ANNISTON, AL — Calhoun County Chamber of Commerce hosts candidate forum ahead of August 26 election
The Anniston City Meeting Center was packed Thursday evening, July 11, as the Calhoun County Chamber of Commerce hosted a comprehensive candidate forum featuring all major candidates for mayor and city council positions. Moderated by Jacob Williamson with Henry Mullinax as timekeeper, the event drew significant community attendance both in-person and through live streaming.
The forum followed a structured format with city council candidates receiving three minutes each to present their platforms, followed by mayoral candidates answering six substantive questions with two-minute responses and three-minute closing statements.
City Council Candidates by Ward
Ward 1: The Ward 1 race features four distinct candidates, each bringing different perspectives on community development and political engagement.
Brenton Tolson opened with a message centered on “political maturity,” arguing that communities should control their own politics rather than allowing outsiders to dictate local governance. His platform emphasizes re-educating the community on political consciousness, supporting local businesses, and creating employment opportunities. Tolson outlined plans to work with young people, creating educational pathways before they reach their senior year to “mold them so they can and will mold our city’s future.”
Lewis Downing, the current incumbent, leveraged his deep personal connection to Ward 1 and extensive community ties. He emphasized that Ward 1 has been his home for most of his life and highlighted his daily presence downtown through his family’s business operating since 1963. His platform emphasizes McClellan’s potential as “a hub for industry, commerce, recreation, entertainment, and community living,” supporting municipal airport development, and maintaining clean, safe neighborhoods.
Ben New positioned himself as a proven performer with tangible results from his voluntary service over the past three to four years. He highlighted his work with the steering committee in developing a comprehensive plan and rewriting the city’s zoning ordinance, emphasizing that “This city is prime for new development, new growth, new tax base.” New noted the city’s significant budget growth from $30 million to $45 million in operating funds as evidence of progress.
John Squires presented a more critical assessment of current city leadership, outlining four specific priorities: free trash pickup, education accountability, job creation, and addressing food deserts. He leveraged his experience with the Alabama Department of Labor and announced active work to bring a grocery store to West Anniston, declaring “There will be a free grocery store for this town, and it will be in West Anniston.”
Ward 2: Four-Way Race for Council Representation
Dann Hughley, a pastor at Haven United Methodist Church and St. John United Methodist Church, positioned his candidacy around transparency, responsible decision-making, and fiscal accountability. He criticized the beer tax situation as an example of poor fund management and outlined priorities including bringing new businesses, improving housing quality, and eliminating blight.
Demetric “DeDe” Roberts, the current Ward 2 incumbent, drew upon his five years of service and community visibility. He highlighted achievements including the dumpster program that has collected “close to 148 tons of trash” over eight annual collection periods and outlined ongoing safety initiatives including adding more lighting citywide and installing cameras to combat illegal dumping.
La Sha’ Robinson emphasized her business ownership experience and community engagement as qualifications for bringing fresh perspective to the council. She detailed her work with the Urban Enrichment Group nonprofit organization and emphasized the collaborative nature of effective governance, framing the election as “more about the future of our community and our children.”
Erica Tolson, a lifelong Anniston resident, focused on practical community needs including restoring free trash collection, enhanced community safety through improved lighting, and collaboration with the school board to ensure educational equity. She emphasized accessibility and responsiveness, promising that if elected, voters should hold her accountable.
Ward 3
Joe Harrington, unopposed in his race, did not participate per forum tradition. He was present at the event.
Ward 4: Two Candidates Compete for Council Seat
Ashley Wilson leveraged her identity as a public school teacher to emphasize her community connections and practical approach to governance. Her platform centers on four priorities: neighborhood safety, infrastructure maintenance, local business support, and education partnership. Wilson emphasized transparent communication and framed Anniston’s moment as a turning point with both challenges and opportunities.
Julie Moss brought professional experience in business, nonprofit, and economic development, most recently serving as executive director of the McClellan Development Authority. Her three key priorities include better transparency to “cut the red tape,” stronger community support through clean streets and safe communities, and smarter development to make Anniston “a place where people want to invest.”
Mayoral Race: Five Candidates Address Six Key Questions
The five mayoral candidates—Steven Folks, Ben Little, Kevin Cheatwood, incumbent Mayor Ciara Smith, and Michael Woods—answered the following six questions:
Question 1: Regional Collaboration and Long-term Goals
Steven Folks emphasized relationship-building as the foundation of effective regional collaboration, drawing from his previous city manager experience. He stressed that “reasonableness is important” and advocated for continuous forums between regional leaders, noting that collaborative relationships are essential for accessing external funding.
Ben Little focused on specific collaborative initiatives already in development, particularly addressing animal shelters and homelessness as regional challenges. He highlighted Anniston’s unique tourism assets and proposed creating tourism packets that direct Oxford’s visitors to Anniston’s attractions.
Kevin Cheatwood criticized the current siloed approach and emphasized his healthcare background as valuable for strengthening partnerships, particularly with RMC. He identified the airport as an underutilized regional resource and emphasized the need for collaboration at county, city, and state levels.
Mayor Ciara Smith outlined specific collaborative initiatives including expanding the hospital regionally while maintaining it as a city asset and joint road construction bidding. She emphasized economic interdependence, stating “Our economies depend on one another.”
Michael Woods agreed with building upon existing relationships while proposing monthly meetings with regional leaders and supporting collaborative bidding for road projects and regional animal shelter development.
Question 2: Fort McClellan Development Strategy
Ben Little announced plans to visit Washington D.C. to address fundamental legal issues affecting McClellan development, revealing that property ownership questions dating to 1917 create uncertainty for development.
Kevin Cheatwood acknowledged his limitations while emphasizing transparency and fiscal accountability as crucial for attracting investment, noting that his experience as an entrepreneur highlighted bureaucratic obstacles.
Mayor Ciara Smith provided detailed clarification of current McClellan governance and outlined development strategies across multiple sectors, prioritizing working with the EDC to recruit industry and addressing the housing crisis.
Michael Woods supported addressing ownership questions while balancing development with historical preservation, advocating for mixed-use development that honors McClellan’s significance.
Steven Folks emphasized comprehensive planning and transparency now that the city has gained control of McClellan properties, advocating for detailed mapping and community input.
Question 3: Addressing Abandoned Properties and Blight
Kevin Cheatwood proposed immediate policy changes and staffing reallocations to accelerate cleanup processes, advocating for aggressive use of tax liens and restructuring city government to prioritize field work.
Mayor Ciara Smith emphasized education and environmental remediation, particularly focusing on heir property workshops and specialized attention for West Anniston’s complex environmental contamination issues.
Michael Woods advocated for a community-partnered approach providing property owners with alternatives and support, proposing city incentives to help property owners move on from problematic properties.
Steven Folks stressed education, accountability, and community investment, emphasizing that residents must “invest in their community” alongside official enforcement efforts.
Ben Little called for restored city services and strategic use of federal funding to rehabilitate rather than demolish salvageable properties, providing specific financial analysis favoring rehabilitation over demolition.
Question 4: Ecotourism and Natural Assets Development
Mayor Ciara Smith detailed her evolution on the Chief Ladoga Trail, explaining how direct experience changed her perspective after initially opposing it for fiscal reasons. She highlighted the trail’s ability to attract visitors from across the United States and emphasized working with recreational groups to expand tourism revenue.
Michael Woods emphasized his cycling background and proposed comprehensive tourism infrastructure including off-grid cabins, identifying the economic cycle potential of tourism development.
Steven Folks emphasized the financial importance of tourism while stressing proper trail maintenance and regional cooperation, noting that trail maintenance is critical for long-term success.
Ben Little supported ecotourism development while criticizing investment priorities, questioning spending seven million dollars on trails while surrounding communities need basic improvements.
Kevin Cheatwood acknowledged initial cost concerns while highlighting current tourism benefits, emphasizing visitor concerns about city conditions and infrastructure challenges.
Question 5: Airport Development and Economic Strategy
Michael Woods envisioned the airport as a multi-purpose regional hub supporting diverse functions including aerial fire stations, tourism through scenic flights, and cargo operations.
Steven Folks emphasized regulatory compliance and comprehensive planning, noting past FAA compliance issues that have been resolved and stressing the airport’s potential as “a vital asset to this city.”
Ben Little announced specific partnerships with Detroit-based partners to establish aircraft mechanics training programs, noting graduates could earn “$80,000 a year coming out of high school.”
Kevin Cheatwood praised current airport operations while criticizing basic city support failures, describing inadequate visitor facilities and operational conflicts.
Mayor Ciara Smith provided detailed analysis of current operations and regional collaboration opportunities, emphasizing the airport’s potential for aviation training programs in conjunction with Oxford’s CREATE initiative.
Question 6: Business Climate and Administrative Challenges
Steven Folks proposed comprehensive administrative streamlining based on his city management experience, emphasizing creating a one-stop shop and a daily philosophy of “find a way to say yes.”
Ben Little identified planning and zoning processes as primary obstacles, promising personal intervention in business approval processes and direct council intervention when commissions create obstacles.
Kevin Cheatwood provided detailed personal testimony about business development obstacles, describing his business opening process as “the hardest thing I have done in my entire life” and identifying systemic administrative problems.
Mayor Ciara Smith acknowledged challenges while providing statistical evidence of recent progress, noting a “291 percent increase in business licenses” in the past five years and proposing policy reforms to address conflicts between historic buildings and modern codes.
Michael Woods concisely agreed with previous speakers while acknowledging limitations in adding substantive new perspectives.
Closing Statements: Final Appeals
Steven Folks emphasized unity and collaboration, positioning himself as a unifying candidate focused on improvement rather than criticism. He stressed regional thinking and defended recent progress, concluding with a call for collective action.
Ben Little distributed campaign literature and promised dramatic improvements through proper resource utilization, requesting “just one term as mayor to show you how easy it is to fix this city.” He outlined specific policy education and municipal court reform priorities.
Kevin Cheatwood reinforced his non-politician identity while presenting fiscal reforms, emphasizing his direct communication style and promising transparency through salary disclosure and administrative streamlining.
Mayor Ciara Smith directly addressed her age while highlighting accomplishments including crime reduction, business growth, and infrastructure improvements. She emphasized inclusive leadership and accessibility, concluding with “if you want to see the future of Anniston, and you believe in the future of Anniston, on August 26, 2025, you cast your vote for Sierra Smith.”
Michael Woods acknowledged his limitations while emphasizing community voice and collaborative governance, outlining his vision for physical restoration and inclusive decision-making.
The comprehensive forum provided Anniston voters with detailed insights into candidate platforms, priorities, and approaches to the city’s most pressing challenges, from infrastructure and economic development to education and regional cooperation. The election is scheduled for August 26, 2025.
The forum ended with a reminder to vote on August 26, giving residents a comprehensive look at the individuals aiming to lead Anniston into its next chapter.
The full forum is below:
