Courtesy of Elizabeth Cooley
Elizabeth Cooley
The election for Chelsea mayor and five city council seats is scheduled for Aug. 23.
Shelby Forest Estates resident Elizabeth Cooley is running for Chelsea City Council Place 5.
Cooley, who has lived in Chelsea for almost 13 years and was born in Birmingham, said she chose to run for city council to be a voice of the people. She describes herself as having a servant’s heart, and hopes to serve Chelsea and the people of Chelsea.
“I am Elizabeth Cooley. First and foremost, I am a follower of Jesus Christ, my lord and my savior,” she said. “I live by two rules, love God and love people, and I feel like if I can get up every day and do those two things, I can make a difference in this world.”
As a retired teacher in the Shelby County School System, as well as a volleyball coach, bus driver and volunteer with several organizations, Cooley said she is a team player who hopes to open up communication between Chelsea community members.
“My personal opinion is there is kind of a split between people that have lived here their entire lives and people that have moved into our community, and I think we all need to realize we all want what is best for the community,” she said. “… We just want it to be the best community it can be.”
Traffic issues are a high priority, Cooley said, because it is important to make sure Chelsea’s roads are safe. She would like to find solutions to combat unsafe driving habits such as distracted driving and texting while driving, as well as try and lower the speed limit.
“We’ve had way too many deaths on [U.S.] 280 in our Chelsea area,” she said. “I don’t necessarily have the answers for those things, but I’m willing to work toward finding the answers.”
Cooley said she also hopes to improve Chelsea’s school buildings and facilities. The middle school needs upgrades to its outdoor facilities, she said, and she would like to see the high school without trailers.
Because she formerly worked with Shelby County Schools, Cooley said she knows and is trusted by several individuals that would make good contacts as the Board of Education. While this would not get the city any favors necessarily, Cooley said it could help the city develop plans for fundraising or starting conversations.
“I know as a community if you put pressure on the Board of Education, they’re more than likely going to do things that will make the community happy,” she said, “and I think as a community we have to go down there to the Board of Education and voice our opinions.”
While she has ideas of areas where the city can improve, Cooley does not have a specific agenda for if she was elected, she said. Rather, Cooley said she hopes to be a voice for Chelsea residents and build a plan around what they would like to see.
“I want to be the voice of the community, so if people will communicate with me their needs, their wants, their desires for the community, then I would bring that to the city council,” she said.
For more information, email elizabethcooley2016@gmail.com.
Tom Holcombe and Casey Morris are also running for Chelsea Council Place 5. The election for Chelsea mayor and five city council seats is scheduled for Aug. 23.
If you are running for city council or mayor in Chelsea, you can reach our community reporter Erica Techo at erica@starnespublishing.com.
