4 more years for ‘Mayor Dan’

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Mayor Dan By Kim Rynders

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August 26, 2008

Voters return Williams to 5th consecutive term

By Jean Cole and Karen Middleton The News Courier Tue Aug 26, 2008, 09:55 PM CDT

Dan Williams was in a jovial mood after winning the mayoral election Tuesday in Athens.

The vote was 2,187 for Williams; 1,093 for former Madison Mayor Chuck Yancura; 182 for trucking company owner Charlie Baucom; 42 for minister Ralph Richardson and 24 for Direct TV employee Eric Wise.

Williams poked a little fun at his closest contender, whom he defeated by 1,094 votes.

“Chuck is a different kind of fella,” Williams said. “He moved over here to run against me, and I hope I kicked his butt real good. I guess he can move to Cullman now and run for mayor there.”

All kidding aside, Williams said, “He’s welcome to live here, just not at City Hall.”

Williams, who will begin his fifth term in office in November at a salary of $65,000 a year, will focus on the economy and the cost of fuel, he said.

“We are going to be hurting,” he said. “We’ve got a lot to do.”

He said fuel costs would be at the forefront, and he wants to find a good “clean and green” alternative fuel, “something that will cut the cost.”

As mayor, Williams’ duties include overseeing city departments, preparing a yearly budget for consideration by the council and helping oversee Athens Utilities.

Williams’ platform

Williams said during his campaign he would continue to maintain a balanced budget and fiscal responsibility, obtain state and federal money for projects, protect our community from biased state legislation, improve storm-water drainage systems, improve Athens parks and recreation areas, pursue excellence in our school system, plan for a new public library, redevelop vacant property on our commercial areas and downtown, try to recruit minority applicants for our fire and police departments, develop ordinances to curtail illegal immigration activity that lowers property values, retain good employees and good managers for the city and keep an open-door policy to all citizens.

He was first elected mayor in 1992. His political experience includes two terms on the Athens City Council before being elected mayor.

Williams was elected in citywide polling in 1984, but by 1988, the city had gone to district elections for council. He defeated challenger Ronnie Marks in 1988. Marks subsequently went on to become a District 4 councilman.

The rest of the pack

Yancura launched a vigorous campaign, distributing a sea of signs throughout the city. He served eight years, from 1992-2000, as mayor of Madison after a 30-year military career.

Baucom, retired owner of CBI Trucking on Mooresville Road, also made a run for mayor. A native of Tanner, he has owned and operated the trucking warehouse since 1984.

Also vying for the mayoral seat was Richardson, a familiar figure in Athens after having entered two mayoral races in the past.

Wise, a 26-year-old electronics salesman, dropped out of the race but not in time to have his name removed from the ballot.