Election 2020: Q&A with Phenix City Council District 2 candidates
To help Phenix City and Smiths Station voters decide which local candidates to support in the Aug. 25 municipal elections, the Ledger-Enquirer is publishing a series of stories about the contested races in a Q&A format.
Today, we feature the District 2 seat on the Phenix City Council. The incumbent is Vickey Carter Johnson. The challengers are Jasmine Lawrence and Floyd Teasley.
Johnson, 52, is a substitute teacher in the Muscogee County School District. She previously worked for more than 20 years in the financial services industry as a platform trainer and business system analyst.
Johnson graduated from Central High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in management from Troy University.
She has been on the city council since January 2018, winning the runoff against Baxley Oswalt in a special election after councilor Johnnie Robinson died. She is the first woman from the Phenix City government to be elected to the Women in Municipal Government, part of the National League of Cities. She is a member of National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials and the Alabama League of Municipalities, where she serves on the economic development committee.
Johnson also serves on the Phenix City Downtown Redevelopment Board and the East Alabama Chamber of Commerce government affairs committee. She is a member of the Alabama Democratic Committee and the local NAACP branch.
Lawrence, 33, is unemployed and receives federal disability income. She is president of the Frederick Douglass Homes public housing complex residents council and a member of Phenix City’s planning leadership team for the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative, a redevelopment program funded by federal grants.
Lawrence graduated from Central High School. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Phoenix.
She has organized community events for those in need, collecting and distributing school supplies, clothes, shoes, hygiene products and Christmas gifts, as well as conducting feeding programs during the summer, Thanksgiving and emergencies.
Teasley, 70, is retired after more than 40 years in various management positions in counseling and construction. He returned to Phenix City in October after living on boats in the Gulf of Mexico the previous 10 years.
He has held the following community service positions: ordained deacon at Antioch (S.C.) Presbyterian Church, president of Reidville (S.C.) PTA, lieutenant at Reidville Volunteer Fire Department, youth football and baseball coach in Reidville, Cub Scouts master and assistant Boy Scouts master in Reidville, Red Cross disaster relief volunteer, taught First Aid and CPR in Panama City, Florida, and choir member at Lakewood Baptist Church in Phenix City.
Teasley attended James F. Byrnes High School in South Carolina and Columbus High School, then joined the U.S. Navy in 1967 at age 17. He served active duty for two years and was honorably discharged as a petty officer third class.
He earned an associate’s degree in general education from Gulf Coast Community College, a bachelor’s degree in psychology and social services from Florida State University and a master’s degree in counseling and human systems from FSU.
Why should residents in your district vote for you over your opponents?
Lawrence: “In relation to my opponents, I provide a unique combination of experience and community engagement. Over the past few years, I have worked alongside and on behalf of residents in my district and my city. If there has been a need, that I can find resources to meet through community alliances, it has been done while reaching across barriers to achieving goals in the direction of progress for the city.”
Teasley: “I’ve been attending Phenix City Council work sessions and meetings for the last 10 months. Months of walking my district to meet my neighbors have proved fruitful and enjoyable. The residents have disclosed they want a more responsive representative that will not waste money on unnecessary travels. My education and life experiences give me the abilities necessary to represent and address the needs of my district.”
Johnson: “The residents in Phenix City deserve someone like me to represent them not because I am the incumbent, the most knowledgeable with the most experience, but I am the incumbent that is willing, ready and eager to address their grassroots needs and the challenges they face daily.
“The key aspect of my tenure has been to enhance the quality of living of all citizens. I have always been accessible and open to ideas that will foster economic prosperity within our municipality. In addition, I have been the liaison between my district and business community, working to enterprise the talent within my district to benefit from the wealth that we have.
“My transparent commitment and seven-point plan ensure the prime key factors of what our city has the potential to become. My public agenda is for the betterment of all citizens in Phenix City.”
What is the most important issue in Phenix City, and how should it be addressed?
Lawrence: “The job market and accessibility. The ability to find employment in the city can be limited, and so can transportation. The bus system in our city is not helpful for those who do not have a car to reach a job. The ability to get to work contributes to the ability to maintain employment.”
Teasley: “Residents state they desire increased police protection from drug dealers, speeding on neighborhood streets and vagrants wandering their streets.”
Johnson: “We have recognized that we are living in some challenging times. Responding to the COVID-19 health pandemic and the impact it is having on our citizens is the most important issue in Phenix City. Unexpected cost to keep our community safe, expenditures for our healthcare workers and frontline essential workers created a bearing on our municipality. I will continue to seek innovated solutions to combat the financial opportunities on our citizens and our communities.
“One of the best ways to address COVID-19 and its disparities is to lead vital conversations that will promote equity among every citizen in our community. This means continuing searching for resources and most importantly the federal government to aid in our recovery efforts from COVID-19.”
What else should voters know about you and this election?
Lawrence: “As a citizen, I have been dedicated to helping my fellow citizens. There is no limit to the dedication for the children, parents, seniors and citizens of Phenix City as a whole. This election is an opportunity for the citizens of district two to allow me the opportunity to represent in a new way. The ability to speak on their behalf is something that I would be honored to do, and the ability to work is what I will continue to do.”
Teasley: “My intimate knowledge of the residents and business leaders provides me with resources needed to represent my district in a positive manner.”
Johnson: “The electoral process is the most important civic duty of a citizen because it allows an individual voice to be heard through an influential leader. I believe the District 2 Council seat is the most challenging seat because of its demographic makeup. It is comprised of a more mixed race of voters and carries most of the district’s businesses. The outcome of this election can determine the impact on infrastructure, safety, jobs, healthcare and education in our community. My agenda is always public and includes all citizens. unlike my opponents. In this election, as an incumbent leader, I am the most experienced candidate to get the job done.”
