Getting The Facts Straight

I am pleased to report that I have kept my firm commitment to run a positive campaign, and not engage in negative comments during this election. However, I will not allow misinformation about myself or the Dollar For Mayor campaign to go uncorrected. In recent days I have learned that three completely false statements about me have been communicated during the campaign. Here are the facts about those issues.

Party Affiliation

First of all, there are NO party candidates in the Guntersville election, period. Municipal elections are non-partisan, as they should be. That is why I have made no mention of party affiliation during my campaign (nor doing my work as mayor). However, I am proud to be a Republican. I hold strong family, Christian and conservative fiscal values. There is no room for party politics to divide a small community. As Mayor, I serve all the citizens of Guntersville regardless of political affiliation. It is vital that our community work together to provide the best quality of life as possible without the distraction of party politics.

Guns and the 2013 Emergency Ordinance

The second issue is blatant misleading statement that I am not a 2nd Amendment supporter. This is based on a misunderstanding almost eight years ago (explained below) that was quickly resolved by the Mayor and City Council. It is unfortunate that someone has chosen to intentionally misrepresent that situation in the current election.

Let me be clear — I am a firearm owner myself, the wife of an avid outdoorsman, and mother to three boys that love to hunt. Trust me when I say that I am in no way a supporter of taking guns.

The issue in question arose from an "emergency ordinance" provided by the State of Alabama for municipalities to pass at the local level. The ordinance was simply to allow city governments to take quicker action in the aftermath of a disaster, such as the April 27, 2011 tornado outbreak. The lengthy ordinance included wording that, although already part of Alabama State Law, was viewed as unfavorable toward gun rights. We listened to our citizens' concerns and quickly removed the ordinance from consideration. I would never use the position of mayor to infringe on our community’s rights.

Walking Trail Tunnel

A new crossing at Highway 69 and Sunset Drive to connect the walking trails and parks is only a concept at this point. The City is looking at all options for a safer crossing than currently available. This is a state highway, and anything done would have to go through ALDOT. At this point we have simply asked the engineers and State to look into the feasibility and different options. No city money has been budgeted for this project, and if it goes forward it would be subject to detailed discussion and public input and funding availability.