Three’s company in District 1 city council race

A Cairo native who has worked most of her life for the State of Florida, wants to serve her home community as a member of the Cairo City Council.

Ann Williams has qualified as a candidate for the District 1 seat on the council. A resident of 1026 Ninth St. Northwest, Williams, 58, says her main goal as a councilwoman would be to maintain an open line of communication with her constituents and serve as their voice on the council.

“I always wanted to help people, and running for city council I will have an opportunity to meet people and work with them and have a voice to speak for my community,” Williams says. “I don’t look at it as politics. I look it as really getting to know my community and try to help people in my community – just reaching out.”

Since 1984, she has worked for the State of Florida, and says in December 2020 she will retire from her position as administrative assistant with the state’s Division of Bond Finance. A 1978 graduate of Cairo High School, Williams says she also holds an associate’s degree from the former Thomas Technical College (now Southern Regional Technical College) in secretarial work. She attends Macedonia MB Church in Cairo.

Although she has commuted to Tallahassee to work for more than 36 years, Williams also has experience working in Cairo. When her older sister, the late Jeanette Williams, owned and operated Tri-Color Gardens, Williams worked there every Saturday and some Sundays for 11 years during the months it was open.

Williams contends she is a regular person who loves people, her family and friends. She says she is looking forward to meeting people as she campaigns door-to-door in the coming weeks leading up to the election.

“A lot of people know me, but I want to actually sit down and talk to people. I think that’s very important,” she says.

And, while she is campaigning, she plans to share her slogan “Everybody is Somebody” with voters.

Also running for the District 1 seat is incumbent Lannis Thornton and another political newcomer, Alicia Gurley. The election is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, Nov. 5.