Pam Peacock, seeking the District 5 seat on the Baldwin County Board of Commissioners, says her interest in the business of county government began several years ago and ultimately led to her decision to run for office.
Peacock, a political newcomer, will face incumbent Johnny Westmoreland and Scott Little in the May 21 General Primary. The three qualified as Republicans, and the winner will not face opposition in November.
Early voting is currently underway at the county’s Government Building on North Columbia Street.
“I have been active at county commissioners’ meetings for approximately six years,” Peacock said. “I have learned so much about the different areas of our county business and how it continues to follow the same path with very little change.
“I believe changes are needed in the board to allow for fresh ideas that will advance and move the county forward,” she said. She noted that, with District 4 commissioner Henry Craig’s decision not to run again, there will be at least one new board member. She wants to be the second one.
“Every new face on the board means opportunity for new ideas,” Peacock reasoned.
While she did not directly say that anything Westmoreland did or said influenced her decision to seek the board seat, Peacock referenced comments she had heard and the commissioners’ lack of attention to animal shelter issues.
“I hear consistently from Mr. Westmoreland’s constituents that he has not been representative of the people of District 5,” she said. “I have personally met with him on animal issues, and I feel had he and the other commissioners been willing to work with animal advocates, we could have already made improvements in some areas of animal control in Baldwin County.”
Peacock advocates limiting the length of time she can serve on the Board of Commissioners if she is elected.
“Two, four-year terms consecutively,” she said. “I would be willing to vote (to request local legislation) for term limits.”
One issue that attracted many public comments was the proposed East apron hanger project at the Baldwin County Regional Airport. Peacock, addressing the role of the airport for Baldwin County, implied she agreed with the commissioners’ decision to abandon the project.
“The airport has been in Baldwin County a long time and is an asset to our county,” she said. “I believe expansion is fine if it can be done without harming the entire airport community, including the residents and their homes.”
Peacock is the first candidate to publicly say unequivocally that a planning and zoning process is not needed in Baldwin County.
“The general land use regulations in effect now are sufficient,” she said. “I do not see a need for an advisory board for specific regulations regarding land use.”
Peacock has been critical recently of the county’s handling of the purchase of a large industrial park site, known as the Smith-Sibley property, off Highway 441 at the Wilkinson County line. There is currently no infrastructure on the site, and Peacock questioned whether sufficient thought was given prior to the acquisition of the land.
“First and foremost,” she stressed, “we should study what types of business and industry would be suitable for Baldwin County and the workforce we have available.” Once that has been done, she said, site analysis is key.
”Infrastructure is the basic foundation and framework needed for any project,” Peacock stated. “Before any land is purchased an in-depth study of the property should take place.”
The candidate believes there are two county departments that need additional funding.
“Our animal services department needs to be adequately staffed, and the shelter needs to post strays online as they come in,” Peacock said. “The public has to have confidence in the services, and communication with the public is key for that to happen.” She added that she is a founding member of a charity that provides financial assistance for spaying and neutering of animals.
Law enforcement is the other department that could use additional funds, according to Peacock.
“There is a shortage of sheriff deputies statewide and in Baldwin County,” she commented. “As a community, we have to look for ways to curb violent crime in our county. If there are supportive measures we can take to help the sheriff, we should.”
Transparency and accountability have been the prominent buzz words among the candidates in this campaign, and Peacock’s views are similar.
“One of the key issues I see with the current administration is how citizen involvement and participation is viewed,” she asserted, then shared an experience at a recent meeting.
“I was at a commissioners’ meeting not long ago, and they were having trouble getting the live stream to work. One commissioner said, ‘let’s go ahead and start. We only stream the meetings as a courtesy to citizens, and it is not a requirement.’
“I believe our government should seek input and engage citizens because that leads to more effective governance,” Peacock said. “Transparency with government data should be freely available to the public. Accepting responsibility and criticisms, justifying actions, and being able to address political commitments made are key to public accountability.”