DEMOPOLIS-Rev. Mitchell Congress of the Mt. Horeb Baptist church in Faunsdale has announced his intentions to run as a candidate for District 2 on the Demopolis City Council.

He has some unfinished business from his previous stint as a City Councilman for District 1 from 1988-1992 and he wants a chance to finish what he started. He has lived in Huntsville for many years, but is now back to make a difference to the residents of Demopolis.

“I came home to fulfill my desires to serve the citizens of Demopolis and help to usher us into the new millennium,” He said, “The theme of my campaign is a man with a vision for Demopolis, as the Bible says ‘Where there is no vision, men parish.'”

Originally from Demopolis, he was the valedictorian of his senior class at John Essex High School. He holds a B.S. in Special Education from Alabama A&M, a Master’s Degree in Administration and Supervision from Alabama State, and another one in Learning Disabilities from Alabama A&M.

He has many accomplishments from his first term as a City Councilman including building the new Demopolis High School, placing city employees into the state retirement system, installing badly needed traffic lights, renovating the Jones Recreation Center, and improving the sidewalks.

He also successfully fought the annexation of the French Creek and Starmont areas into the city during his tenure as councilman.

“Those residents weren’t being served by the city, so why make them join,” Congress said, “They didn’t want to be apart of the city anyway.”

If he were elected, he would fight for growth not only in his district, but in the whole city as well. He wants to push for landing more industry to the city and the surround areas.

“I want the new businesses to offer suitable benefits and retirements,” Congress said.

His platform includes removing the abandoned homes from the city, paving 1st Avenue from Jackson Street to Pettus Street, renegotiating the contract with Blue Cross for lower medical insurance premiums for city employees, a pay raise across the board for city employees, seek Federal funds to reinitiate summer job program for the youth, and helping fund the hospital to improve services in the emergency room at Bryan W. Whitfield.

When asked about the up and coming election against the Incumbent City Councilman Willard Williams, he said, “Our records will speak for themselves.”