Submitted by Randall Ham for Fort Payne City Council
FORT PAYNE, Ala. — After a long period of prayer and consideration I am happy to announce my decision to enter the upcoming election for the Fort Payne City Council.
I don’t enter with an agenda or plan for drastic change but simply a strong desire to serve the citizens of Fort Payne to the best of my ability. My goal is to build upon what we have already been blessed with and what has already been accomplished by previous administrations. I was honored to serve as a council member from 2012 to 2016 and during that time we accomplished many things that helped our city thrive and prepared us to remain financially sound even in difficult times. I believe there is still work to be done in those areas.
Fiscal responsibility and long term stability will be a major focus, balanced with responsible spending and continued attention placed on our retail and industrial recruitment. We must also find a path to ensure we retain our good city employees and that they are prospering according to their efforts.
During my previous term, I also completed the Alabama League of Municipalities requirements and became a Certified Municipal Official which provides training far beyond the minimum training requirements for a council member. It allowed me to bring valuable information and ideas back to the council for consideration.
I was raised in Fort Payne and have resided here since returning in December 1987 after serving our nation in the United States Marine Corps. I owned and operated a local business for almost 25 years and have worked in various types of operations since then. I am currently the Director of Sales and Marketing for Artemis Shielding which is headquartered in Fort Payne. I believe my 30+ years of business experience working with the public and my willingness to listen to the thoughts and ideas of others will be a tremendous asset to the future of our city.
This is an important election and we shouldn’t take our choice in who we vote for lightly. Our city election shouldn’t simply be a popularity contest. It’s too important for that. We should consider which five citizens are most qualified to serve, to listen, to make difficult decisions, and to always make the best interest of Fort Payne as a whole the top priority.
This will be a very different campaign due to COVID-19 and I will miss going door to door meeting and speaking with you in person. I would welcome a phone conversation or safely conducted in-person meeting with those who would like to get to know me better or those who may have questions for me. I can be reached at 256-997-3182 or by email at randallham1@gmail.com. I can also be found on social media.
I look forward to hearing from the citizens of Fort Payne and humbly ask for your vote and support for City Council on August 25th.