Dear City of Jasper Voters:

First and foremost I would like to say “Thank you!” for the outpouring of support I have received since qualifying to run for Jasper City Council. It is very humbling to know how many trusting friends I have developed here since moving to Jasper in 1995 that know I will do the right thing.

What a great place Jasper has been to live, work and raise my family. It is my hope to use my past experiences to improve our already wonderful quality of life. I have heard from city workers, business owners, retirees, educators, and many, many former patients whom know what I stand for. Thanks!

We are already fortunate to live in an area where the quality of life is unsurpassable, and we need to keep it that way. But at the same time we have challenges facing us that will make the difference in our future, and in our children’s ability to someday thrive here. While appreciating all of our achievements, like world class healthcare and business corridor growth, it is time for us to closely assess our current situation as it pertains to our resources and infrastructure, and plan accordingly. It is also time to decide what kind of community we want to be, identify the type and amount of future growth we want and our resources can support, and plan and act to achieve those goals. The business world calls that a strategic plan, which should be an involved process requiring input from a lot of stakeholders, including the citizens! Call it a look forward if you wish!

While doing this, we also need to preserve our history, both downtown and in the county, as there is far little of it left. Having so much available land makes one wonder when historic buildings are displaced by large and small retail alike; like when our last one room school house is replaced with a one room storage building. This goes far beyond the most recent plan to destroy a historic Cherokee structure for what I believe is our fifth Dollar General Store.  Our little historic crossroads town can be a bustling area if we make the right choices and commitments!

My plan in office is to assess the current state of our dear city, help to develop a plan for the future and through hard work, moral values, integrity, honesty and transparency, help get us there. I need your vote! In exchange, I pledge access and a voice to make things the way we want and need them here in Jasper and Pickens County. The future is bright!

If you have any questions for me, believe it or not, I am on Facebook,  Facebook ~ Sonny Proctor, M.D. and I’ll do my best to get back to you!

Sonny Proctor, M.D.