A Little More About Me

I have talked a lot on this blog about the need to really get to know the candidates for whom you will vote, and especially your local candidates.  That being said, you have seen my platform and I have talked about some of the things that I feel are important to Helena, but I want to now tell you some of the volunteering I have done in our community over the years. 

• Volunteer Coordinator for the Buck Creek Festival
• Member of the PTO
• Planned the Back to School BBQ at Helena Elementary School
• Organized the Silent Auction at Helena Intermediate School's Family Fun Night
• Involved with Helena youth sports

The list goes on.  And I mention these things not to "brag" or ask for a pat on the back, but to show that as a member of the Helena City Council, I feel it is important to really know our community and have open lines of communication.  The job of any city council person is not simply to attend meetings. It is to know the people of Helena and know what they want and represent those views at the meetings.

What better way to accomplish that than to get out and be with the community in several different capacities. 

In an effort to further get to know you, I have started my door to door campaign and will be knocking on doors for the next few weeks.  I hope to get to every neighborhood, but if I miss you, please do not hesitate to email me at auhulsey@gmail.com or call me at (205) 451-2955.

 

Opportunity

I want to thank all of you that have reached out to me with your questions, concerns, and general comments about what is important to you as a resident of Helena.  Talking to the members of the community is one of the best parts of my job as your representative on the city council. 

I encourage you to continue to contact me via email at auhulsey@gmail.com or by telephone at (205) 451-2955.  My door to door campaign will begin on July 30th, and I plan to visit as many neighborhoods and individuals as possible. 

You will also have the opportunity to visit with me and all those running for council on Sunday, August 5th 1:00-4:00pm at La Reunion.  This is a great forum for our citizens to meet all of the candidates and ask questions and get feedback and most importantly to get to know us a little better.

My goals for Helena are:

Continue aggressive pursuit of opportunities to move economic development   forward

Cut frivolous spending from our budget

Achieve total transparency in our city government and activities

Revitalize collaborative approach between the community and the city to improve our parks and recreational infrastructure

Continue efforts to support improvements in our schools and development through active partnership with local leadership and county officials

Work collaboratively with city, county and state officials on improving existing roadways and infrastructure

All of these are achievable goals, but it takes both leadership and the citizens of Helena working together to make them happen.  I hope to see you on August 5th!

Tell Me What YOU Think

My last two blogs have focused on the importance of you getting to know your local municipal candidates.  That being said, I want to encourage you to contact me with any questions, concerns or ideas you may have about my role as your council representative, or your city government.

Although I have goals for making our great city even better, at the end of the day, I do not have my own agenda for Helena.  My agenda continues to be YOUR agenda, and things that are important to you are my primary focus.   The Helena City Council is here to serve the citizens of Helena - period.   

While I have always worked (and will continue to work) very hard to promote unity and collaboration among my fellow council members and the mayor’s office, my record over the last four years demonstrates my ongoing commitment to the people of this great city.  I refuse to simply go with the flow, if the flow is not what the citizens want, or feel is best for our community.  As uncomfortable as this has been in the past, it is my duty as your city council representative to continue to ensure your voice and opinion matters. 

So, again, please let me hear from you!  Send me a personal email at auhulsey@gmail.com.  Message me on Facebook, or call me at (205) 451-2955.   Finally, I or a member of my team will be out in your neighborhood very soon, which is another opportunity for you to share your ideas and suggestions, and allow me the privilege to hear from you in person. 

The bottom line is I want to continue to serve YOU and I believe that communication and transparency is key.

Scary Times for Municipalities

As citizens of Helana, we all have seen the fall out in Jefferson County and what can happen to a municipality when there is a lack of oversight and control.  This is not just a problem in our own back yard, it is a nationwide problem.  In the last 2 months we have seen stories and headlines that illustrate this:

Faced with a crippling cash flow problem and divided political leadership, one of Pennsylvania's largest cities distributed paychecks last week to city workers that cut wages to the legal minimum.  Scranton's 398 city workers -- including firefighters, police officers and the mayor himself -- were paid a reduced rate of $7.25 an hour.

Bills unpaid and accounts approaching empty, California’s San Bernardino chooses bankruptcy

Stockton, the Northern California city of nearly 300,000, became the biggest when it filed for Chapter 9 on June 28. The much smaller city of Mammoth Lakes voted for bankruptcy July 3.

 

Why should you care?  Because under our nation’s current economic conditions, it is becoming increasingly difficult for local municipalities to flourish.  With the recent burst of the housing bubble and the resulting decreases in property values, comes decrease in property tax revenue.  Decreased spending on goods and services in the community results in decreases in sales tax collection. 

I bring this up not to alarm you, but to show how important it is as a citizen of Helena to know all the candidates and their views on the issues in regard to your local elections.  A few questions you should consider:

 

·         Will your representative reign in frivolous spending?

·         Will he or she be diligent in their research on capital projects before

     voting to approve or not? 

·         Will he or she support issues that encourage new local business? 

It is in your best interest to educate yourself on the views of your local officials.  You should be able to say you have confidence and trust in those that you elect to represent YOU.  As candidate for Helena City Council Place 1, it is my pledge to always do what is in the best interest of Helena as a whole.  This has been my goal over the last four years, and with your support, it will be my duty over the next four.

Due Diligence

During a Presidential election year it is easy for us to get wrapped up in the issues that the Federal level of government faces.   We tend to pay a lot of attention to the candidates’ views and what they stand for and how the outcome of the Presidential election will effect each of us personally. 

As a candidate for Helena City Council Place 1, I urge you to do the same level of due diligence when considering your vote for your local municipal representatives.   These are people in your community, your neighbors,  who are working to make sure that you have good schools, that you live in a safe community, that you have nice roads, and the list goes on and on.  These are the issues that have an effect on your everyday life in Helena and they are not decided in Washington.

Many believe that change is good, and some cases that may be true.  But it is not fair to take a broad brush approach when considering for whom you will vote to represent you on our city council.  It is important to know the stance each individual candidate takes on the issues that are important to you, regardless if the candidate is an incumbent or an opponent to an incumbent. 

As the incumbent for Helena City Council Place 1, I ask you to look at my record and consider my platform as a part of your decision.  I am happy to speak with you personally regarding any and all issues that you feel are important.  The next four years will prove to be an exciting time for our city.  We have the opening of the new high school and other projects that will significantly enhance our already wonderful community.  I have the experience and willingness to work hard to make sure everything we do is in the best interest of the city as a whole, but will also make a difference in each individual’s daily life in Helena.

Welcome To My Blog

I hope everyone is having a great summer. I will be using this blog to pass along information and as a place for you to leave comments, suggestions or just things you would like for me to know as I hit the campaign trail. 

I want to thank you for allowing me to represent you on the City Council over the last four years and with your support, I hope to continue my service to our city. 

If you would like to support me as your candidate for Helena City Council Place 1 please get out and VOTE.  You may also lend your support by:

• Allowing me to place a campaign sign in your yard.
• Helping me walk neighborhoods in my door to door efforts.
• "Like" my Hulsey for Helena page on Facebook.
• Invite others to follow my blog and like my Facebook page.
• Send a donation to help with the cost of my campaign.
• Please make checks out to The Committee to Elect Leigh Hulsey and mail to 241 Chadwick Lane, Helena, AL  35080.