By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

Pelham resident Jeff Smith will be running for Place 4 on the Pelham City Council during the city’s upcoming elections.

Smith, a Tarrant native who has been living in Pelham with his wife for about a year, said he decided to run for the council spot to help boost the city’s economy and to help market the city.

“When I was growing up, (Tarrant) was a great place,” Smith said. “But then the businesses started leaving, and then the people started leaving the community. I’ve seen firsthand how quickly it can happen, and I don’t want to see that happen in Pelham.”

Smith said Pelham has not seen the “substantial growth” other area cities have experienced over the past several years, and he said he would like to work to support Pelham’s existing businesses while working to bring in new businesses.

“We need to sit down with local businesses and see what is causing a strain on them,” Smith said. “We need to see what other communities have done to attract businesses.”

Smith said Pelham has “a lot to offer,” and said the city “should be a small business owner’s dream.”

“When you look at all Pelham has to offer, it doesn’t seem like we are taking advantage of it,” Smith said, noting Pelham has Oak Mountain State Park, Ballantrae Golf Club, the Pelham Civic Complex, the Oak Mountain Amphihteatre and other attractions.

If elected, Smith said he will work to bring “an organized effort to market the attractions in Pelham” in an effort to draw visitors and shoppers from outside the city.

He also said he would support current Pelham Councilman Ron Scott’s idea to create a Pelham business association, and said it would “be important for the mayor and City Council to participate” in the association.

“If you get our local businesses headed in the right direction, I think that will take care of a lot of the issues we have,” Smith said.

Pelham’s municipal elections will be held Aug. 28 at the Pelham Civic Complex. As of July 9, Smith and Maurice Mercer had declared intentions to run for the Place 4 council seat.

Smith’s campaign website is Jeffsmith2012.com.