Endorsement: Paul Lee for District 3

Kenneth Everett arrived for a meeting with the Dothan Eagle editorial board with a thick sheaf of papers and a jelly jar filled with discolored water. “This is what the water looked like when I was mayor,” he said.

The jar of water, the mayoral term and the sheaf of papers are all from 25 years or more in the past, yet they’re the most solid planks in Everett’s campaign for Dothan’s District 3 commission seat.

If he makes it, get ready to turn back the clock to 1981.

Everett comes across as the angry man out on the lawn yelling at the neighborhood kids for stepping in his yard. After the commission enacted a one-cent sales tax increase three years ago, Everett launched a petition campaign condemning the increase, then tried to pass off the signatures as a mandate to end Dothan’s city manager form of government.

In his campaign for the District 3 seat, he rails against the “tax-and-spend” practices and promises no increases in taxes or fees without a vote of the people. His quest for office seems to be fueled by vindication rather than a genuine desire to serve. That’s a terrible reason for the people to hand him even a miniscule measure of power.

Incumbent Commissioner Paul Lee, on the other hand, is the most introspective elected official we’ve seen in years. He doesn’t simply react; instead, he gives every issue the consideration it deserves, then votes his conscience.

Lee knows the challenges facing our city with regard to a sustainable long-term water supply, wastewater and landfill issues, and he understands that fiscal responsibility and discipline are necessary to meet the projected costs of these major projects.

We have no doubt that Lee is the man for the job in District 3. If every person in office approached their responsibilities as Lee does, government would operate far more efficiently.

The Dothan Eagle endorses Paul Lee for another term representing Dothan’s District 3.