PHIL CAMPBELL – The coming years will arguably be some of the most crucial in the history of the town of Phil Campbell with rebuilding efforts still underway following 2011’s deadly tornado outbreak.
Leadership is key in times such as these, and with current mayor Jerry Mays deciding not to seek re-election, the people of Phil Campbell have four new faces to choose from when electing someone to take the helm of the city government.
Steve Bell, Gary Reed, Jimmy Paul Rice and Greg Williams have all qualified for the position and have been actively seeking voters’ support in recent weeks.
Bell, who is a previous city council member, said if he is elected mayor, he plans to approach each situation with careful evaluation and consideration of what will be best for the citizens of the town.
“I am not entering the office of mayor with any pre-determined agenda for what I would like to accomplish, but instead I only have a desire to take the wishes of the people and move forward,” Bell said. “I have been approached with a varied list of plans for what should happen in the town, but realistically, many conflict with each other and there must be a consensus for how we want to move forward.
“It will be only after careful review of all the options and resources available to us that we will know what can be accomplished.
“I promise to work with diligence to improve the appearance of the town all the while preserving as much history as possible. I am confident there are grants and subsidies available to tap into, and I pledge to work hard to make it all happen.”
Bell, who had to rebuild his home after the devastating tornado on April 27, 2011, said he plans to utilize his personal knowledge and his professional experience to assist with rebuilding efforts.
“Working in management positions for the last 30 years equips me to be uniquely suited to lead as the town rebuilds from the devastating April 27, 2011 tornados,” Bell said. “I have made a career of being able to take on difficult projects and complete them with positive results.”
Bell is married to Debra Wyatt Bell, a lifelong Phil Campbell resident, and has two adult daughters, Haley and Terri, who both graduated from Phil Campbell High School.
He is currently employed with Northwest Hardwoods, Inc., in Tuscumbia as a site operations manager. He was the 2005 recipient of the Alabama Small Manufacturer of the Year award presented by the business council of Alabama and the Alabama Technology Network.
He is a member of Mountain View Baptist Church and currently serves as the vice-chairman of the building committee, which oversees the rebuilding of the tornado-damaged church. He is also a member of the Phil Campbell Rescue Squad.
Candidate Jimmy Paul Rice is a lifelong citizen of Phil Campbell and said he believes his passion and commitment to his hometown makes him the best candidate for the position.
“I have lived in Phil Campbell almost 70 years and I have an uncle who served four terms as mayor here,” Rice said. “It seems like the town has run down over the years and I want to get the town back to the basics of what are citizens really need.
“We want to attract industry to our town, but no business is going to want to come here with our buildings and the rest of town looking like it does.
“I remember a time when I was young where the buildings in downtown were filled with businesses and anything you needed to get you could get it right here without having to go to another town.
“My goal is to get the town back to the way it was in those days when it was prosperous. I want the town to be something the citizens can be proud of and something tourists will remember as one of the nicest little towns in North Alabama.”
Rice said he wanted people to know that the plans he has are all this for the citizens and that he wasn’t running on any personal agenda.
“I think the mayor should always be available to the people, and since I am a retired construction worker, I’ll be available 24 hours a day when people need me,” he said. “If elected, I’ll work with the citizens to resolve and problems they have.”
Rice is married to Linda Rice. His parents were Elvin “Paul Rice, who owned a service station in the town during the 1940s, and Marie Rauschenberg Rice, who was a local beautician for many years.
He finished school at Phil Campbell High School and is a member of Mountain View Baptist Church.
Candidate Greg Williams is also a lifelong Phil Campbell resident.
Williams said his top priority is bringing in more jobs and industry that he believes will revitalize the town. He said his background construction will help him accomplish this task.
“I have a good working relationship with contractors as well as other businesses that I feel will be a helpful tool in restoring our town and bringing in factories and businesses,” Williams said.
“I think bringing in more industry is important because as it is now, we don’t have much to offer the younger generation when the graduate from school. I want Phil Campbell to be a place where our children and grandchildren can find work and make their home so they don’t have to drive 40 or 50 miles to get a good job.”
He said seeking out outside sources of funding would be important in making some of the goals the town has into reality.
“I will try to acquire all the federal and state grant money I can to help restore our town, to develop our new industrial park, to repair and rebuild our swimming pool and surrounding facilities and to try and build a nice and bigger rec center for our seniors and young people.
“If elected, I will also do an overall review of each department and meet with B.C.D.A. about a campground at Bates Crossing.
“I love this town and just want to see it grow.”
Williams is the son of Orville and Dot Williams and is married to Charlotte Goolsby Williams.
He is a Phil Campbell High School graduate and has worked in the construction industry for 40 years. He is a member and past president of Carpenter Local 1209 in Florence and is currently the treasurer and alternate delegate for local 1209.
He works for Midsouth Carpenters Training Trust Fund as a senior coordinator overseeing five training programs for the millwrights and carpenters and five different budgets that total close to a million dollars a year.
He is a Christian and is also a member of Masonic Lodge 880 of Phil Campbell.
Candidate Gary Reed could not be reached for comment.