Alba mayoral candidates debate water, transparency and growth at Northwest Tech forum

At a forum hosted at Northwest Technology Center, three mayoral candidates laid out competing priorities for Alba’s next mayor, focusing on water and sewer repairs, transparency in city government and strategies to attract businesses.

Joe Parsons, a city council member and mayoral candidate, emphasized continuity and steady investment. "We've invested roughly $6,000,000 in water infrastructure," Parsons said, and he cited an engineers' estimate he had heard of "around $80,000,000" as the broader scope of needed work. Parsons proposed prioritizing pipe repairs first and returning to streets only after underground infrastructure is fixed, and pledged to form citizen committees to produce multiyear plans.

Brian Farris, a mayoral candidate participating remotely, said Alba needs a strong, independent city manager to run large projects and insulate operational decisions from political interference. "We need to go and get us a city manager that will take no bull crap from nobody," Farris said, adding that a manager from outside the community could be more objective.

Joey Melton, a local business owner and candidate, argued the city should hire outside contractors for major street projects while preserving routine work for maintenance crews, and he urged earlier publication of agendas and more open finance meetings so residents can see how money is spent.

On transparency, all three candidates promised more open reporting. Parsons said he would continue monthly reports and public outreach; Farris proposed weekly public meetings to break down budget line items; Melton called for taking the finance committee "out in front of everybody" rather than meeting behind closed doors.

The forum also covered zoning and economic development. Parsons advocated committees to remove procedural hurdles and to support entrepreneurs; Melton called Alba’s zoning "a complete and total mess" and recommended permitting incentives for projects using local contractors; Farris said the city must first stabilize existing businesses before pursuing new recruits.

Candidates answered audience-submitted questions and took part in follow-ups. Parsons noted the city employs a full-time grant writer, Dr. Wydic, and credited her with securing about $3,000,000 in grants. On code enforcement, the candidates discussed balancing fairness and enforcement, with proposals ranging from small fines to a low-interest fund to help owners demolish unsafe structures.

The forum closed with both candidates thanking the audience and reiterating calls for greater citizen involvement. The next steps discussed were procedural rather than binding: hiring or empowering a city manager, producing multiyear infrastructure plans, and improving agenda and communications practices so residents can engage earlier in decision-making.