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Candidate Hisel's residency challenged
Published Tuesday, July 22, 2008
At least one Selma resident has raised questions about the residency of a candidate for president of the Selma City Council.
Sherrette Spicer of Selma said she believes Gene Hisel registered his papers using false information.
Spicer said Hisel does not live at the address which he claims on documents filed with the Selma City Clerk.
“He has filed under false information,” Spicer told The Selma Times-Journal on Tuesday.
The accusation comes a day after HIsel held a press conference on the steps of the Federal Building and called for storage of voting machines in a neutral site.
When contacted late Tuesday afternoon, Hisel said he had made a mistake when he filled out papers showing his address 322 Lamar Ave., Selma
“I was buying some property at 322 Alabama and got the two mixed up. I leased a place at 318 Lamar Ave.,” he said. “I just got confused.”
Hisel, a Selma businessmen, maintains a residence in Valley Grande. He signed a lease Jan. 2 with Swan Properties LLC for an apartment at 318 Lamar Ave. for a year. Hisel said he is a registered voter in Selma.
The candidate isn’t the first in Alabama to run up against challenges because of questions over legal residency.
In November a judge ruled against a lawsuit by an opposition candidate to Mayor Larry Langford in the race for Birmingham’s chief executive.
The opponent, Patrick Cooper, argued that Langford never abandoned his home in Fairfield before qualifying for the Birmingham mayor’s race.
Landford had rented a loft at Blach’s Building on 20th Street North in Birmingham on June 4 before the election on Oct. 9, 2007. He changed his voter registration to the Birmingham address on June 7. His wife did the same thing.
The judge ruled in the Langford case that “domicile is largely a matter of intent.”
This is not the first time Hisel has run for public office in Selma. He ran for mayor four years ago against incumbent Mayor James Perkins Jr.
Comments
Posted by changeneeded (anonymous) on July 22, 2008 at 7:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I understand that Mr. Hisel is a VERY busy man. People make honest mistakes. At least he admits to the mistakes he makes. Going as far as to say he used "false information" is absolutely insane....what people will resort to these days....
Posted by popdukes12 (anonymous) on July 22, 2008 at 8:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)
How many people really live in Atlanta proper,even though they say their from Atlanta?............NONE. Hey, I live in Panama City,but I'll be in Selma tomorrow,if I rent a $75.00 per month apartment, do I still have time to register to run for city council? Nobody SEEMED to care when the police chief lived outside the city, but who could blame him with the crime rate and all. If the criminals will give me a "clear shot" down Minter ave. tomorrow to Lannies, I'll be out of town as fast as I can.Popdukes12(formally T)
Posted by Something2think_about (anonymous) on July 22, 2008 at 9:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This sounds pretty stupid, but ummm.. do the city regulations clearly state that the city council president HAVE to live in Selma? I am sure it should as it states that the police chief and mayor must as live within the city limits. This may be something to look into. I am sure each ward states that the council members live in those wards, but I personally have ever seen anything about the council president.
I have come to NEVER assume anything in this town, so perhaps some snooping would be in order here.
Posted by eyeonyou (anonymous) on July 23, 2008 at 8:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Just curious, does anyone really know where the Mayor of Selma resides?
Posted by wallyworld (anonymous) on July 23, 2008 at 8:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
seems odd how where he lives is questioned after he suggests that voting machines no be stored at city hall.
Posted by SelmaSmartBoy (anonymous) on July 23, 2008 at 8:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The mayor lives at 1145 1st Avenue since you want to be so INQUISITIVE! Don't believe me....I have backup....it's called a PHONE BOOK!
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