Robert Walker may already have two jobs, but that hasn’t stopped him from trying to pick up one more.

Walker, who works at McRae’s and Wal-Mart, has thrown his hat into the ring and qualified to run for City Council President.

“I started thinking of running for this office back in 2001,” Walker said. “I want to help bring economic development and recreation programs to schools.

Give youths a sense of pride in their growing up, teach them to respect other people and their property.”

Walker will challenge incumbent George Evans and fellow challenger Frank Chestnut Sr.

The Selma born and raised Walker drew inspiration for his candidacy when he wanted to address the city council on some issues, but said he couldn’t get placed onto the agenda.

“I felt this way I would be able to discuss some of those things that could start us working towards a better Selma,” Walker said.

Walker, whose degree is in recreation, sees a lot of room for improvement in his specialty.

“I feel like the current government did not do enough to provide recreation for all the kids.”

Some of the things Walker supports would be a recreational facility for Selma’s elderly and a recreational center for the youths.

Walker added the elderly could serve in a mentoring role for some of the youth.

“If elected I would work on those kinds of programs,” Walker said. “That would be a good system of programs to link with the youth.

I would be working hard to see if the city could come up with that program.”

Walker also mentioned his involvement starting a youth basketball program at Selma University for kids without a YMCA card.

“We had a wonderful program, we need programs such as that,” he said.

The single father of a 10-year-old daughter, Walker has run for the council twice before. He lost a race the Ward 6 seat in 1993 and 1996, but said he received good support in his campaigns.

Walker also said it is incumbent upon council members to promote the community in an effort to bring in business.

“There are certain things that link the city together, when you’re in office, you should be looking at some of those things when you recruit business here,” he said. “I think we could help in the economic growth, let them know we have a waterway, a railway and a highway, that’s the three main ways to import and export products.

The resources are here in Selma for economic development.”

Walker added that the lack of economic development forces young Selmians to leave town to find work.

“Young people have to leave because they are unhappy with the way things have gone here,” Walker said. “There’s just no good housing for young people who do find nice job.”

Walker added that crime and drugs are problems Selma must overcome. He said more attention should be paid to the high drug traffic areas.

“If more attention was paid to the areas these drugs are, it would cut down on some of the crime,” Walker said.

On the issue of perceived arguing among the council, Walker said it was important for the council members to work together.

“I really think in this government there are too many people trying to be power players,” he said. “They should be more together.

Martin Luther King Jr said we shall overcome but before we overcome, we have to come together. Without a solid foundation everything is going to collapse.”

Walker added that he thinks the council should set a policy to resolve their issues before adjourning the meeting.

“We need to address issues to the point where they are together when the meeting is over,” he said. “Come to some kind of agreement before the meeting ends.”

Finally Walker promised to do his utmost for Selma.

“I will work together firmly with the council and the mayor to bring a good city together. This is a good city,” he said.