Meet your candidates: Sherri Martin for Pegram

The local election season is upon us in Pegram, and residents are eager to learn more about the individuals vying to represent their interests and lead their community forward.

The Gazette sat down with each of the five candidates running for the town’s two open alderman seats, offering insights into their backgrounds, motivations and visions for the town. Current Pegram aldermen Randy Howington and Michael Paszek are not seeking reelection.

Early voting for Pegram’s local election will take place Friday, July 17 through Saturday, Aug. 1. See the early voting schedule and polling locations here. Pegram residents can also vote at Pegram City Hall on election day on Thursday, Aug. 6.

Each candidate brings a unique perspective shaped by their experiences and dedication to Pegram. Whether they are long-standing residents deeply ingrained in the fabric of the community or newer arrivals driven by innovative ideas, their stories represent a diverse spectrum of voices committed to tackling local challenges and propelling positive growth.

Below, get acquainted with alderman candidate Sherri Martin, who has lived in Pegram for over four decades, and delve into her perspectives on crucial issues through our comprehensive Q&A session.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

KSG: Why are you running for alderman, and what unique perspective would you bring to the board?

Martin: I'm a long time resident. We moved down here 43 years ago – I stayed concerned about the community. 

Having been here and seeing us grow and seeing the goods and the bads, I could bring a different perspective and that's why I want to run. I see growth coming our way. We can't stop it. It's literally at our doorstep. There needs to be some things that will benefit the residents of the town, and not someone who will just vote for anything, or not allow just anything to come in. I want to make sure it's what we need and what we want that will help the community grow.

KSG: What do you believe is the biggest issue facing Pegram over the next four years?

Martin: I feel like transparency is a problem, and that we need to address that. Transparency in the city seems to be an issue that people keep bringing up, and it's getting the word out more. Could we do live meetings and show them on the internet where people can't come to a meeting?

KSG: Pegram continues to grow. How should the town balance new development with preserving its small-town character?

Martin: There's people that want a coffee shop. They want more things that we can go do, versus all of the commercial business that we have down there, that's more labor. They're not like storefronts, they're not where I can go shop, where I can gather. And people like that sense of community. People like to be able to gather and talk and see other people. We don't have that.

Can we work with the county tourism department? We are landlocked. We don't have an exit to the interstate like Kingston Springs does, that gives you a lot of business. We've got a river, we've got a railroad, and we’ve got a state highway. There's only so much we can do, but I'd like to try to do something. But we do have that one strip of land down there, and some of those buildings are sitting empty, and I don't know why people aren't coming down there and saying, "Hey, this would be nice for X. I want to invest some money.” But we need to get the word out and try to encourage it more. We don't get a sales tax. We don't have sales tax coming into the city. Can we start to move towards something? 

KSG: What infrastructure projects should be prioritized?

Martin: There's roads in the town that I feel like could be paved, fixed, repaired. I think we need to maintain the current infrastructure, and then expand where we can, where we need to. 

I would love to see more stuff going on at the park. We have a beautiful little park, but the playground equipment needs to be upgraded. Pickleball is the big thing right now. Could we get a pickleball court? We've got land down there at the park that we're not even using, it's underutilized, but could we do more with that? We've got a river, and we need to do something with it. It's very popular and we're missing an opportunity there.

KSG: How would you keep taxes and utility costs affordable while still funding town services?

Martin: I would look for more grants from the government. We have a good budget there. We need to just continue to be diligent on our expenses and try not to get too crazy with stuff.

KSG: What is one thing Pegram does well and one thing it needs to improve?

Martin: We have a great sense of community. I think that's a strength – people will help other people, and I'd like to see that grow. 

I feel like this town could improve the infrastructure. We're going to have to grow a little bit, and when we grow, we may need to change some infrastructure. If that little strip down there started doing something, maybe we need to put in sidewalks down there because it would be more of a space to walk through there versus along the highway, but I think infrastructure is going to have to be improved on an as needed basis. But I love the sense of community and people - I see people all the time, I meet people, and everybody's just so nice, and I want it to stay like that.

KSG: How can the town better engage residents in local government?

Martin: I think if the town were more open, I think people would be more engaged. There are people that feel like they're not welcome, or maybe they feel like they can't just go in there and ask questions and get answers. I wish more people would come to meetings, and if they can't come, can they watch it online? 

And some of it's on the citizens of the town. I just go down there and I listen and I pay attention, but there's people that don't, and then they're upset because they don't know anything. Everybody needs responsibility – I want people to take responsibility too. 

KSG: Why should the residents of Pegram vote for you? 

Martin: I'm a long time resident. I feel like I understand the community better than newer people, and I want to be open and transparent with people, and listen to people in the community about what they want and weigh it against what everybody needs, and that's what I promise.