Jefferson County Commission, District 5

 Jack Williams

Party: Republican

Residence: Vestavia Hills

Political experience: Alabama House of Representatives, District 47, since 2014. Former chairman of the Greater Birmingham Young Republicans; former president, National Republican County Officials; delegate, 2008 Republican National Convention; helped found the Southern Republican Exchange, a conservative think tank dealing with state and local issues.

Professional experience: Jefferson County Tax Collector, 1995 to 2003; founder, Jack Williams Associates, public relations, government relations and political consulting services company, in 2005.

Education: Bachelor’s from Southeastern Bible College, 1983.

Main issues: Williams states on his website that he is a strong advocate for lower taxes and smaller government, having  passed legislation cutting taxes at the state and local levels.  Williams says he’s been a strong advocate for the business community and has been endorsed by several key business groups. He calls himself a key supporter in making certain local schools stay strong and have fair funding from the state. Lower property taxes for senior citizens and new-home buyers is another priority.

Top contributors: ABPAC, $5,000; Free Enterprise PAC, $2,000; Ironworkers Local 92 PAL, $1,750; Hare, Wynne Newell & Newton, $1,500.

Campaign: http://jackwilliams.org/

 Jack Williams did not respond to requests to complete a BirminghamWatch questionnaire asking about his background and issues of importance. He was indicted in April by a federal grand jury on charges of taking part in a bribery scheme, though he has denied the allegations. “I have done nothing wrong, and once the facts are presented, I expect to be found innocent by a jury of all the allegations outlined in (the) indictment,” Williams told the Alabama Political Reporter. “I trust our judicial system and our electoral system; they have both protected individual rights for hundreds of years.”