Where’s the change? Choat teams with Melton in hopes of win
In the August primaries, 75 percent of Trussville voters voted against incumbent Mayor Gene Melton, who was seeking a sixth term. The message was clear — it was time to take the city in a different direction. This left two city councilors, Buddy Choat and Anthony Montalto, in a runoff that will be held Tuesday Oct. 4. Both Montalto and Choat campaigned on the promise of change and progress for the city. Throughout the primary, their underlying theme was that a Melton re-election meant more of the same. Both emphasized the city would benefit from a new vision and new leadership. They weren’t the only ones skeptical of the incumbent. A group of citizens banded together to develop Take Back Trussville, advocating electing someone with a fresh perspective. Among their issues with Melton, they pointed to a lack of transparency and even hinted Melton’s friends were benefiting from his position through city contracts and jobs. In February while discussing his run, Choat said: “I think people are ready for change, they are ready to move forward.” After the primary he reiterated that same position saying, “There’s a clear message with this runoff that there’s a lot of interest in seeing Trussville move forward.” Following the August election, Melton announced his endorsement of Choat. With that endorsement Choat changed his tune on the mayor’s leadership, saying “What he’s done is part of my vision for Trussville moving forward.” He stressed the same point in a recent Chamber forum, saying he intended to rely on Mayor Melton’s opinions if elected. Choat’s Sept. 16 financial disclosure includes a $500 contribution from Melton as well as contributions from several longtime Melton cronies. In addition, Melton even seemed to be speaking for Choat in a recent Al.com article. Just last week, significant questions began to be raised about potential wrongdoing and/or financial mismanagement related to volunteer fire department funds. Melton asked the city council to hold off on a closed-door meeting that later ended in the suspension of two top fire officials. Montalto pushed back, insisting that time was of the essence. Surprisingly (or not), Choat sided with the mayor. He later defended his position saying he came around and supported the meeting and suspension, but the timing and fact he sided with Melton rather than act directly and decisively leads to several questions including: Was this the first of many favors for Melton? Whose interest was he protecting by asking for more time for those involved in the alleged misconduct? With the combination of contributions and actions, along with Choat’s sudden about-face on continuing Melton’s path for Trussville, there are other questions voters could ask themselves: Was Melton’s endorsement worth Choat’s change of heart? Choat trailed Montalto after the first vote and appears to be desperate. For weeks now Melton/Choat has attacked Montalto even while Montalto has continued his positive message and campaign. What do Melton and his cronies expect for their financial and vocal support of Choat? Will one of the expectations include he carry forward with employing same friends? Will Melton actually get his sixth term? On what he’d do differently in the runoff election, Choat said his strategy would be different, “We’ll come up with ideas that we’ve not been able to discuss, but we’re going to be more specific this time out.” Singing the same tune as outgoing Mayor Melton is certainly a new strategy. One the voters rejected once already. They should reject it again.
Trussville Mayor Gene Melton surrounded by multiple ethics questions, rebukes opportunity to address them
Trussville Mayor Gene Melton has been elected five times, beginning in 1996. While some that this is too long and that the city needs to move forward, Melton believes he deserves yet another term. This year, Melton has drawn two opponents, current City Council President Anthony Montalto and fellow City Council member Buddy Choat. In an unusual move, local residents have also started the “Take Back Trussville” movement, which endorses neither of Melton’s opponents but makes clear their goal is to move the city beyond another Melton mayorship. The founder of the movement, Butch Cole, spoke to Alabama Today after its launch and made clear the fact the group, and himself, wanted a new mayor, saying, “20 years is too long for anyone to be in office.” Last week, Alabama Today spoke to Melton about the race and his opponents, and pointed out a number of errors on his Statement of Economic Interests made from 2011 forward. Speaking about his campaign, Melton emphasized that he was born and raised in the area and that a lot of people in Trussville not only know him, but also know about his history in law enforcement. He stressed the strides in improving education, infrastructure and even the certification of local first responders that have occurred on his watch as ways he has been successful. As for his opponents, Mayor Melton said: “I take the high road, I’m not going to go out there and bash them. I’m running on my record and experience.” Today however, one can only hope he’s taking a break from campaigning and his mayoral duties to address errors on his ethics reports posed by Alabama Today last week. During our interview we had the opportunity to ask Melton about a number of inconsistencies, missing data and wrong information reported in his ethics reports throughout the last five years. Melton has several discrepancies on income and assets on multiple reports filed over a five-year period. Reports Melton noted he personally filled out and filed. The reports in question are his “Statement of Economic Interests,” legally mandated by the Alabama Ethics Commission. The commission’s website cites the appropriate state statutes that cover false and incorrect filings on these statements saying: (e) A person who intentionally violates any financial disclosure filing requirement of this chapter shall be subject to administrative fines imposed by the commission, or shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor, or both. Any person who unintentionally neglects to include any information relating to the financial disclosure filing requirements of this chapter shall have 90 days to file an amended statement of economic interests without penalty. According to his Statement of Economic Interest, Melton claimed he made less than $1,000 as mayor in 2013, a job that pays $60,000 per year and will increase to $75,600 next term. When asked about it, he said, “That had to be a typo or error on my part. I didn’t take a cut in pay and I don’t recall not cashing my checks.” He also noted that, “During all this time, I draw state retirement.” Melton also owns a property at the Country Club Estates, which features properties on Logan Martin Lake in Talladega. On the Talladega property, which appears to make appearances on and off the reports, Melton says, “It’s been there the whole time.” He went on to clarify, “If it’s off, I just failed to disclose it.” The property doesn’t appear on the 2011 or the 2015 reports. Melton admitted it “should be on both of those.” In response to the low price he reportedly paid for the property, he explained, “I got it from my brother-in-law in 1972.” After our interview early last week Melton said, “Now that I’ve been made aware, I’ll go back and make the proper corrections.” Alabama Today reached out to the Alabama Ethics Commission just before their office closed on Friday and was told that they have yet to receive any amended reports. Melton is up for re-election in the upcoming Aug. 23 municipal elections.
‘Take Back Trussville’ group looks to influence local elections
While the 2016 presidential election is making headlines, some groups are focusing their efforts a lot closer to home. Everyone may know who the president is, while fewer know their mayor’s name, but the fact remains the majority of laws Americans live under day-to-day are written and enforced by state and local governments. Likewise, Alabama’s cities haven’t been immune to many of the fiscal and societal struggles of the last several years. Questions of job recruitment, school funding, and community priorities are raised at nearly every city and town hall across the Yellowhammer State. Many of Alabama’s municipalities are holding their own elections Aug. 23, and in the Birmingham suburb of Trussville a group of citizens are taking it on themselves to reclaim the conversation from the elite few, and focus on giving power to the city’s rapidly growing population. “‘Take Back Trussville‘ is a product of the growing concern that a small and shrinking group of people were making the decisions that affect everyone’s lives and they were doing it with less and less input from the citizens,” the group’s founder, Butch Cole, told ALToday. “Also, I had a personal experience with a few of them and after years of people telling me we couldn’t do anything about it, I felt like we had to stop and re-evaluate the types of businesses that were coming and the problems they may bring. I saw my hometown starting to turn into a place to shop in and leave instead of a place you want to stay and live. One of us may go to a council meeting or get on Facebook with a complaint or possibly get a minute of attention from those in power, but hundreds of us will get things done to better our lives. We have to make sure the choices made in this election and with the redevelopment of downtown are the right ones.” A forum in Trussville last week highlighted the issues about which most of the city’s politicians were concerned — job growth coupled with an emphasis on keeping the community family friendly and broadening the tax base — but TBT seeks to introduce more accountability and transparency into the process. At the top of the ticket in Trussville is the mayoral race, where two gentlemen, City Council President Anthony Montalto and fellow City Council member Buddy Choat, are challenging 20-year incumbent Eugene “Gene” Melton. Cole makes no secret of the fact the group wants to see a new mayor, saying “20 years is too long for anyone to be in office,” but came short of revealing if TBT is outright endorsing one of the two challengers. “We hope to ensure that we have a new mayor and he is held accountable and transparent. We want to make sure from the start that we see transparency. We want the City Council to know that they are held accountable and they need to work to bring to fruition the promises they have stated. We didn’t get to this point by the mayor’s decisions and actions alone, some council members and other current decision makers have also made questionable decisions.” Cole said he believes his efforts will pay off Aug. 23, as the people who have gotten involved with TBT turn out in droves. “We’re making sure the people are informed, empowered and that they have a voice. That scares a few of the more entrenched people, They won’t benefit from a big turnout.”
