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Local candidates vying for city and county positions in the upcoming Aug. 1 election shared their views during the Manchester Times/Rooster Radio Political Forum June 27.

There are three candidates sharing the field in the county mayor’s race, three for city mayor and eight for city aldermen.

Attending the forum were county mayor candidates republican Dennis Hunt and independent David Nipper. Fellow independent candidate Roxanne Patton did not participate.

Nipper, a member of the community for 32 years, is the chairman of the Wayside Acres Authority and the regional manager for Burger King.

“I’m looking forward to serving the community if elected as the next county mayor,” Nipper said during the event.

Hunt, a Coffee county commissioner currently serving as interim mayor, is a lifelong resident of Coffee County.

“I own my own business that I started in 1973,” Hunt said, reffering to Dennis Hunt & Company LLC, located on Campground Road.

Hunt said he could bring to the office knowledge gained from his years of running a successful business and his 10 years serving as a commissioner.

Nipper answered that he would bring his 28 years of management experience as county mayor, describing himself as a problem solver in business.

“Not saying that there is a problem in the county, but if one arises, I know what I’m looking at,” Nipper said.

He said his biggest strength is surrounding himself with people with the expertise needed in a specific field.

Addressing political affiliations, Nipper said that people should vote for the person and not the party.

“More so for local (elections), it’s more about the individual, how the individual is presented, how they run and what their values are,” he said.

Hunt responded that the issues at the local level are different from those at the national level concerning partisan politics.

“We have two municipalities that have substantial oversite that are not partisan offices,” Hunt said. “The county-wide offices, I feel, fulfill the political affiliation that we all associate with social and economic responsibilities.”

He said that national issues like gun control and abortion are separate from the responsibilities of county officers.

Hunt, addressing county animal control, said that he will continue the late mayor’s vision for a new animal shelter. He said called the current design fiscally responsible, and that while the process of getting the new facility built is by necessity slow, that the “wheels are turning.”

Nipper added that that he didn’t agree with any decision to let go any government employees go.

“There’s always another way around it…unless it’s a disciplinary action,” Nipper said. “If it’s just laying someone off because we can’t find it in the budget, there’s always a way around it.”

Rounding out the segment the candidates were asked how they felt Coffee County needs to prepare for the I-24 Industrial Park (formerly called the Megasite).

Nipper said the county needed a sewer system in preparation for the development.

“We need another school,” Nipper said. “There is going to have to be a school in place for that… We don’t want to over pack the schools that we have now. We’re not going to put 30-35 kids and a classroom and have teachers who are struggling to educate the kids that we have.”

He called for slow growth that allows the area to maintain its small town feel.

Hunt said that the state is developer of the site, but noted that the county needs to be proactive regarding the residential and commercial development that will come related to the site.

He said the county is in “good hands” with zoning resolutions to control land use policy.

“I feel like we are totally ready,” Hunt said. “I have contacts with state officials… I’m pretty sure we will get the help we need for infrastructure without issue.”

In addition to schools, Hunt said public safety should be addressed.

“Our sheriff department is going to need attention when we start building all these homes,” Hunt said. “We’re going to need potable water going to all these homes. It’s going to be a challenge, but I think we’re up to it.”

When asked about concerns within Coffee County government, Hunt said that in his interactions with department and employees, “our county is in excellent hands. We have management and management skills I feel that are second to none. As far as problems, if there is any problems, I feel it is personalities. But that’s going to be in every work environment.”

Nipper addressed transparency in his response. He said praised the late mayor’s work at televising every county meeting and said that is something that needed to continue.

“I don’t see very many problems except for staying on the course of being transparent,” he said.

He then called for more public participation in meetings.

Hunt said that the streaming of meetings provides access to meeting to the public and the meeting times are posted on the county website calendar.

Candidates vie for mayor

Manchester mayoral candidates Bill Nickels, Joey Hobbs and Bob Bellamy also shared their political views at the forum. All three are veteran aldermen with Hobbs and Bellamy currently serving on the Board of Mayor and Aldermen and Nickels did not seek reelection when his term expired in 2022.

Nickels, who moved to the area in 1997, has served on the Manchester Industrial Board, Manchester Chamber president, was on the Manchester Planning Commission and as well as serving as alderman.

He said he hoped to get several ideas to present for approval by the board.

Hobbs, a home contractor, County Commissioner and retired Revago management member, said he can bring change in city government through accountability.

Hobbs called for a five to 10 year plan, with input from citizens and directors, to outline the direction the city needs to go.

“Today we’re in a vacuum,” he said. “We have no vision. As an alderman, I’m not sure I know how to facilitate what the citizens of Manchester want. That is what the mayor does, gives you guidance, with the vision that the citizens, employees and every stakeholder puts together.”

“It’s time we lead with change and accountability,” Hobbs said.

Bellamy, a career law enforcement officer, started working with the Manchester Police Department in 1974. He worked over 39 years at MPD and is currently employed at Coffee County Sheriff’s Department. He has also served on the Manchester Board of Education.

“The city government is your government,” Bellamy said, addressing the people of Manchester. “It’s not my government. I can’t do anything by myself…we have to work together. If we don’t work together we can’t accomplish anything.”

Bellamy said his goal as mayor is to make Manchester a safer, better place. He said that infrastructure must be taken care now or the next generation will pay the price.

He said is number one priority is to let department heads run their departments.

“We pay them good money… and they don’t need to have me or anyone on the board looking over their shoulder telling them how to do their jobs,” Bellamy said.

Much of the discussion involved challenges the city is facing involving infrastructure repairs, three candidates were asked how the city can fund these and if the situation came down to it, would they support a tax increase.

Hobbs adamantly dismissed tax increase. He said that proper fiscal planning is key to having the money to address the city’s problems. He said that growth has created a surplus in the city ‘s coffers that is growing.

“We passed an impact fee that goes into effect July 1,” Hobbs said. “Eighty percent of that fee will go towards building schools so that people moving here and building houses will help fund that.”

He said that problems are currently being fought at city hall on a day to day basis rather than being anticipated and dealt with in advance.

That planning, Hobbs said, will in part allow departments to find secure grants to help fund projects.

“It’s not always on the back of the taxpayer, but we’ve come through a period where we have not taken care of the city,” Hobbs said. “That is going to cost us long term, but we have a very healthy general fund that we can start applying money to.”

Bellamy said that the $1 million set aside in the current budget for capital improvements wouldn’t go far in today’s economy.

“We are going to have to do what is necessary to take care of our citizens and their children,” he said.

Bellamy said that city’s problems, neglected by prior administrations, are like a tire that’s been repeatedly patched until it will someday leave the car stranded.

“You can’t patch your way out of trouble,” he said. “Fix (problems). Then it sticks. It’s done, and move on.”

He said that years ago on the school board he was part of a request to purchase the same property that the city and school system recently purchased for a much higher cost than it could have at the time.

He said that while grants are a good source of funding, the city’s lack of a designated grant writer limits what the city can do.

Addressing the question of tax increase, Bellamy said that his vote to raise taxes would be a “dead last resort.” He said that if that were the only option to make the city of Manchester solid, then yes would.

Nickels said that there are ways for the city to fund some of its pressing needs with bonds and potential negotiations with ultra large industrial developers for building schools.

Yet he estimated that some of the fault of the city’s current predicament with an ailing sewer system is the result of previous administrations not wanting to raise taxes.

“One could make the argument,” that it’s in the shape it’s in now because, generation after generation said that we’re not going to raise taxes to fix it, he said. “Like musical chairs, you got four people walking around with three chairs. So or later someone has to say, ‘we’ve got to fix it.’”

“It’s easy to say no new taxes and everybody loves you, but we’ve said that until we’ve got a sewer situation… if it comes to it and the community agrees and is aware of what’s going on then, yeah, you have to raise taxes,” he said.

Eight candidates seek three aldermen seats

Eight candidates have thrown their hats in the ring for three Manchester Aldermen seats in the Aug. 1 election.

Six of those candidates attended the June 27 forum, including incumbents Ryan French, Julie Anderson, former aldermen Wilma Thomas and challengers Harold “Rocky” Jones, John Revice “Bull” Fletcher and Shannon Fletcher.

Jones, founder of the Facebook page, Manchester Tn Forum, retired from the Air Force after 24 years and worked at AEDC as the Superintendent of the Base Operations Center and was a volunteer firefighter. He has lived in Manchester for 15 years.

He is campaigning on keeping Manchester first. He called for an independent audit of the infrastructure system, a civil engineering firm to address areas like the water, sewer and streets, so the city can gauge what repairs are needed.

John Fletcher, who has lived in the area since childhood, has served with the Manchester Chamber of Commerce, is a consultant for local businesses.

Fletcher, better known in the community as Bull, called for the city to be more proactive than reactive. He said that growth is coming, so the city needs to aim to grow like the city of Franklin rather than like Murfreesboro. He stressed the need for safety and security in the city as it grows.

Addressing calls by other candidates during the forum for more transparency in government, John Fletcher suggested the city’s problem is in communication rather than openness. He suggested the government needs to develop processes to get information out to the public.

Former Manchester firefighter Fletcher is a local business owner, father and religious man.

He said he wants to make a difference, to make Manchester a better place to live and a better place to work.

Fletcher called for a five to 10 year plan to address maintenance and repair and outdated equipment like firetrucks and firefighters’ air packs. Fletcher expressed a need for better autonomy for department heads and less micromanagement by city hall.

Thomas, a Coffee County Sheriff Department court bailiff, has worked in law enforcement most of her life and said that she loves the Manchester community.

Thomas suggested the city bolster its transparency by televising all city meetings rather than just the BOMA meetings. She noted that the city has had problems with employee turnover. She said that some employees she’s talked to have voiced fear and intimidation in the workplace.

Anderson, elected in 2022 to serve the remainder of a vacant seat, moved to town when her now-grown children were young. She is campaigning on transparency and accountability in government. She said that her voting record shows that commitment.

Anderson said she wants to see a more professional city government that includes a city manager and a city planner.

French, a native of Manchester, has served as alderman since he was 23. He is running on the platform of being an objective voice on the board and a leader that’s a doer.

French took a much more optimistic look at the problems of the city, He noted that while the sewer is clearly problematic, it is now in better shape than at any time he has run for alderman. He said that the number of manholes with chronic overflows have dropped from 25 in years’ past to five currently.

Addressing growth, French said that the financial situation is good with city reserves growing each year. He said that though the city schools are overcrowded, additions to the schools have added capacity.

French said that affordable housing is a problem in the city. He said that the recently updated Land Use Plan offers more high density zoning that should allow more modestly priced homes.

Alderman Anderson, a longtime critic of the updated Land Use Plan, criticized the passing and content of the document, saying it was developed by a subcommittee that met without proper public notices and that there were conflicts of interests with some of the members.

The last policy question of the forum asked what candidates’ stance on hiring a city manager or similar position.

Voicing general support of a city manager were French, Anderson, John Fletcher and Jones. Opposing a city manager were Thomas, Shannon Fletcher.

Aldermen candidates Joe Pat Cope and James Threet were unable to attend. Cope is the Coffee County Central High School Basketball Coach and Threet is a Manchester attorney.

The election will be Aug. 1 with early voting running July 12-27.