Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Kincaid Announces Candidacy For County Commissioner 6th District
Press release
My name is Charlie Kincaid, and I am officially announcing my candidacy for County Commissioner in the Sixth Civil District of Lawrence County.
The Sixth District encompasses the communities of West Point, Iron City, Wayland Springs, Holly Creek, Knob Creek, Lodi and Spring Creek.
I am a lifelong resident of Lawrence County, and have lived in the Knob Creek community since 1998. I have worked for The Democrat-Union newspaper for the past 12 years.
In 2005, I became a born-again Christian, and I have been a minister since 2006. I was a senior pastor for six years, a hospice chaplain for two years and my family and I are committed to serving the Lord Jesus Christ.
I am married to my wife of nine years, Michelle, and we have one child in the Lawrence County school system, as well as two small grandchildren who will be entering the school system in a few short years.
There are many reasons I chose to run for County Commissioner and to accept the responsibility of this job.
First, I want to give something back to my community, as it has always been good to my family and me. We have many wonderful friends and neighbors here, and we are thankful to live in this area.
Second, I want to bring new ideas to this office and try to use those ideas to help the citizens of the Sixth District and Lawrence County.
Third, I want to represent the Sixth District and the citizens of Lawrence County with honesty, integrity, care and compassion. I truly feel that it should not matter which part of the county someone lives in, they deserve equal representation.
Fourth, I want to make a difference in the lives of the citizens I will be representing, not only now, but in the future. Decisions made today will affect our county for years to come, and if those decisions are sound, the future will be much brighter for our citizens.
The incoming county commission will be faced with several challenges, many of them greater than any faced in recent years.
Commissioners must address the school building program and its funding, industrial recruitment and creating a landscape that will attract and retain good jobs, work with existing industry to promote job growth, partner with school officials to maximize resources and help our students reach their full potential, improve tourism, strive to keep our taxes low, work hand-in-hand with all department heads to maximize each department’s resources and keep budgets fiscally sound, and seek new ways to improve the lives of our citizens.
I am a fiscally conservative person, and I believe taxes should be kept low and tax increases avoided if at all possible. We need to cut first, seek grants, and do everything within our power to avoid raising taxes.
The needs of each of the 18 districts in Lawrence County are both unique and universal. Good schools, good jobs, and safe, clean communities are universal, while each district may have its own needs that must be addressed.
One of the key components of the commissioner’s job is to work with the citizens of his or her district to help improve their communities.
I am not a politician, and I have no desire to be. I am not going to make a lot of promises that I cannot keep. My only promise is to spend the next four years trying to do the right thing.
I pledge to listen to the concerns, questions and suggestions of the voters in my district and the citizens of Lawrence County, and to try and help resolve whatever issues I can. I will also pray before I make decisions as a commissioner.
I believe strongly that we have some of the brightest students and best teachers anywhere, and that we have one of the greatest work forces in this nation.
The commissioners must work together, as a whole, to improve schools and job prospects for all local residents, whether an industrial recruitment or a retail one.
Community involvement is critical to moving our county forward. That is why every three months, I will hold a town hall meeting in West Point and in Iron City to discuss issues facing our county and the district. I want to meet face-to-face with those I will be representing, to take your voices back to the other 17 commissioners and local government leaders.
I will also have a Facebook page with information about upcoming meetings and agendas for those meetings, so those in my district can follow what is happening in the local government.
I will not be the person you only see every four years when it is election time. I will be at the meetings, I will be working for my district, and I will be looking for ways to help improve the Sixth District.
Early voting begins July 18 and runs through August 2, and the General Election is August 7. Whichever time you choose to vote, I humbly ask for your vote and support.
I would appreciate the opportunity to spend the next four years serving and working for the citizens of the Sixth District.
