By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

Pelham High School alum Lucas Burger has announced he plans to run for Place 2 on the Pelham City Council during the city’s upcoming elections.

Burger, a 1999 PHS graduate, said he decided to run for the council to continue the work the city has done over the past several years.

“I feel like Pelham is headed in a positive direction, and I would like to continue that,” Burger said.

If elected, Burger said he would like to seek community involvement in the city’s government, and said he would “work to be their voice on the council.”

“I want to give citizens a chance to voice their opinions and needs,” Burger said. “I will be an advocate for them.”

He said one of Pelham’s major issues over the next few years will be working to recruit businesses. He said he would like to work with Pelham’s surrounding municipalities to improve the city’s transportation systems.

“Specifically, (I would like to work) with surrounding cities to improve State Road 261 because it’s a feeder route to numerous subdivisions in Helena and Pelham,” he said. “Working to help improve the community’s roads will attract business development.”

Burger said he would like the city to “aggressively recruit businesses,” especially around the planned new HealthSouth rehabilitation hospital, which will be constructed near the intersection of Shelby County 52 and Interstate 65.

“The new hospital will help us out tremendously with recruiting businesses,” Burger said.

He said he also would like to create a “shop in Pelham” campaign to encourage more residents to support the city’s businesses.

He said he would “keep all options on the table for reducing the burden on the taxpayer,” including “bold new marketing strategies, recruiting professional management and looking into the possibility of expanding and-or selling the facility to private business.”

Burger has qualified to run against incumbent Councilman Ron Scott during the election. Pelham’s municipal elections will be on Tuesday, Aug. 28 from 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

Burger’s campaign website is at Facebook.com/LucasBurgerForPelhamCityCouncil.