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Q&A with candidates in Muscle Shoals Mayoral Race
(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. Not every candidate responded, despite multiple requests from News 19 for a reply. In Muscle Shoals, incumbent Mike Lockhart is facing challenger Billy Hudson in the race for Mayor. Lockhart provided answers to the questions below, but we did not receive a reply from Hudson. 1. Please provide a short biography Lockhart: Mike Lockhart has served as mayor of Muscle Shoals since 2020, following two terms on the city council and a 30+ year career in healthcare management, including 27 years at Helen Keller Hospital in Sheffield, Alabama. A Muscle Shoals resident since 1993, he's been deeply involved in community life—volunteering through his church and serving on multiple boards. Lockhart represents Muscle Shoals across state and national municipal organizations, holding leadership roles focused on economic development. He and his wife, a retired educator, have been married for 41 years and are proud parents of two children. 2. What led you to run for Mayor? Lockhart: The current mayor at that time did not seek reelection. After serving two terms with the city council, I was encouraged to seek the office of mayor. After careful prayer and consideration alongside my wife, the decision was made to seek the position. I truly believe God opened the door for this opportunity, and I am honored and blessed to serve the city of Muscle Shoals in this role. 3. What will be your top priority if you are elected? Lockhart: We have projects that have been set in place under this administration, and I would like to see the progress of those continued and completed. Those include a comprehensive plan that has been developed and put in place, which is an ongoing 'business plan for the city'. Infrastructure needs are also addressed in the comprehensive plan and will be a focus as our city continues to grow at an accelerated pace. The city is also committed to working alongside the school system as it rolls out its' growth plan. A new compensation/ salary plan was established for employees during this administration that will need to be reviewed for adjustments, ensuring that our most valuable resource, our employees, continue to be compensated at a competitive rate. Citizens have expressed a desire for more retail opportunities, and we will continue to focus on that area as we move into the next administration. There has been an ongoing stormwater mitigation plan for many years, and we will continue to address needs there, including one large project for which we are working to secure federal funding for assistance. There is also a plan in place for the city to better promote the rich music heritage of Muscle Shoals and the entire Shoals area. 4. What are the main challenges currently facing the city? How do you plan to address those issues? Lockhart: One of the biggest challenges is addressing the growth of our city. As I mentioned above, the comprehensive plan was developed to assist with the intent to provide us with a roadmap for smart, intentional growth. The citizens have conveyed through stakeholder meetings and their involvement that while they want things such as more retail and nice eating establishments, they want to maintain the small-town charm and quality of life as we grow. The city has made great strides in the past by addressing stormwater issues in our community. As mentioned above, we will continue to prioritize and address those needs in the future. Infrastructure needs are always a challenge with growing communities, and we will continue to prioritize that area as well. 5. Do you have a personal hero? Who is it and why? Lockhart: While there are many who have influenced me in my life and helped mold me into the person I am today, the person who I would consider my hero is my wife. She is a woman of God and the biggest supporter of our children and me. She has encouraged me and supported me throughout my career. I owe much of the success that I have had in my business career and life in general to her. She is my biggest cheerleader and, most of all, a prayer warrior for our family. 6. Tell us something about you that might surprise people. Lockhart: Well, a funny story is that I tried to quit school in the 4th grade, but for some reason, I couldn't convince my parents that it was the right path to take. Maybe I should say that my parents 'convinced me' that I should remain in school. On the flip side of that, a few short years ago, I decided to enroll in The Highlands College evening program, and I completed a Certificate of Ministry certification in the spring of 2021. Through that educational experience, I was able to grow my leadership skills, providing a better understanding of my purpose, which led me on this current journey as mayor. 7. Why should people vote for you? What makes you stand out from the other candidates in the race? Lockhart: I do not consider myself a politician. I feel that a public servant is a better description. I can't speak for other candidates, but I have a genuine passion and desire to serve my city. Through the years, developing and cultivating relationships has been one of my biggest strengths. Utilizing that asset to grow successful teams has led to a prosperous career. My leadership experience of 30 years in the healthcare field and an additional 13 years in municipal government, 8 as a council member and now 5 as mayor gives me the experience needed to continue to lead our city on a prosperous path. News 19 will be posting more candidate Q&As for mayoral races across the Tennessee Valley in the coming days. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Q&A with candidates in Albertville Mayoral Race
(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 Albertville, Incumbent Tracy Honea is facing challenger Justin Ennis. Despite multiple attempts to contact, we did not receive a set of answers from Honea. 1. Please provide a short biography Ennis: My name is Justin Ennis. I am 41 years old and was raised right here in Albertville, Alabama. I have worked pretty much my whole life, including a farm as a child and a filling station where my brother and I pumped gas for customers. My first public job was at the age of 14 at a local car dealership. I have worked for myself pretty much my entire adult life, starting my first business when I was 15 while working other jobs and attending high school. 2. What led you to run for Mayor? Ennis: Running for mayor and entering into politics has been a lifelong dream of mine. I met the mayor of Albertville for the first time when I was 8 years old. From that moment, I knew I wanted his job one day. I always thought I'd do it later in life but it just so happens, It's Time. There have been a lot of questionable transactions happening in our wonderful city. I am a firm believer in term limits and although there are none in place for our municipalities, my opponent is running for his 4th term and has ran unopposed since elected the first time. This is what has led me to run for mayor. 3. What will be your top priority if you are elected? Ennis: The top priorities for me are as follows: Stop the corrupt spending. Revise rental laws and enforce ordinances to clean up Albertville Make sure our school system has plenty of resources it needs for the growth they have seen Be transparent by letting the citizens know what is going on in the city Fix SMPA and make it accessible to everyone Fix neglected roads and plan for better infrastructure. Try to bring in industrial and tech jobs Revise subdivision ordinances to entice housing development so people can own homes instead of renting. Make our communities' interests first 4. What are the main challenges currently facing the city? How do you plan to address those issues? Ennis: Our main challenges in this city are reflected in my top priorities. 5. Do you have a personal hero? Who is it and why? Ennis: No reply provided. 6. Tell us something about you that might surprise people. Ennis: No reply provided. 7. Why should people vote for you? What makes you stand out from the other candidates in the race? Ennis: People should vote for me because it's time! We need leadership that will put citizens interests first, be transparent about what's going on, and try to better our city for the sake of the citizens in it. News 19 will be posting more candidate Q&As for mayoral races across the Tennessee Valley in the coming days. You can visit to see Q&As with candidates in mayoral races in other cities. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
