Geneva County Commission candidates discuss toll road, other issues

The Dothan Eagle asked the candidates running in the June 3 primary for Geneva County Commission in districts 2 and 4 questions about their plans should they be elected to office. Their answers are printed below.

Geneva County Commission
District 2
Dothan Eagle: What do you think is the most important issue facing Geneva County and how would you address it?
Gary Shields, 57, incumbent, custom farm operations: It’s always jobs. We’re a county that doesn’t have a lot of industry and so we’re always in search for more jobs for our citizens.
Mainly our jobs around here are home grown. With the toll road, we’ll have a corner in Southeast Alabama where we’ll have access to an Interstate and that would open up doors.
Joe C. Howell, 64, pest control business owner: Money’s the most important thing with anything you do. As you know 65 percent of every (sales tax) dollar is spent in your county. It’s almost impossible to do anything about it.
The biggest thing that will help us is a (four-lane road), We don’t have a four lane road in Geneva County and they’re talking about four laning 167 to Enterprise and Florida is talking about bringing a four lane to the Alabama line, and 167 runs from Hartford right on down to there.

Dothan Eagle: What opportunities do you think the proposed toll road through Geneva County offers and how can the county best take advantage of them?
Shields: We’ve got an industrial park in Hartford and if the toll road comes in we’d be in close vicinity to them and we’re hoping to fill the industrial park.
Howell: It could offer us a lot if they’re going to have enough exits. Depending on where those exits are at it could mean a lot if it’s in the right place. The problem is with the toll road is that it only comes through the east end. Geneva County is only about 15 miles wide, but it’s 78 miles long, so that cuts a lot of people out.
If we could get 52 four-laned it would be the greatest thing that ever happened to Geneva County.

Dothan Eagle: What will the county do with Eunola’s money?
Shields: We’ve got it in a separate bank account and if the town is able to come back it will be there for them.

Dothan Eagle: How would you encourage economic growth in Geneva County?
Howell: I would go anywhere I could with anyone I could to bring some industry to Geneva County.
 
Geneva County Commission
District 4
Dothan Eagle: What do you think is the most important issue facing Geneva County and how would you address it?
Scott Mills, 51, self-employed poultry farmer: The most important issue I think we’re facing is a funding crisis. We’ve lost our textile industry.
I think our commission working as a unit can accomplish projects. I’d like to work with our representatives in the Legislature to ensure Geneva County has a voice in Montgomery so we can secure funds for our improvements.
Johnny Windham, 57, retired firefighter: The most important issues facing Geneva County is water — we don’t have a county wide water system — and industrial growth. We have a low tax base.
With the water issue, I would continue to make sure the commission supports the water board 100 percent.
With industry, I don’t know if we have a industrial board, but if we don’t I would create one and make sure we support it 100 percent.

Dothan Eagle: What opportunities do you think the proposed toll road through Geneva County offers and how can the county best take advantage of them?
Mills: We need an exit ramp at Highway 52. Without an exit ramp at Highway 52 a toll road would not benefit Geneva County, but if we had an exit ramp it would tie our road system into a major highway.

Dothan Eagle: How would you encourage economic growth in Geneva County?
Mills: By working with our local legislators to improve our infrastructure.

Dothan Eagle: What opportunities do you think the proposed toll road through Geneva County offers and how can the county best take advantage of them?
Windham: I believe it will definitely offer some advantages for business and the best way to take adavantage of it is make sure we have the water in place and make Geneva County attractive to business.

Dothan Eagle: Why do you think that you’re the best candidate to handle the issues in Geneva County?
Windham: Being retired, I think I have the time to go to Montgomery and make the contacts with people up there and get Geneva lined up and apply for funds as they become available.