The race is now set with Democratic and Republican challengers in the Sullivan County Commission District 11 race.
The district runs from Stone Drive and downtown Kingsport, to South Central Kingsport and Eastman, over to Borden Village, Fairacres and south to Meadowview.
59 year old South Central Kingsport native and Democrat Carl Hale is throwing his hat in the ring. Carl is a graduate of the Douglass School and Dobyns-Bennett High School. He and his wife, the former Chynet Bond, live at 1018 East Sevier Avenue in Kingsport. They attend the Great Commission Church in Kingsport.
The following is a telephone interview your Douglass website did, with Democratic challenger Carl Hale:
"On August 7th at the Kingsport Library, I was nominated to run as a Sullivan County Commissioner, District 11 on the Democratic ticket. It covers downtown Kingsport, South Central Kingsport down to Meadowview.
It was a surprise in a way, but I had gotten wind of it earlier. It's a challenge to me, but I'm up for the challenge. I don't ever do anything half-heartedly, everything I do I try to do to the best of my ability. It'll be a challenge for me, but I'm ready for it."
QUALIFICATIONS... "First, I can pass a security background check. That being said, you have to know about the community you live in, your fellow commissioners, the political nature of the landscape, and what you want to do, to improve that. Budgets are on everybody's minds and how we spend taxpayer dollars, and I want to make sure money gets spent the way people want it to be spent."
BIGGEST NEED IN DISTRICT 11.. "Fresh voices. Fresh voices on the issues at hand. There are several things going on in the area that people are just not satisfied with..they raised the property taxes all at once, in one big chunk.. other issues are going with the sheriff's department, driving their police cars home. Every day, people are having to keep updated with things going around them. Some of the people who have represented some of the districts have been around a while. The taxes are way too high, and there is a lot of overspending especially lately.. things that are being spent on, are wastes of money and time."
"The circle around the Netherland Inn Road and Industry Drive, for example. They built it and I don't see how the engineer could have foreseen how it would have turned out with those big trucks using the circle, and now after all this money has been spent, we have to spend more money just to fix it. They wanted to make something look pretty, without first making sure it would last.. that's a waste of taxpayer dollars. There needs to be more thought into how taxpayer dollars are spent. As far as police taking cars home, it's a good idea, but it's an issue if they're using the vehicles for personal use.. that's what I have a problem with. I do think it's a good idea for them to take vehicles home because it cuts down on response times to incidents happening near them."
"There are other issues I'm getting studied up on.. I'm fresh, I'm new, and new voices need to be heard."
"The city of Kingsport needs something in just about every area that will attract businesses and ultimately, people. You need to boost the city all over, north, south, east and west, not just in a few, certain areas."
DOWNTOWN KINGSPORT
WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO BRING NEW BUSINESS TO DISTRICT 11?.. "You have to do things to make it more attractive, bring in new ideas. Taxes for everyone, should be of the same value..I don't think I would go for giving tax breaks just to bring business to the area, but I would do is get out and talk to the people, and see what the people want. I'm a people person, and I plan to vote the way they feel.. so that I can be a voice for them. A new voice for the people."
"I'm looking forward to my campaign starting up, getting ready for November 6th. I'm going to need support and help from my fellow citizens here in the South Central Kingsport area."
"My opponent may have a little more experience, but you have to be ready on a challenge from me. I have appointed a treasurer, Mrs. Deborah Brimmer for my campaign, she's a member of my church, the Great Commission Church. I've got support from the Democratic Party helping me with my campaign and I've got some good people behind me, and I'm ready to name campaign workers to help me."
"I'm ready to jump into this thing feet first with a core of people with me.. we're gonna ring some bells and talk to people and do what we need to do."
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Hale's Republican opponent in the Sullivan County District 11 race is Pat Shull. Shull is a Kingsport native who served in the U.S. Army for over 26 years accumulating several awards and honors including the Bronze Star for exemplary service in a combat zone. Shull is a graduate of Dobyns-Bennett High School, The Citadel, the University of Tennessee, and the U.S. Army War College.
