PIEDMONT, AL – Nine candidates for Piedmont City Council and one mayoral candidate addressed voters Thursday evening at a candidate forum hosted by the Calhoun County Chamber of Commerce and Piedmont High School. The forum provided candidates three minutes each to present their platforms ahead of the August 26th municipal election.
Mayoral Race
Kevin Farmer, running unopposed for mayor, emphasized collaboration and realistic expectations about the city’s challenges. Farmer, a lifelong Piedmont resident, stressed the importance of working together despite differing viewpoints and acknowledged the city’s infrastructure needs while noting that improvements require significant funding and cannot happen overnight. “We’re not going to sit up here and promise you, hey, we’re going to fix this overnight,” Farmer told attendees.
District 1
Brittney Williams and Robert Dunbar are competing for the District 1 seat. Tracy Delevie did not attend the forum.
Williams, a hair stylist and breast cancer survivor, focused on community safety, youth investment, and supporting local businesses. She emphasized her experience in budgeting and problem-solving through her self-employment and expressed commitment to staying connected with residents through neighborhood walks. “I want to help keep drugs off our streets and to give our children a safe place to grow,” Williams said.
Dunbar, a Piedmont High School graduate and retiree, highlighted his church involvement and commitment to addressing drainage issues affecting residents across all districts. He emphasized trust, privacy, and being accessible to constituents with their concerns, noting that some residents “can’t get out of their front door, some people can’t get out of their back door” due to drainage problems.
District 4
Three candidates are vying for the District 4 seat: Mark Epps, Rodney Holmes, and Ashlee Jones.
Epps, a seven-year Piedmont resident, focused on making the city more attractive to outsiders by addressing infrastructure issues including roads, back alleys, and animal control. He emphasized securing grants for road improvements and solving the feline overpopulation problem. “We’ve got to make Piedmont attractive,” Epps said, noting the need to address visible issues that affect the city’s image.
Holmes, a Piedmont High School graduate with a banking and finance background from Jacksonville State University, highlighted his financial expertise and ability to read financial statements. He stressed the importance of working together and listening to all perspectives, drawing on his experience making commercial loans to school districts and cities.
Jones, a 2010 Piedmont High School graduate, centered her platform on “quality of life” improvements. She detailed her work with the Piedmont Arts & Entertainment Committee organizing events like movie nights in the park and the annual Squirrel Drop, as well as her role with the Anniston Chamber of Commerce. Her priorities include improving city council meeting accessibility through live streaming, making city ordinances available online, and enhancing public spaces like Fagan Park through grant writing and community engagement.
District 5
Greg South and Kevin Cunningham are competing for the District 5 position.
South, an 11-year Piedmont resident and current nine-year council member, emphasized his business experience running multiple local establishments including Solid Rock Cafe, Cheif of the Dog and Trading Post, and Duggar Mountain Fudge and Firearms. He positioned himself as accessible to constituents for everyday concerns and highlighted his track record of being a “strong voice for what’s reasonable and right.”
Cunningham, a five-year resident and former National Guard officer who served during the Goshen Tornado, focused on capitalizing on Piedmont’s outdoor recreation assets including the Chief Ladiga Trail and Pinhoti Trail. He emphasized downtown revitalization and building a vibrant small business sector as prerequisites for attracting larger industry. “That’s a $4 billion industry in the state of Alabama alone, and we are capturing that,” Cunningham said about outdoor recreation.
District 6
Carlos Farmer is running unopposed for District 6. Farmer thanked outgoing councilman David Ivey for his leadership and outlined priorities including fiscal responsibility, infrastructure improvements, promoting small businesses, and developing manufacturing jobs. He highlighted Piedmont’s potential for ecotourism, citing a state study identifying Piedmont as Alabama’s ecotourism center.
Absent Candidates
Several candidates did not attend the forum: Kevin McCord (District 2), Frank Cobb (District 3), Tracy Delevie (District 1), and Matt Rogers (District 7).
The forum was moderated by Jakob Williamson with Henry Mullinax as timekeeper. Student Government Association members introduced the event with President leading the Pledge of Allegiance, alongside Vice President Molly Haynes and Secretary Katie Clemons.
State Senator Keith Kelly and Sheriff Falon Hurst were recognized as attending the event. The election will be held August 26th. All candidates were invited to remain after the forum to answer individual questions from voters.
