Challenger defeats deceased incumbent in Mobile election
Voters elected a living challenger over a deceased incumbent, who still managed to garner a sizeable chunk of the vote, in a runoff Tuesday for the Mobile City Council. News outlets report that William Carroll defeated deceased Mobile City Council member Levon Manzie. Manzie died last month after an extended illness, but his name was still on the ballot in mostly Black District 2, which Carroll once represented. Carroll won with 1,464 votes, or 57% of the vote, according to FOX10. Manzie, even though he is deceased, received 1,100 votes, or 43% of the vote. Another election would have been held if Manzie had won. WKRG-TV reported there were still posters and banners throughout the district asking voters to support Manzie. They include some that say “Our friend would still want to win” and others that say “Honor Levon’s legacy.” Manzie received more than twice as many votes as Carroll in the first election, which included six candidates. Carroll and supporters claim an out-of-town political action committee controlled by white Republicans was still pushing Manzie as a candidate. “These signs I believe are part of this PAC that is providing this work, to me there’s something not just right about this PAC. That’s why I say it’s time to heal District 2,” said Carroll. Both Manzie and Carroll are Black, and the head of the local chapter of the NAACP recorded a video that was released by Carroll’s campaign claiming that conservative activists are attempting to manipulate voters by promoting Manzie, a well-respected pastor, following his death. “His legacy will continue only through fair and just elections without the interference of special interest influence,” said the chapter president, Robert Clopton. Manzie opposed an annexation plan promoted by the city administration, Clopton said, and proponents are trying to get someone elected who will flip Manzie’s vote and back the proposal. Mayor Sandy Stimpson appointed Manzie’s mother, Jeanette Manzie, to serve the rest of her son’s current term, but she withdrew soon after. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Alabama voters deciding between dead incumbent, challenger
Voters in an Alabama city had an unusual choice in Tuesday’s municipal runoff election: Whether to vote for an incumbent who died recently or support his challenger. William Carroll qualified earlier this year to run against two-term Mobile City Council member Levon Manzie, the council president. And even though Manzie died last month after an extended illness, his name was still on the ballot in mostly Black District 2, which Carroll once represented. Carroll will be declared the winner if he gets the most votes, but another election will have to be held if Manzie wins since he is deceased. That’s possible, as WKRG-TV reported there are still posters and banners throughout the district asking voters to support Manzie. They include some that say “Our friend would still want to win” and others that say “Honor Levon’s legacy.” Manzie received more than twice as many votes as Carroll in the first election, which included six candidates, and Carroll and supporters say an out-of-town political action committee controlled by white Republicans is still pushing Manzie as a candidate. “These signs I believe are part of this PAC that is providing this work, to me there’s something not just right about this PAC. That’s why I say it’s time to heal District 2,” said Carroll. Both Manzie and Carroll are Black, and the head of the local chapter of the NAACP recorded a video that was released by Carroll’s campaign claiming that conservative activists are attempting to manipulate voters by promoting Manzie, a well-respected pastor, following his death. “His legacy will continue only through fair and just elections without the interference of special interest influence,” said the chapter president, Robert Clopton. Manzie opposed an annexation plan promoted by the city administration, Clopton said, and proponents are trying to get someone elected who will flip Manzie’s vote and back the proposal. Mayor Sandy Stimpson appointed Manzie’s mother, Jeanette Manzie, to serve the rest of her son’s current term, but she withdrew soon after. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Mobile to decide key issue on Amtrak future on gulf coast
City leaders are preparing to decide a key issue in restoring passenger train service along the northern Gulf Coast, where Amtrak hasn’t operated regularly since Hurricane Katrina. Council members are scheduled to vote Tuesday on whether to commit as much as $3 million over three years to operate Amtrak trains through the city, al.com reported. Katrina badly damaged rail lines in 2005, and Amtrak hasn’t resumed regular east-west service since then. Although Mississippi and Louisiana already have dedicated money toward the project to restart trains, Alabama has been a holdup, partly because officials at Alabama’s main seaport in Mobile worry passenger trains could interfere with freight traffic. Mobile’s commitment of money to match federal funding wouldn’t be needed until 2023, the year service connecting New Orleans to Mobile could restart. The city faces a deadline of Jan. 6 for a decision, with the vote set on New Year’s Eve. “This investment is totally an offset for operational costs,” said Wiley Blankenship, chief executive of the Coastal Alabama Partnership and chairman of the 21-member Southern Rail Commission. “It’s Mobile’s decision to make.” City Council President Levon Manzie said the financial responsibility for the project remains a concern for city officials. But, he said, the “concept of a train service” connecting Mobile to New Orleans remains appealing. He also said the commitments toward operations and capital improvements made in Mississippi and Louisiana are a factor. The New Orleans-to-Mobile route would include four stops in Mississippi: Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi and Pascagoula. “The notion that there would be coastal train service from New Orleans to coastal Mississippi and not include Mobile, I just think that it’s untenable,” Manzie said. “We need to be a part of this service.” Even with a commitment by the city, an additional $2.2 million will be needed from an Alabama-based source to finance capital improvements between the Mississippi line and Mobile. That money would be matched with Alabama’s portion of a $33 million federal grant awarded in June. Also, another $2.5 million could be required to finance the construction of a side track that would connect the main rail line to a future, $3 million train station at the city’s new downtown airport, Brookley Aeroplex. It’s unclear how those investments would be funded. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey hasn’t expressed much interest in backing the project, which Alabama State Docks officials fear could hamper freight service to the port. Alabama remains the lone holdout on dedicating funding for the project. Mississippi has already committed $15 million, and Louisiana has promised $10 million to match federal funding. Both states are also required finance $3 million each on operations. Republished with the Permission of the Associated Press.
Mobile City Council to vote on University of South Alabama stadium
After a “task force” meeting on Monday, the Mobile City Council still seems poised to vote Aug. 14 on a proposal to help fund a USA Stadium. But in a fresh twist, that vote now seems to be linked to a companion measure that hasn’t seen daylight yet. Going in, the task force — essentially an ad hoc committee chaired by Councilman Fred Richardson — was portrayed as a chance for council members to air out any concerns, complaints or possible changes in the terms of a letter of intent proposed in late June by Mayor Sandy Stimpson. Under the terms of that agreement, the city pledges to commit $10 million to the University of South Alabama over the course of 20 years, to help pay off the debt it plans to incur in building an on-campus stadium. It also calls for USA to give the city a $2.5 million lump payment, once the new stadium is operational, to help redevelop Ladd-Peebles Stadium, the city facility it has been using. That arrangement has been seen by some as evidence of a city plan to tear down Ladd-Peebles, depriving the Maysville community of a landmark and the major events it hosts. As Richardson led the task force through a clause-by-clause review of the letter of intent, members did ask for some changes. For the most part, USA representatives were amenable. For example, the council wanted a reference to the “renovation and repurposing” of Ladd-Peebles changed to delete the “repurposing” and leave it to “renovation.” USA representatives did not seem opposed. More of a sticking point was another suggestion from Councilman Levon Manzie. The letter of intent specifies that three bowl games — the Senior Bowl, the Dollar General Bowl and the Gulf Coast Challenge — can be held rent-free at the new stadium but will have to pay operating expenses. The letter says the same arrangement will apply to any other “city events” that USA and the city agree to hold at the stadium. However, Manzie suggested that if the city is chipping in to help pay for the stadium, it should get a better deal than the bowl games. He asked if USA would be willing to waive operating expenses for such city events. “We can take that under consideration. Quite frankly I’m not sure that we’re willing to go there,” said USA President Tony Waldrop. “That’s good to know,” said Manzie. As the general discussion progressed, this much was clear: When the letter of intent comes up for a vote on Aug. 14 — a vote that’s already been postponed more than a month — it’ll feature some changes. They may or may not include some compromise on the arrangements for any hypothetical future city events to be held at USA’s hypothetical future stadium. The real revelation on Monday was Manzie’s announcement that the council’s vote on the letter of intent is now linked to some sort of companion measure addressing the future of Ladd-Peebles and the surrounding community. Richardson said there were some council members who “believe that some sort of resolution should be reached on Ladd before they vote. And it is our understanding that there is an effort toward reeling that in and giving us something definitive regarding the future of Ladd.” “We are working on an initiative that hopefully will provide some firm and definitive answers as it relates to not only Ladd but to the impacted communities,” said Manzie. “We’re still working toward that end and as soon as we can make some substantive process I’m going to make certain everybody is updated.” “It’s certainly not anything I’m at liberty to discuss now,” said Manzie, steering the discussion back to the letter of intent. Speaking after the meeting, Manzie said the purpose of the new measure was to spell out the city’s commitment to Ladd-Peebles Stadium and the neighborhoods around it. He said his goal was to present the measure to the council on Aug. 14, if not sooner. He said that in his mind, a vote on the letter of intent couldn’t happen without concurrent consideration of the new initiative. “They are of mutual interest to me,” he said. “If one doesn’t work, the other doesn’t work.” “As quickly as we can get a draft out, we’ll get a draft out,” he said. Manzie said that discussions on the new proposal had involved himself, the mayor’s office, and council members C.J. Small, Gina Gregory and Joel Daves. “I think we’re going to get there,” he said. “We’re working as a team.” Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
