Citing the wave of dissent by voters on the national political level, St. Clair County Commission Chairman Stan Batemon vowed a visionary approach in the future here.

“We must have vision in St. Clair County in all the processes we go through,” Batemon said following a swearing in ceremony involving himself and commissioners Ken Crowe and Jeff Brown.

Batemon cited Proverbs 18:29 as his and the commission’s call to see the people’s will done in the next four years. The verse reads, “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.”

Commissioner Ken Crowe (Dist. 2) thanked voters for electing him to his post after he was appointed to the position following Mike Bowling’s appointment to the county’s probate judge position. Crowe serves the central portion of St. Clair.

Commissioner Jeff Brown (Dist. 1) echoed those sentiments and said he was glad voters re-elected him to continue representing the northern end of the county.

He said that the voters of St. Clair echoed the overall statewide majority, in that they are against gambling and reckless spending.

He said that the commission will continue to “spend money on the processes that help citizens.” He said the past four years has seen the Ashville Courthouse renovated, while still maintaining its historical features, a new water system in the Coosa Valley Water Authority and a new St. Vincent’s St. Clair and a new veterans’ hospital become realities.

Batemon said that in the next four years, “we will finish those and more.”

The county commission will be looking into statutory help for small and existing businesses and existing industry in St. Clair.

“We’ve got a regional reason to make this county work,” Batemon told those gathered last week. He said the Coosa Valley Water Authority will not only be providing a new, larger source of drinking water, but that it will have the opportunity to sell water to surrounding areas, bringing in money to St. Clair’s coffers.

Batemon stated that no new taxes will be levied on residents and that the debt to income ration in the county is “healthy.”

He said that he will serve with the following phrase in mind: “If the source of your vision is not intimidating to you, then that vision is not pleasing to God.”