Eddie Marbutt shares vision for Phil Campbell
Eddie Marbutt
Eddie Marbutt has long considered running for office, and this is the year. He is campaigning for Place 3 on Phil Campbell city council.
“I’ve always been interested in city council,” he said. “I would just like to see the town continue to grow. I think we have a nice little town, and we have a lot of good things going. I’d just like that opportunity to work with the other council members and see it continue to grow.
Marbutt has always lived in Phil Campbell and thought about running for several years. He “just decided now was the time to run.”
He is a custodian at Red Bay High School, and his wife is a speech pathologist for the school system. “We’re real active in the school and in the community. We’ve seen things we’d like to try to get done. I just think I can help out with the community.” He said he wants to see the council and schools work together more, since the school is a hub of the community.
“One of the things I really would like to do would be to find more things for the young people to do in our town. We just don’t have a lot for the kids to do that’s not school-involved,” Marbutt said. “I would really like to see a place they could go to have Internet access. There are a lot of kids in our town that don’t have a place to access the internet.” Marbutt said he sees students sitting in the school parking lot after school hours to access Wi-Fi.
Although Marbutt like the splash pad, a swimming pool or water slide would be an asset for the older children.
Jobs are also a priority for Marbutt.
“We definitely need more jobs and industry in town. That’s a big thing for everybody,” he said. “I think it’s really important we try to get as much industry in as we can. It’s hard to keep people in the town if you don’t have jobs for them.”
Marbutt said the town has a great police department and hard-working city employees.
He is married to Michelle, and they have six children, all products of the Phil Campbell School System, ranging from 10-26 years old. They have one grandchild.
Marbutt formerly worked for BCDA for 18 years at the Bear Creek Education Center.
He is a PCHS Class of 1990 graduate and serves as band booster president (in his fourth year) and has been involved in the boosters for 15 years.
“I think I can bring some good ideas to the table, and I would work well with the other council members” Marbutt said. “I’m not running against anybody. I’m just running for the position. I don’t have anything bad to say about anybody who is on the city council now; I would just like to be on the council myself.”
