Crowded race forms ahead of municipal election
With qualifying for the upcoming Hartselle municipal election fast approaching, an expanding field of candidates have announced plans to run for 11 city council and school board seats.
The official qualifying period runs from June 10-24, with election day set for August 26. Seven newcomers and one incumbent have publicly announced as of press time.
Dana McCutcheon, Daxton Maze, Bruce Wilhite and Chris Warnick will run for seats on the Hartselle City Schools Board of Education, while Jason Gonella, Michael Davis and Tristan Whitson will contend for seats on the Hartselle City Council. David Witt will run for the mayoral seat.
About the candidates
Jason Gonella
Georgia native and five-year resident of Hartselle, Jason Gonella brings both military and engineering experience to the table as he seeks seat on the city council.
Gonella moved to Alabama after being hired by Northrop Grumman as a senior principal test engineer. Before entering the private sector, he served in the U.S. Air Force and later with the California Air National Guard, working at Edwards Air Force Base before relocating to Hartselle. He served on the city council in Lake Los Angeles, Calif.
Jason Gonella
“I am overall pleased with the direction Hartselle is going,” Gonella said.
Gonella said he hopes to amend the city ordinance that currently prohibits residents from owning fowl unless they live in an agricultural zone. He believes the existing ordinance already addresses proper care standards and could be updated to permit backyard chickens within city limits.
Gonella also emphasized his support for local law enforcement and emergency services. He said he wants to maintain the strong working relationship the current city council appears to have with the police and fire chiefs and hopes Hartselle continues to support its departments.
In terms of infrastructure, Gonella would like to prioritize repairs to the bridge on Thompson Road. He believes the improvements would help alleviate traffic congestion through town by allowing better access to Interstate 65 without routing as much traffic through Main Street.
Gonella and his wife, Rose, have been married for 21 years. They have two children — a son who has graduated from high school and a daughter who attends Hartselle City Schools.
Michael Davis
Longtime law enforcement officer Michael Davis said he will work toward better communication between community members and government if elected to the Hartselle City Council. Davis currently serves as a deputy with the courts at the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office and has more than a decade of experience in law enforcement, including previous work as a correctional officer at the Morgan County Jail.
Davis said his years in law enforcement have taught him that there are three sides to a story, and he wants to bring that perspective to city government by making sure the voices of Hartselle residents are heard.
Michael Davis
“I want to see what is important to the person. If [their] voice cannot be heard and truly looked at, [they] cannot get help. I want people to be looked at,” Davis said. He has attended city council meetings for most of the past year and believes the council needs to do more listening. He also wants to increase public understanding of city ordinances and why they exist.
Traffic is another key issue Davis hopes to address, particularly the need to repair the bridge on Thompson Road. He said traffic congestion is a growing problem, and he wants to explore alternative routes, especially to provide better access to Interstate 65 for 18-wheelers.
“I want Hartselle to grow in a good way,” Davis said. One of his ideas includes better utilizing existing city spaces, such as holding festivals at Sparkman Park. He envisions events featuring local vendors and food trucks to help promote small businesses and bring the community together.
“I don’t know everything. The best way to learn is to listen,” he added.
Davis and his wife, Brenda, have been married for 15 years and have two sons, one of whom attended Hartselle City Schools.
Tristan Whitson
Tristan Whitson, a retired Navy veteran and systems engineer, said concerns surrounding property rights and a desire for greater citizen choice in city policies prompted him to run for a seat on the city council.
Whitson served 20 years in the U.S. Navy before retiring and transitioning to the private sector. In November 2022, he began working as a systems engineer for General Dynamics Information Technology.
Tristan Whitson
He said his decision to run was inspired by conversations with fellow residents who share similar frustrations with what he described as increased restrictions within the city. “It seems like there has been a push… push us into an HOA city,” Whitson said. “There is pressure on what [residents] can and can’t do with their property.”
While Whitson noted he has no problem with homeowners’ associations — he currently sits on his own neighborhood’s HOA board — he said he believes city policies should allow for individual freedom and choice. He pointed to the city’s current ordinance banning the keeping of poultry within city limits, unless the property is zoned agricultural, as an example of government overreach.
Whitson met his wife while stationed in Florida, and the couple married in California while he was still serving in the Navy. They have five children living at home.
Daxton Maze
Daxton Maze, a lifelong Hartselle resident and 2006 graduate of Hartselle High School, is running for a third term on the Hartselle City Schools Board of Education. Maze has served on the board since 2016 and currently works as engineering services manager at Hartselle Utilities, where he has been employed since 2014.
Daxton Maze
“Hartselle City Schools were very good for me, it put me in a good place to go and be successful,” Maze said. He added that he hopes to continue playing a role in creating that same opportunity for current students.
Maze said he plans to continue emphasizing career readiness at the high school level, ensuring students are prepared for whichever path they choose after graduation — whether that be higher education, trade school or entering the workforce.
He also pointed to mental health support as a top priority, particularly for middle school students. “Navigating the early years of teen hood” is a key challenge, he said.
“I do believe in reading and math at a fundamental level, we need to continue to invest in [those skills],” Maze said, adding that he wants to move forward with plans that strengthen those academic foundations and set students up for long-term success.
Maze and his wife, Oliva, have been married since 2014 and have three children, two of whom will attend Hartselle schools next year.
Dana McCutcheon
Dana McCutcheon, a longtime resident and 1986 graduate of Hartselle High School, was the first to announce her candidacy for Place 1 on the Hartselle City Schools Board of Education. With a passion for education and a deep connection to the community, McCutcheon said she hopes to bring a renewed focus to the foundational years of learning and a return to the values that made Hartselle special.
Dana McCutcheon
“First and foremost, I just think I can make a difference,” McCutcheon said. “I love children — for 25 years, that’s what I’ve done. I did that along with everything, you know, as the director of a Mother’s Day Out. I feel like every child deserves an opportunity, no matter what walk of life.”
McCutcheon and her husband, Jeff — a 1976 graduate of Morgan County High School — have three grown children and six grandchildren. She said her campaign is rooted in a desire to serve all families in the Hartselle community and to ensure every child receives the support they need to succeed.
Reflecting on what made Hartselle unique, McCutcheon said, “I think what made us so special was that we cultivated this community. We cultivated from within, and we grew from that. What bothers me is that we’ve gotten away from that.”
Her vision includes rekindling that community spirit by encouraging involvement from people who care deeply about Hartselle’s future. “My passion is that we bring people back here who love this community, who want to see us do better, who want to see us grow,” she said.
McCutcheon emphasized the importance of strengthening the district’s elementary schools, which she believes are the heart of academic success. “I feel like that we sometimes are missing the mark. We need to zero in on our elementary schools, because every bit of love for learning starts there,” she said. “I get that our test scores and things that rank us in the state are at the high school level. But if we don’t cultivate this down here, we’re not going to do well here.”
McCutcheon said she is ready to serve the district with the same care and commitment she has shown through her decades of work with children and families in the Hartselle area.
Chris Warnick
Family and community are central to Chris Warnick’s motivation for running for a seat on the school board.
Chris Warnick
Warnick, 54, in the community since 1984 and graduated from Hartselle High School in 1988. With nearly 30 years of experience as a locomotive engineer at CSX Transportation and as the owner of a small business, Warnick brings both professional and entrepreneurial experience to his candidacy.
He and his wife, DeAnn, have five children, including a daughter who graduated in 2024 and a son who will begin attending Hartselle High School in the fall of 2025. Warnick emphasized the importance of a strong educational foundation, saying he wants every child in the community to “excel and build their dreams starting right here.”
Citing the strength of the local school system, Warnick praised the educators in Hartselle as some of the best in the state. He said he felt a calling to serve, driven by a desire to support students and ensure the school system continues to thrive.
Bruce Wilhite
Bruce Wilhite said board transparency and communication are the top priorities that led him to pursue a seat on the board.
Bruce Wilhite
“Simply put, our board members are elected to represent the citizens of Hartselle, and our families deserve transparent leadership and open communication from those elected representatives,” he said.
Wilhite is a 1998 graduate of Hartselle High School. After completing his active-duty military service, he and his family returned to Hartselle in 2018, drawn back by the quality of the school system, their families and the close-knit community.
He currently works as a civilian airline captain, is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force Reserve, and operates a small property management business with his wife, Sarah.
The couple have 16-year-old twins and a 15-year-old daughter who are enrolled at Hartselle High School. They are active members at Hartselle First Baptist.
Wilhite said he has both personal and professional ties to Hartselle City Schools. In addition to being an alumnus, all three of his children entered Hartselle City Schools at Barkley Bridge Elementary and now attend Hartselle High School.
“I believe that our school system is the centerpiece of Hartselle,” Wilhite said. “As a pilot, I travel around the country each week and witness the decay and cultural shift taking place in many of our larger cities. I am quick to tell anyone who will listen about our community and how special it is here. It’s no accident that HCS attracts families from all over Alabama and top talent among teachers, administrators and coaches. We must protect our culture of excellence and ensure our board sets policies that reflect the values of parents, voters and the community.”
David Witt
David Witt said a deep love for the city and a desire to be a voice for all residents is at the heart of his campaign for mayor.
David Witt
“I care deeply about Hartselle and the people who live here. After talking with neighbors and hearing concerns around town and even at church, I realized it’s time for leadership that really listens. I want to be a voice for everyone, not just a few,” Whitt said.
If elected, Witt said his top priorities will include improving the city’s aging infrastructure—such as sidewalks, water pipes, flooding and road conditions—that impact daily life for residents. He also wants to support small businesses by addressing downtown issues like unpleasant odors from truck traffic and the lack of visible public parking signage, which he believes deter visitors and shoppers.
Witt said he envisions a future for Hartselle that balances growth with preservation. He hopes to maintain the city’s charm and natural beauty while promoting progress and sustainability. Quality of life improvements, such as clean parks, safe walking paths and support for programs like the Shining Stars and animal shelter, are also central to his platform.
A retired father and grandfather, Witt, 70, is passionate about community involvement and transparency in local government. If elected, he said his goal would be to keep citizens informed through live-streamed meetings, regular updates and town halls. “Everyone should feel included,” he said. “This is your town too.”
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May 28 is the last day a person can become a resident of a municipality in order to become a candidate.
According to Alabama code, Mayor Randy Garrison will give notice of the election on June 10, after which candidates can begin qualifying at city hall. Qualifying will end on June 24 at 5 p.m.
Candidates must file a Statement of Economic Interests form with the Alabama Ethics Commission in order to appear on the ballot. For questions regarding the Statement of Economic Interests form, call the Alabama Ethics Commission at 334-242-2997 or email at candidates@ethics.alabama.gov.
