By Hannah Lester
LEE COUNTY —
Tony Langley is running for Lee County Commission District 4.
“I decided to run because I’ve just had numerous amounts of people come forward, asking me to run against our current commissioner [Robert Ham] and just feel like I could do a much better job than he’s been doing,” Langley said.
One of the main issues Langley raised was the potential quarry coming to Beulah in Beat 13 by Creekwood Resources, LLC.
The quarry has been a topic of dissension in the county for months, ever since Creekwood announced in 2020 that it would be attempting to open the site in Beulah.
The community started fighting the quarry, hosting forums, attending commission meetings and fighting to keep the quarry out.
A Lee County Planning Commission was formed and zoning was enacted in Beat 13.
“A lot of the issues from the people are falling on deaf ears,” Langley said. “Of course, the rock quarry deal … people were trying to rezone, and voting for that, assuming they were voting against a rock quarry and their opinion the whole time was against this rock quarry.”
Zoning may not keep Creekwood from opening the quarry, however, which has many citizens concerned.
“I just want to be, if I can get elected, is be a reliable voice for the people,” Langley said. “No matter what community, whether it be Beulah, or Beauregard, or here in the city limits of Opelika or Smiths Station. If the people in that area are voicing their concerns about something, legit concerns, and have their opinions toward a certain project or something like that, I would be an elected official, and it’s my job to represent their opinions and concerns, and it’s not about my personal agenda.”
Some other issues Langley said he feels could be improved include paving county roads.
“I know it’s a budget issue, and stuff like that, but I feel over time that you could get that done because if you’re going to spend the money to keep grading them, seems like to me you could save over a period of time if you go ahead and pave it,” he said.
Langley said investing in local ball parks is another priority, along with volunteer fire departments.
“A numerous amount of people had asked, ‘Hey, why don’t you run,’ and so that’s what got me intrigued about doing it,” he said.
Langley said he’s never been involved in local politics before. He works for himself, putting down hardwood floors.
“Parents raised me to be a ‘yes sir, no sir, no ma’am, yes ma’am,’ type of person,” he said. “Have respect, have your manners, always treat other people like you want to be treated — those types of values — and I think that goes a long way.
“So if you’ll treat somebody the way you want to be treated, that definitely goes a very long way and how people can interact with each other. So, if everybody’s good to each other and stuff like that, obviously we can all get along as a society.”
The election will be held on May 24.
“A lot of people are talking about they want change, so if it’s change they want, then May 24 we need to get out and vote, that’s the only way,” Langley said. “A lot of people talk about issues and ‘we need to do this and that,’ but the only way to make that happen is if the people of the county go to the polls and vote. That’s the only way to make the change.”
Langley said anyone with questions or comments can reach out through his Facebook page, www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077613133599.
“I just want to be the voice of the people of the whole District 4,” Langley said.