Featured: Acting Sylvania Mayor Gerald Craig announces bid for reelection
By Tyler Pruett
Managing Editor
SYLVANIA, Ala. — Acting Sylvania Mayor Gerald Craig recently announced his intent to run for re-election. Craig was appointed mayor in January 2016 after former Mayor Emily Wooten resigned. Craig has elected to continue serving Sylvania and will be on the ballot as a candidate for mayor on Aug. 23.
Gerald Craig was born in Rainsville and is a lifelong resident of Sylvania. He graduated from Sylvania High School in 1964 and attended Northeast Alabama Community College before studying at Jacksonville State University. Craig has been married to his wife Patsy for 47 years, and they have two children and three grandchildren. He and his wife are longtime members of Trinity United Methodist Church.
Craig spent 30 years working in industrial plants as both a supervisor and materials manager.
He also ran a full-scale livestock operation for 15 years and currently has a small-scale cattle operation. Craig has served a total of nine years on the Sylvania Town Council; from 1975 until 1980 and from 2012 until present.
Since assuming the role of mayor, Craig has continued the programs put into place by the previous mayor. Last year, the Town of Sylvania was awarded a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for a new sewer system. Craig has continued stewardship of the project and construction is expected to begin in October 2016.
“Thanks to former Mayor Emily Wooten, the town was awarded a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for a sizeable sewer renovation project,” Craig said. “We’ve continued moving the project along and are hoping to begin construction in October.”
In his plans for the future, Craig wants to improve the town’s infrastructure, not only by completing the new sewer system, but by also resurfacing existing roads that are in bad shape.
“The wheels are turning to get quite a bit of paving done,” Craig said. “Several streets are in dire need of it. We may not get it all this year, but we’ll get the worst of it.”
When Craig took over as mayor in January of this year, he sat down for an interview with Southern Torch to discuss plans for the city and his own plans for the future. At the time, Craig stated that running to remain in the position was not his plan, but now after being in office for seven months, Craig said he wants to see Sylvania stay on the right path.
“It’s the desire to see continuity on what’s been started, and the desire to see things continue and expand,” Craig said. “When you change administrations, things can easily be lost or interrupted.”
Craig is asking for the citizen’s support on August 23 when municipal ballots are cast. He will face Tom Miller and Tony Goolesby in his run for Sylvania mayor.
