Are County Commissioner Election Rules Important? Part 2

 Are County Commissioner Election Rules Important? Part 2

Do you have a few minutes? This will be a longer article/post. Sadly, I guess this issue will not go away if and until the District 2 County Commissioner is not re-elected this year. Part 1 was in the 11/15/23 edition of the West Alabama Gazette and is on this Blog. I don't know yet if I'm going to put this only on my Blog this time or submit it to the West Alabama Gazette as well. I appreciate the growing number of Blog readers, as well as the West Alabama Gazette's publisher. If you're not already, please buy their paper to show your support and appreciation. 

As I've mentioned before, I haven't been in Lamar County long. Just reached the 3-year mark on January 1st. Some of you I've met by working in the Tag Office for 2 years. My wife having some family in the area and the lower cost of living (at the time at least), brought us here. 

Since we're a small rural county, it's easier reaching out with my Concerned Constitutional Patriots of America outreach. I'm nobody special. Just a regular Christian by the grace of God through the Person & work of Christ that was blessed with various and certain life experiences, and a desire to be used of the Lord regarding our temporary home and keeping our constitutional republic if it's His will. But this and more has also gotten me involved with the issue of the District 2 Commissioner allegedly having his primary residence with his wife outside of the District in Amory Mississippi. I don't pursue this issue lightly and without prayer. State law says the County Commissioner must reside in his district and the normal interpretation of that is where they actually live and sleep. As Christian citizens, does that mean we are supposed to just ignore it in of itself or when said commissioner denies the allegations? Is it a sin or "un-Christian" to try to find out if the allegations are true and what can be done about it (as someone in the county implied through a Facebook post)? Shouldn't all measures to find out if the allegations are true, and if so, this person be declared ineligible, be exhausted? The answer to those 3 rhetorical questions are no, no, and yes, and I hope y'all agree. It's not "wrong" to try to get this situation straightened out. If anything, it's "wrong" to think there's nothing "wrong" if an Alabama County Commissioner is residing outside of his district or at least trying to find out more when you hear about it. And that includes any other elected officials, whether county or any of the cities in the county. Shouldn't the other Commissioners and Probate Judge have tried to do more to find out about the situation, and if it's true, try to get him to step down? Again, I hope you'll agree that they should. By the way, the Lamar County GOP is hosting a candidate forum on Feb. 6, 2024 at 6:00PM. It would be a good time to talk to the candidates about this situation as well. Please plan to attend and spread the word :-).

I've had the privilege of having my articles in 2 of our local newspapers. One of them, the Lamar Leader, started printing my articles in July of 2023. In November 2023, when I submitted my article "Are County Commissioner Election Rules Important?" I was told they would run it as a Letter to the Editor but not as my weekly article. On Dec. 27, 2023, after not seeing my article in that day's edition, when I asked why first, I was told that they would no longer be printing my article. After several attempts asking, I was not told why. It just left me assuming that it was censorship of some sort similar to what happened to President Trump and supporters before and after the 2020 general election ;-). Where is the Lamar Leader located? Where is District 2? Where does the Probate Judge live? Do they care about the truth?

I also just found out while initially working on this article, that due to a misunderstanding or worse between the County and State GOP, the District 2 Commissioner was not declared ineligible and will remain on the ballot in March. That doesn't mean the allegations aren't true, just that no action was taken by the Alabama Republican Party about the issue because someone "dropped the ball." Not that it matters to anyone, but this writer is definitely disappointed. Yet, should it even be up to the political party anyway? What if the candidate is an Independent? Because I lean toward something called the "collectivist theory" (you'll have to research it) and due to the increase of RINOs (Republicans In Name Only), I'm an Independent- a Constitutional Conservative Independent. But I digress :-). Someone with the State of Alabama should decide it and stop "passing the buck."

Here is just a basic order of my knowledge of events: ;-)

1. It was told to me through various sources in early to mid 2022 that the District 2 Commissioner lived outside of his District.

2. I shared information about it on my national outreach Facebook page in July 2022 and there was a reply saying that the only recourse is a civil lawsuit.

3. In August 2022, the District 2 Commissioner came into the Lamar County Tag Office and did indeed renew his tags (I didn't wait on him). I asked him where he lives and he said Lamar County and that's why he was renewing his tags there. No mention of a second or primary residence outside of District 2 (If he does have a primary residence outside of his District, doesn't his response contribute to the deception? I wish I would have thought to be more specific with my question).

4. Wrote about it in my Blog on 9/25/22 that was also shared to my national outreach Facebook page. 

5. Contacted the Ethics Commission sometime in 2023 and was told this kind of situation was not in their area of responsibility. 

6. Contacted the Secretary of State's office on 8/28/23 and received a reply the next day from their Deputy General Counsel basically saying to contact the Ethics Commission (see above), Attorney General's office, contact law enforcement to pursue an investigation of suspected criminal violations, report suspected criminal activity to ALEA, or hire a private lawyer.

7. In 11/2023 the current District 2 Commissioner applied to qualify to run again for the same position. 

8. In 11/2023 the Lamar County AL Republican Party received a challenge to District 2 Commissioners eligibility to run again for the position.

9. In 11/2023 the West Alabama Gazette published my weekly article dealing with the issue.

10. On 1/3/2024 my article in the West Alabama Gazette mentions the issue in 2 of the 14 things I would like to see happen in 2024 :-).

11. On 1/8 & 1/9/2024 communicated with the Alabama Republican Party only to find out that nothing more will be done by them because of a communication breakdown including not knowing that an appeal had to be filed that wasn't.

12. Attended the Lamar County AL Republican Meeting on 1/9/2024. The District 2 Commissioner was not there and I've been told on more than one occasion that he hasn't been to no more than one if any meetings since his re-election in 2020. 

13. Carefully :-) working on this Blog post since about 1/5/2024. 

There's an old hard rock song with a chorus that says: "Is anybody out there, anybody there, does anybody wonder, does anybody care" (of course it's talking about something else, but I have been applying to my outreach and now this). I think so. I hope so. A silent majority perhaps? I came in the middle or maybe the tail end of this saga. It's not about trying to hurt somebody. I don't relish this! It's about the rule of law- state law. It's about trying to do the right thing with this. If this issue about the District 2 Commissioner is true, even now I just wish he would withdraw his re-election bid. And I would also say- if it's true- just move your primary residence, wife and family to Lamar County, but should he continue in his position after this allegation if they are indeed true?

But wait, there's more ;-). This is what I have found out according to information I obtained or was given to me:

1. The District 2 Commissioner and his now wife were engaged in Nov. 2020.

2. The District 2 Commissioner's wife is from and lives in Amory, MS.

3. A picture of the District 2 Commissioner and his wife that says they are officially homeowners from March 2021. 

4. Screenshots of anniversary or birthday wishes showing his wife with his same last name.

5. Screenshot of his wife's page showing a different last name that seems to have been changed in the last month or two. 

6. Screenshot from August 2022 of his wife's social media page showing both of them in a profile picture and that she lives in Amory MS. 

7. A paper that says "Property Link Monroe County, MS" that shows the District 2 Commissioner as the owner of an address and property in Amory, MS and that taxes were paid on, as of 11/15/23. This is public information. 

8. Profile and Cover Photos for the District 2 Commissioner changed to pictures of just him recently. 

Look, I can only imagine that being a County Commissioner is a thankless job. I would also imagine it's even harder in a small rural county like ours. I wouldn't even be qualified to be a Commissioner in our county due to the practicality of having to be more "hands on" with the dirt roads, etc. For all I know, the District 2 Commissioner may be doing a great job. But rules are rules.

Isn't politics fun???--- NOT! I would rather none of this happened. I would rather that the District 2 Commissioner didn't run for reelection in 2020 or stepped down when he allegedly decided to move his primary residence outside of his District. I do wonder if he knew ahead of time he was going to move after he won the 2020 election? Regardless, as I have said repeatedly, it is nothing personal. I get that it's easy for me to say that and that he and some others may be taking it personal, but again, rules are rules, or maybe better, laws are laws. I am not any better than him or anyone else is. Even more concerning I guess, is that we're both professing Christians and "roll tide" fans. Since I have only been here for 3 years, I don't even know for sure if his opponent will do a better job ;-) (I don't know his opponent but I hear he would be a good Commissioner and was once before). I wish the hopefully outgoing current District 2 Commissioner and his family the best. If you live in District 2, should you vote for him in light of this alleged situation itself? By the way, while the District 4 Commissioner doesn't have opposition, but the Probate Judge does ;-). 

Sure is a lot of drama, huh? Maybe you're thinking "well, you're not helping any." Perhaps. But again, are we supposed to just let this issue go? It looks like that either the District 2 County Commissioner has been living outside of his district with his wife in Amory, MS for almost 3 years while still owning a place in his district, or he has been living separate from his wife for almost 3 years while living in his district. All I and others want is the truth and the right thing done based on the truth. District 2 Commissioner? How about coming out to the Feb. 6th Lamar County Republican Party Candidate Forum, and explain it all to us please. After all, our county taxes do pay your salary, and you do vote on matters pertaining to the whole county. 

Let's get this resolved and behind us so we can concentrate on much more serious matters in our country that will likely affect our state, county and cities drastically. 

I know this was long. I hope that you will prayerfully consider what I have shared and what you should do. And when it's all said and done, not my/our will, but God's will be done. Feel free to ask questions or comment on this Blog (please keep it civil) or email me at pesterbratdotcom@aol.com.

Thanks everyone!