Mobile, Alabama will be holding their municipal elections on Tuesday August 25th, 2009. The mayor and three council members are un-opposed and district 6 is a challenged district with one opponent to the incumbent.Incumbent Connie Hudson who is serving her second term and challenger Al Cheatham a political newcomer and U.S. Navy veteran is gearing up for a victory on either side this coming Tuesday. Only one candidate will take it all, and one candidate will be re-thinking their plans for the future. In this race for Mobile City Council, Parks and Senior Centers have taken the spotlight.
"The way I represent people, what I feel are priorities, is very much in line with the people of District 6, I feel like I really have a finger on the pulse here, Hudson said.”
One issue between the candidates is the Mobile Regional Senior Center. The 20,000-square-foot center has fitness equipment, a heated pool for physical therapy and exercise, a billiards room, three multi-purpose activity rooms, a computer lab and a kitchen. Hudson fought for seven years to secure more than $5 million to fund the 20,000-square-foot center on Hillcrest Road, which opened last year. But Cheatham criticized the city's decision to make the center's programs solely available for citizens over the age of 55. He said he also wants to open the center to people who have suffered brain trauma. He said the center was originally intended to be open to those people, but the city cut them out over budget concerns.
Hudson and Cheatham said they wanted to promote usage of Medal of Honor Park, which is between Hillcrest and Knollwood Drive, south of Grelot Road. Cheatham said he would like to work with police to combat methamphetamine labs that are beginning to crop up in District 6. He said he would like to see police create a "Meth Watch" program, in which they educate residents how to look for labs and notify authorities.
Cheatham seems to have great ideas for the district and how Mobile spends its money in District 6. He believes that everyone should be included in the process at the beginning and at the end it should be working for everyone. Hudson is one that really criticizes the mayor on spending in the city instead of working with the mayor to put a comprehensive plan together to benefit the district as a whole.
