Ronita Wade wants to put her experience in finance to work for Selma as its mayor.
Wade, a Selma native, said she has worked in government finance for 20 years, including a decade in the city of Atlanta and six years for the city of Selma. She currently works for the Perry County Commission.
“I worked (in Selma) under three administrations,” Wade said. “I have a different view than most people. I understand what it takes to make finances work in the city. I will work collectively with the council to meet the demands and the needs of the citizens.”
Wade went to work for the city of Selma in the George Evans administration and stayed through the Darrio Melton administration. Her contract was not renewed when James Perkins Jr. became mayor, she said.
Before working in Selma, Wade said she oversaw several multi-million accounts for the city of Atlanta and served as the city’s treasurer for a year. The Great Recession of 2008 led to her and many other employees being laid off, so she returned home to work for the city of Selma and care for a sick uncle and cousin.
“I’m not afraid of a challenge,” Wade said. “My past dictates I had to be strong and determined. I will stand up for the citizens. I will stand up for what is right.”
“I see a need for Selma,” Wade said. “Selma is suffering, bleeding. I’ll work to find ways to improve it through economic growth, through public safety and other areas.”
She said she would work to improve the city’s bond rating so the city could spend more on infrastructure. As for public safety, Wade said she would be a “champion of the police department, getting them the equipment they need and work with other agencies to reduce crime.”
Economic growth is important, and the first step is cleanliness, Wade said. “When I grew up, Selma was the cleanest place you’ve ever seen,” she said. “You could feel safe to walk your dog or exercise and not feel like you’d be attacked or hear gunfire. I want to restore that. I want to work toward building a better Selma.”
Wade received her undergraduate degree from The University of Alabama and her MBA from Samford University. She is the daughter of William Gardner and Geraldine Wade.
Other candidates who have announced are entrepreneur Havard Spencer, Selma City School Board President Johnny Moss III, former City Council Administrative Assistant Temekia Sykes and Rev. Jamal Jabbar Sanders.
The election will be Aug. 26.
Editors Note: An earlier version of this story said Geraldine Wade had passed away. She is very much alive. We regret the error.
Candidates running for municipal offices in the August election can share campaign information like this by emailing platform details to news@blackbeltnewsnetwork.com
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.