The Auburn Municipal Election is Tuesday, Aug. 28.
All eight City Council positions and the mayorship are up for election.
With only three incumbents running for re-election and Auburn’s 20-year mayor choosing to not run again, there will be new leadership in Auburn.
Meet the City Council candidates for Ward 2.
Candidates are sorted by the first letter of their last name.
Answers were not edited for length or content.
Anthony Brock
1. Why did you decide to run for City Council?
I have always wanted to make a difference in my community and in the past ten years I have heard my community cry for a change in city council leadership. These past few years have been difficult for the citizens in the Northwest Auburn area due to the city making changes that impact their communities greatly. Northwest Auburn has been my community for the past fourty four years. As a child listening to my parents, relatives, friends and citizens in the community express their concerns to the city, but still and feel as if their voices mean nothing has motivated me to run for city council. Over the last fifteen years we have seen city council candidates run on the slogan of making a change and being the voice of the community but then get on the city council and continue the same old tricks as the previous city council members. This has led the community to lose trust in the city council and the way they select commission members. Tricking the Auburn citizens will be no more and change will come. The Auburn community deserves better and I will make that happen.
2. What experience do you have that you think would help you if you are elected to the City Council?
In the past twenty years I have served in the field of public service. My experience working for Auburn City Schools system, Achievement Center of Easter Seal, Lee County Youth Development Center, AmeriCorp(Child Care Resource Center) and Boys & Girls club Of Greater Lee County has given me the opportunity to work with families and kids. These jobs have given me the insight needed to work on behalf of all people. Helping families to seek guidance for assistance in childcare, education, food assistance, mentoring, or a safe place for their kids to be while they are at work is a passion of mine. The Auburn community needs someone who understands public service and just not doing it when running for a political position. My experience in public service over the years has helped me to understand that people will see your body of work when you are not advertising it. As a result they will trust you because they know what you do is your passion, you are Working for the good of the people and not recognition. Helping people brings me great joy and someone needs to be on the city council with that same experience and passion or we will continue to put people in office with hidden agendas that are not looking out for the greater good of the city and its citizens.
3. What is the most important issue facing your ward that you would like to address if you are elected?
I would like to address the citizens concern about the future development process and the rapid growth of Auburn. We must plan strategically and effectively in the growth of Auburn with consideration of how it will affect the citizens, community/neighborhoods, city school system, and infrastructure. We can't have all eight candidates that specialize in development contracts and active business owners on city council, this shows no diversity in Auburn. There will be bias in the decision-making process of city officials on issues that affect the people who live in our community. Without diversity you cannot have a true picture of the community or the needs of the community.
Phil Chansler
1. Why did you decide to run for City Council?
I decided to run for City Council because I love Auburn and where it is heading. I want to help the citizens of Auburn shape that future. Having been part of a Military family all my life (both my Dad and I are retired Air Force) I've lived many places and after living year over 20 years now, Auburn is truly home.
2. What experience do you have that you think would help you if you are elected to the City Council?
Since moving to Auburn in 1997, I have been actively engaged in many aspects of the City: schools (I was Volunteer of the Year at Auburn Early Education Center), church (have served in various ministries), Auburn Athletics (6-year member of Athletic Director's Club) and the City of Auburn. For the last 8 years I have served on the Auburn Planning Commission and am now the Commission's Chairman. This experience has uniquely qualified me on the City Council, especially in light of the rapid growth Auburn is experiencing.
3. What is the most important issue facing your ward that you would like to address if you are elected?
The most important issue facing Ward 2 and, indeed the entire City of Auburn is rapid growth. The City's population growth, including the growth of the Auburn University student population is having major impacts on the city commercial and residential development are driving acute needs in all aspects of the City including City schools, infrastructure, traffic, parking, public safety and so on. These issues will be the main focus of the City council for the next four years and beyond.
Kelley Griswold
1. Why did you decide to run for City Council?
I’m running to restore trust in the city government, to ensure constituent voices are heard, and to find ways to ensure Ward 2 infrastructure needs are met.
Confidence in the city government has been a low point consistently in the annual city survey, something that is buried when survey results are announced publicly. I believe confidence is lacking because people are not given adequate information about how and why decisions are made. People are busy and preoccupied with living life, so city business needs to be conducted and reported in ways that people can grasp quickly and easily. We shouldn't have to work hard to understand what our commissions and the council are doing.
Every time I’ve heard someone express a concern about an action the city is taking, I’ve encouraged the speaker to contact a councilperson or attend a council meeting and speak up. Literally every person has responded that this is futile because council members make decisions with no input from citizens and don’t listen to what citizens say. This is disgraceful. Everyone has a voice, and all voices should be heard. I’ve been attending city council meetings on a regular basis and have rarely seen citizen comments adequately addressed by the council or city employees.
Ward 2 is the city’s targeted area for growth and expansion. As such it will require significant investment to ensure it has sufficient infrastructure to support the growing population. I’ve taken firm positions regarding uncontrolled development that are supported by a large number of Auburn citizens. I’m self-financing my campaign so I won’t have potential conflicts of interest with contributors, and I’m not aligned with groups or individuals that view Auburn as an open checkbook for out-of-town developers. I believe strongly in growth but not in growth at the expense of losing our identity.
2. What experience do you have that you think would help you if you are elected to the City Council?
Having served my country as a Soldier for 26 years and subsequently as a civilian supporting Army programs for an additional 10 years, I have a lifetime of experience in public service. I've directed organizations with thousands of employees and managed multimillion dollar budgets. I've been formally trained in executive management and strategic studies. Wherever we've been, I was active in community activities such as the Huntsville Leadership Program, the Huntsville Arts Council, the Lee County Community Emergency Response Team and Auburn’s Public Safety and Planning Academies. I graduated from Auburn University and, since returning home to Auburn after retirement, I've been a frequent speaker at city council and planning commission meetings and have been an advocate for citizen participation in our city government.
3. What is the most important issue facing your ward that you would like to address if you are elected?
The most important issue facing the city and, therefore, Ward 2 is a loss of trust and confidence in our city government. Only after restoring that trust and confidence can individual Ward issues be addressed. Ward 2 is perhaps the largest and most widely dispersed and is certainly the fastest growing. Our growth has outpaced our infrastructure, so the city isn't able to adequately support the growing population. Traffic congestion and safety, water supply, watershed issues, inadequate sewer lines, and internet coverage are examples. Ensuring the needs of Ward 2 are sufficiently prioritized is critical to the Ward and the growth of Auburn.
Stephen "Kyle" Moseley
Running for city council is something I’ve wanted to do for many years. I’m so grateful that this year I’ve finally had the opportunity to make it happen.
2. What experience do you have that you think would help you if you are elected to the City Council?
As a current municipal employee (City of Sylacauga) I feel like I understand some of the issues faced by the council and city departments. I hope to use that knowledge and understanding to the benefit of the citizens of Auburn.
3. What is the most important issue facing your ward that you would like to address if you are elected?
Smart growth! I want to make sure as our ward and all wards grow that we do it with our citizens best interest at heart
Todd D. Scholl
1. Why did you decide to run for City Council?
Infrastructure needs in NW Auburn Ward 2 are desperately needed including signal lights at multiple intersections off Farmville Road and Hwy 14, pedestrian/bike pathways to connect neighborhoods and schools to prevent the massive drop off lines that have been experienced at Creekside Elementary and helping push for increased retail activity to supply the quality of life shopping a growing city demands so that trips to Tigertown are an option and not a mandate.
2. What experience do you have that you think would help you if you are elected to the City Council?
I have lived in 7 different states and multiple cities including holding Homeowners Association President posts in Indianapolis and Little Rock where I garnered input from my neighbors on what projects to fund as well as what concerns they had for each community. My lifetime work as a hotelier assisting guests and fulfilling their needs by actively listening has been a solid foundation for public service…humility and handling the tough jobs are in my nature.
3. What is the most important issue facing your ward that you would like to address if you are elected?
Improving the safety of intersections on Farmville road at Donahue and Hwy 147 (N. College) there have been too many accidents on this stretch and I want to prevent a fatality by ensuring signal lights are added to each intersection.
The Plainsman did not receive responses from Hal Walker.
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Elizabeth, senior in journalism and political science, is the community editor for The Plainsman
