and his role on the council, Jackson once told The Daily that he "refuses to go along just to get along." While he stands by those comments, he said that philosophy would change if elected mayor. "The mayor is the mayor for the entire city, and I have to serve as mayor for every citizen in the city if elected," Jackson said. He said people who have known him for years, and not just through newspaper stories, "know that I'm a person who's willing to work with everybody to make sure that we have a successful outcome. That would be my role as mayor." Jackson said his term as City Council president from 2004 to 2008 is an example of how he operates. He said he worked hard to make sure they were working as a team, and every council member was part of the process. If a council member was absent from a meeting, he said he would take notes of council meetings for the absent member. This would allow that member to make an informed decision on an issue, he said. "I worked hard to make sure that everyone was included," he said. "That's the role of the mayor. He has to be able to work with everybody and try and bring them together." Cole said Jackson was an effective council president. "Billy is not afraid to stand up to power for what he believes in," Cole said. "He's cool under pressure. He doesn't get rattled despite some of the things that are thrown at him. All of these things are indicative of someone with exceptional leadership skills." Cole said Jackson will vote against issues that he doesn't think are right for his district or city, but he always has a legitimate reason for that vote. "Billy has disagreed with me on policies before," Cole said. "But the thing about Billy is when he's on the opposite side, he's smart enough that you want to know the reason why." Jackson said the city has to get back to the basics. "We've got to make sure we've got a clean, safe environment," Jackson said. "We've got to take care of our roads and our city and find a way so that the city is appealing to not only future residents but to current residents." Jackson said there are things that he believes "could be addressed with proper leadership." He said the city hasn't adequately addressed its homeless situation, and it should start by partnering with local homeless agencies. "We can't just shun people who are in this situation," Jackson said. Jackson said the city needs a plan on dealing with mental health issues. The Police Department employs a full-time mental health liaison, but Jackson said she can't always be available. The city may need to hire a private company to provide the necessary coverage for mental health crises, he said. "We've got to have 24-hour coverage when it comes to dealing with our citizens who have mental health issues," he said. The city is approaching the two-year anniversary of the fatal shooting of Steve Perkins by a DPD officer on Sept. 29, 2023. Numerous protests over the city's handling of the incident have taken place. "My intent isn't necessarily just to get past what happened," Jackson said. "I want to understand how it happened and how to prevent this from ever happening again." He said it's important that Police, Decatur Fire & Rescue and the city's employees are adequately trained to identify and deal with situations like the Perkins and John Scott cases. Scott was arrested April 15 by DPD during an apparent mental health episode in which officers stunned him and struck him several times. At Morgan County Jail, Scott began showing medical distress and was taken to the Decatur Morgan Hospital. He was transferred to Huntsville Hospital, where he died a week later. "We've got to understand how to identify people who are in a crisis situation and know what to do when that situation occurs," Jackson said. The mayor is responsible for presenting the annual budget, with its $96.7 million general fund, to the City Council for approval. Jackson said they need to get away from the budget approach of recent years. He said the mayor now gives the proposed budget to council members for private reviews. The chief financial officer then summarizes it for the public "in an hour or less" at a work session, he said. Jackson said the mayor, council, CFO and department heads "should do line-by-line reviews" in a public meeting like they did early in his tenure on the council. A review like this takes 40 to 60 hours, he said. He said the lengthy review is important to help the council make good decisions. "They have to understand what the requests were that went into the budget, what was denied and why the department wanted to see that item," Jackson said. He said the city needs recreation centers in every district. He said it was a mistake to demolish T.C. Almon Recreation Center in 2023. He opposes the plan to demolish the Aquadome. He also pointed out District 5 doesn't have a rec center. "We've got to look at starting rec centers and programs in all of our communities, so that we are thriving and growing in those communities," Jackson said. — or 256-340-2432 Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Two withdraw, one enters race on final day of qualifying for Decatur elections
Jun. 24—The final day of qualifying for Decatur's 2025 municipal election saw one longtime incumbent drop out, one newcomer join the campaign and a candidate enter the mayor's race and withdraw on the same day. Dwight Jett Jr., who is completing his seventh term as the District 4 school board member, withdrew from the race. Newcomer Alberto Miguez is the only candidate to qualify in the District 4 race. Councilman Hunter Pepper jumped into the mayor's race on the final day of qualifying for the 2025 municipal election, and then dropped out. Pepper's withdrawal leaves four candidates to replace Mayor Tab Bowling, who chose not to run after two terms. The candidates are Billy Jackson, Kent Lawrence, Butch Matthews and Suzie Wiley. Despite announcing last week that he planned to run again, Pepper also pulled out of the District 4 City Council race. On Tuesday, Jamie Handley became the sixth person to qualify for the council District 4 race. His District 4 opponents are Sarah French, Joshua Horton, Jason Putman, Angie Thom and Pam Werstler. The municipal election is Aug. 26. — or 256-340-2432
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Council ready to hire planning director after final candidate couldn't interview this week
May 24—The Decatur City Council majority is ready to move on with their first choice for planning director even though Councilman Billy Jackson wants to interview another candidate. All five councilmen said Clifford Cross, director of Economic Development, Planning and Zoning in Belleville, Illinois, impressed them in his recent interview. Four said this week that they're ready to offer the job to Cross. However, Jackson asked the council on Monday to interview Chad Bowman, planning and development director for West Memphis, Arkansas. He said former Decatur Planning Director Michelle Gilliam-Jordan recommended that they consider Bowman. The rest of the City Council agreed to interview Bowman, but only if he could come to Decatur this week. They said they want to move quickly because Cross said in his interview he is considering other options. Human Resources Director Richelle Sandlin said Tuesday that Bowman informed her that he can't come to Decatur this week. She also said that Cross knows that the City Council's next regular meeting is not until June 2. Council President Jacob Ladner and fellow councilmen Hunter Pepper, Kyle Pike and Carlton McMasters said they aren't willing to wait to interview Bowman even though they can't make an official decision until the next council meeting. "If Bowman can't meet this week, my intention is to move forward with Cross," said Ladner, who added that he won't be available next week. Pike reiterated his stance that he would be OK with interviewing Bowman if it were done quickly. But, since that's not the case, he said they need to move forward with Cross. "I don't believe we should risk losing a candidate that all five council members like," Pike said. Jackson said he doesn't think the City Council should be in such a hurry, especially since the city hasn't had a planning director since 2009 and they're risking missing out on a candidate who could be a superstar. Gilliam-Jordan was the last planning director certified in planning before leaving to work in Huntsville in 2009. The director of development, whether it was Wally Terry or now Dane Shane, has supervised the department that was run by a planning manager the last 10 years. The council upgraded the position to planning director in November. "It's so important that we get absolutely the right person for that position," Jackson said. "We have interviewed a candidate who is very good in everybody's opinion, but we do have a very good candidate out there who I would like to interview, and we should do everything that we can to interview this person." Jackson said he thinks the council "shouldn't rush into this situation" even though Cross says he has other opportunities. "We should respect that and work in the quickest way that we possibly can," Jackson said. "I don't think we should rush into a decision based on his schedule versus the schedule of the citizens of Decatur." He said he doesn't have a problem with the possibility of appointing Cross. He said he just thinks it's important that the council do its due diligence in the search, and that includes an interview with Bowman. After interviewing three candidates and holding a reception for two of them, Bowman and Cross were among the five supplemental applicants added late in the selection process. Sandlin initially recommended Cross because of his 25 years in planning. She added Bowman with "reservation because of his limited scope of experience." — or 256-340-2432
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Standing in Power co-founder seeks Decatur City Council seat in District 1
May 21—The cofounder of a local social justice group announced his candidacy for the District 1 Decatur City Council seat, promising to become more involved in the Decatur community and expressing a commitment to fostering a more inclusive environment. Terrance R. Adkins, 37, announced Tuesday that he is running for the City Council seat representing District 1, which will be open as current Councilman Billy Jackson has decided to run for mayor. Adkins said he is running to represent the voices of the district's residents he says have too often been overlooked. "I'm running for City Council because I believe District 1 deserves a leader who listens, who acts, and who will fight for the resources and respect our community deserves," Adkins said. "This is about our streets, our schools, our safety and our future." Adkins helped create Standing in Power, a group that has been especially active since the fatal police shooting of Decatur resident Steve Perkins in 2023. He previously ran for District 2 in 2020, losing to current Councilman Kyle Pike. City qualifying for the municipal election runs from June 10 to June 25, with a registration fee of $50. The election is scheduled for Aug. 26, and if a runoff is needed, it will be held on Sept. 23. The winner's four-year term begins Nov. 3. — or 256-340-2442.
