Two people at Southern Adventist University have taken it upon themselves to seek the office of Collegedale city commissioner.
Ethan White, archaeology major, and Phil Garver, the former dean of the School of Physical Education, are running in the non-partisan race.
Mr. White said he decided to run for public office because he wants to help Collegedale embrace growth, but keep its hometown values. He said he "wants to make sure that we are intentional about which businesses we bring into the city to make it grow."
Mr.
White, who grew up in Collegedale, states
“I want to be city commissioner because Collegedale helped shape me growing up, and now I want to help shape Collegedale and make it a great place to live, work and retire.”
He said he believes in government transparency. One of his goals are to fund a city app available to citizens which will be a direct link to city hall.
When asked what the commissioner’s duties consist of, Mr. White stated that he would responsible for the legislative branch of Collegedale city government. He also said the duty of the office is to act as the people’s voice to the city government.
Ethan White has also been a realtor in the area for the past 2 ½ years. He also has served as vice-president of the Student Association at Southern.
Dr. Garver decided to run for city commissioner because he wants repay a kindness to his community. When he arrived at Southern after the Vietnam War, the community took him in and made him feel welcome. This was not very common at this time in history toward Vietnam vets, he notes.
Some of his goals if he is elected are to gain a better understanding on how the city runs. He wants to continue and improve public safety. Recreation is always an objective with Mr. Garver, and he wants to expand the Greenway. He would like the Greenway to be a better means of travel, possibly having it lead to places to eat or shop. His last goal is to keep the city financially sound.
Mr. Garver states that some of the responsibilities of the city commissioner are to create a budget, and hire the city manager. The city manager is in charge of enforcing the budget. He states that the commissioner is also in charge of zoning, annexation, and planning new developments.
Mr. Garver said, “I am looking forward to opportunities and challenges if it’s given to me,” and “I appreciate all the former mayors and commissioners of Collegedale for laying the groundwork.”
The Veteran’s Park in Collegedale was Garver’s idea. He stated he could not have accomplished this without the support of the community and his committee. The Hulsey Wellness Center on Southern’s campus was also a dream of his.
Early voting began Oct. 15 and that goes for two weeks. Election Day is Tuesday. Only citizens of Collegedale are allowed to vote. Students at Southern are permitted to vote if they registered. The last day to register was Oct. 6.
There are currently two open seats available. According to the official Collegedale website, there are five seats on the Board of Commissions, and they serve staggered four-year terms. This means every two years there is an election. The next election in 2016 there will be three open spots.