Montgomery City Council District 4 election happening Tuesday

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - Some Montgomery voters will head to the polls this week to elect their new city council member.

A runoff election is happening Tuesday between Franetta Delayne Riley and Kahlia Bell. Incumbent councilwoman Audrey Billups-Graham was voted out of office in August.

Only people within the District 4 are eligible to vote. It covers essentially all of West Montgomery.

“West Montgomery seems to have been forgotten for too long,” said Bell.

She wants to do more to preserve the historic Selma-to-Montgomery trail, create affordable housing, and connect community organizations to area schools.

By far, the biggest part of her campaign is ensuring city departments, like sanitation and police, run efficiently.

“It allows mayors and city council people and everybody else to be able to do their jobs with more ease,” Bell said. “It allows people to be heard and services to be rendered properly.”

Riley also has her eye set on the council seat, aiming to improve West Montgomery.

“I want to be out there to help us develop because I believe in reviving, rejuvenating, and restructuring this area,” Riley said.

She wants to eliminate eyesores like property blight, further utilize community centers, improve sanitation, and support programs for seniors and children.

Most of all, she says she wants to work with the mayor to revive this district.

“We’ve got to get some businesses over here, restaurants just doing things, reviving this area back like it used to be,” Riley said.

Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. There are six voting precincts:

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