Photo: Kenneth Walker, in his office, taking a call from Mitch Smith Chevy for his truck bed business.
CULLMAN – Cullman County Commission Chairman Kenneth Walker is a busy man. With his position as an elected official working for the people of Cullman, he has a full-time job. When his three businesses outside of the chairman position are added to the equation, Walker works an 80-hour work week.
“I like to stay busy. It’s like this all day everyday six days a week,” chuckled Walker as he returned to his office at the Cullman County Courthouse after taking a third phone call during our scheduled interview.
The calls are needed in order to straighten out an order for a new truck bed that his business Walk-Car Truck Beds, LLC is handling. That business, along with the others, are cited as his greatest professional accomplishments.
Said Walker, “Well, I’ve just been fortunate to be able to do what I do. I’ve been in construction all my life and started my own business in 2001 as an underground utility contractor. And now we own Fairview Superette, which is a convenience store up in Fairview. That’s a good accomplishment. I still operate my construction company. I’ve also got Walk-Car Truck Beds, LLC. I don’t know. I’ve just been fortunate to be able to do what I’ve done all my life. You know, it just happened to turn into Chairman of Cullman County Commission!”
Citing a need for new leadership as the reason he chose to run during his initial campaign, Walker wasn’t surprised by the demands of the position. “You know, we got employee troubles and road problems, but we’re always going to have road problems. Yeah, it’s about what I was expecting.”
Walker faces Darrell Hicks in the April 12 runoff for the Cullman County Commission Chairman position. His goals for his next term, if elected, are simple: “To keep the county running as smooth as it’s running and to make it as safe as it can be and looking for funding for roads and looking to improve our roadways. Short and sweet.”
Those goals mirror the projects initiated by the current commission which are “resurfacing County Roads 747 and 703.”
Roads are a big concern to county residents, and the Alabama Highway 157 bridge to nowhere still stands as an eyesore and reminder of unfinished work. Additionally, as the preferred path to Cullman Regional Medical Center, patient care is potentially compromised due to traffic issues on the two-lane bridge.
“The state, ALDOT, had that project in the 2016 bid lettings and they backed it up until being bid in 2018 or 2019. It doesn’t matter if it’s in the city or county. That’s a state road. The city can’t do nothing. We’re waiting on ALDOT. They’re looking at 2018.”
When asked if the 6-cent gas tax increase, which was approved by an Alabama House of Representatives committee on March 17, would help the funding of those projects, Walker responded, “I’m sure it would. I try to stick to county business and try to stay out of that.”
Sonny Brasfield, Association of County Commissions of Alabama executive director, has come out in strong support of the bill, as has ALDOT, noting the thousand-plus bridges that school buses cannot cross every morning throughout Alabama counties, including Cullman.
Without his family, Walker wouldn’t be able to wear all of his many hats. His wife, principal of Fairview Middle School, has been in education for 22 years, and the Walkers will be celebrating their 24th wedding anniversary in August.
Speaking of his sons, who help, along with his brother-in-law, with his businesses, Walker said, “My oldest son is Lance; which (sic) he runs my construction company for me. And, my middle son goes to Wallace State Community College and he owns his own so-called wrestling cattle hauling business and he’s about to get married in June. Then, my youngest son is a senior at Holly Pond High School. He graduates in May and he’s going to pursue going to Wallace State.”
With a $1 million-dollar sales tax surplus from last year, the county looks to pave even more roads this year. “I think this year we’re going to pave about 40 miles of road instead of the usual 20. I hope sales tax stays about like it is right now. If it continues to stay stable, we’ll have an extra million to put in the road budget every year.
“I’m proud to come in and finally get a 90-day reserve,” Walker continued. “Before I took office we didn’t have but a 45- or 60-day reserve. Now, we’ve got a 90-day reserve.”
Walker is a proud man, and with his countless successes in his businesses and family, it’s easy to see why.
