Keepin' it Country with Tracey Gambill

Tonight on “The People’s Voice,” Blair Castro and Thomas Jenkins sit down with Tracey Gambill, candidate for Baldwin County Commission District 4.

Gambill brings a unique mix of experience and local advocacy to the table. With a background that includes time working on Capitol Hill, she understands how government operates at every level. But it’s her work here at home that’s been getting attention. Over the past several years, she’s been a consistent voice at County Commission meetings, pushing back on overdevelopment, advocating for lower density, and standing up for residents who feel like their voices haven’t been heard.

In this conversation, Gambill breaks down what she’s been fighting for, where she believes the county is headed, and why she says now is the time for a more balanced, thoughtful approach to growth. She also shares some of the wins she’s been part of along the way, and how those experiences have shaped her vision moving forward.

She outlines her campaign priorities, including protecting rural character, strengthening responsible zoning practices, and making sure everyday citizens have a real seat at the table when decisions are made that impact their communities.

Learn more about Tracey at letskeepitcountry.com!

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Hello, welcome to WFUZ TV's the People's Voice Podcast. I'm Blair Castro here with Thomas Jenkins, and we have Tracy Gambil in the studio with us today. She's running for Baldwin County Commission District 4. Tracy, thank you so much for being here with us.

SPEAKER_02 0:15

Well, thank you for having me. I appreciate it very much.

SPEAKER_01 0:19

So your race has three candidates in it currently, and it's going to be an open seat. Commissioner Gruber has retired. So there will be a new commissioner in that seat, which is exciting. What motivated you to run for this office at this point in time? Why did you feel called to do this right now?

SPEAKER_02 0:37

Well, because uh four years ago almost, we had a large development try to come into our area in Lillian, Alabama, where we live. And we decided to fight it because it wasn't in an appropriate location, was on Highway 98, and it was going to be high density. So we decided to go before the Planning Commission and then again before the County Commission, and we defeated that development. And that was so encouraging that we could really make a difference in in things that are happening in this county. So it was rewarding. We were very proud of it. And then one thing came along and then another, and I decided to just keep fighting for the for the rural character of our area. So over the four years, we've I've been to almost all of the County Commission meetings and the planning and zoning meetings, fighting for keeping our area rural. And I've had many, many successes doing that. And it's been uh a great experience. I've learned so much about planning and zoning, which is really the beating heart of housing development, that I've decided to branch out and advocate for other areas as well. When our uh current commissioner turned down about four different proposals that I had for improving the system, is when I decided it was my turn to go ahead and see if I can't get in there and make a real change.

SPEAKER_01 2:21

So you mentioned your numerous successes in this. I am referring specifically to one recently that you posted online that got, you know, thousands of views actually, which I thought was pretty cool. Um can you talk a little bit about that specific one that happened most recently?

SPEAKER_02 2:39

I can. That was March 17th, and that was the county commission itself is now doing rezonings, no longer the planning and zoning commission. So I researched that, and I held held the town hall regarding the matter and got quite a number of signatures in opposition to that development. It was on County Road 12 near County Road 65, which is already um high highly congested. So this was going to be on a sod farm, 155 acres, and it was going to have about 620 homes, possibly. Also, the environment there is very unsuitable for that many homes in that kind of density, and it's it's close to some rivers and bone secure area. So I argued that case before the commission, and I defeated that as well.

SPEAKER_01 3:44

So when you go forth to the commission and you're making these arguments, um how what is that process kind of like? How do you go before them? What kind of research goes into it and how do you present it?

SPEAKER_02 3:54

Well, I I study the staff report that's put out by the planning and zoning department uh online, and I sometimes call them and ask questions as well if I need to, and then I prepare a PowerPoint presentation so that I can take that on a thumb drive to the meeting, and when I get there, I give that to the power that be that run the computer. And so when it's my uh time to speak, I usually get five minutes rather than three, because I'm representing more than just myself, I'm representing part of a community. And so I do the PowerPoint presentation, and it has a lot of details in there about how compatible the project is to the area that's involved, how it affects the environment that's there, what problems exist, what the community feels like, uh highly opposition. And uh and so I I make the argument and I point out many things about the master plan, if it's not in compliance, things like that that they have to pay attention to. And uh sometimes I win and sometimes I don't, but the majority of the time I've either won outright or have defeated it for the first go round, which is usually the higher density application. Then they'll come back later at a later time, the same project, and ask for a lower density. And sometimes that will be defeated or approved. But at the Planning Commission level is where those approvals and denials take place.

SPEAKER_01 5:45

So, how are the current commissioners when you present, what has your experience been like kind of working with the county? What would you like to see improved in term in terms of communication with them or in terms of um how to get information back and forth between the citizens and the county?

SPEAKER_02 6:02

Well, there is a problem there to a degree. The staff report usually does not come out until about a week before the hearing, which was not a lot of time. So I had to go in prior to that and and research and dig for more information uh in order to prepare a town hall and to start preparing my presentation. Um I think the timeline should be lengthened between the time of application and the hearing date, and I think the information should be posted online sooner. Uh that will give the public a lot more time to pay attention, to be uh notified that this is coming up, and to rally in opposition if they feel the need to do so. So that's one area that I think would be a big improvement. Another one is that the commission meetings are always the rezoning meetings, that is, they have two meetings a month. Rezoning is always the third Tuesday in Fairhope at the satellite courthouse uh at ten o'clock AM. And a lot of people cannot get off work to attend those meetings. So I've I have a proposal when if I should win, that we change that to a more convenient time for the public to be able to attend and speak if they wish to. If even though I might get five minutes, other people have three minutes to speak if they sign up.

SPEAKER_01 7:37

So can we ask a little bit about your experience um prior to getting involved as a citizen advocate? What were some of the things you did in your career?

SPEAKER_02 7:47

Well, I started in working for my congressman in Washington, D.C. And then I moved from there to the Office of the Legislative Council, which is in the House of Representatives, where they draft the bills that go to the floor. Uh I did that for a few years, and then I went on my own working for an independent court reporting agency, and I was a freelance court reporter for about 10 years in the DC metro area. Uh after that, I moved to first to Perdito Keith, Florida, where my mother had retired, and I opened a business. Actually, I did two businesses when I lived in Northern Virginia also. I did one where I created a moisturizer for skin, and then I opened one that was called Best Buy Boxes, and that was um boxes and moving supplies that I offered for free delivery. And when I got to Perdito Key, I tried the box business there, but that was a different situation and it it didn't do as well. So I went back to school and I got my master of groomer's license, and then I opened my own business called Bella Pooch Grooming and Boarding and Daycare Luxury Pet Hotel on Highway 98 in Pensacola. And I had that business for eight years and I loved it, but I finally was uh time to retire. And so I came out of retirement to do this for the planning and zoning matters that that affect our uh entire community so much.

SPEAKER_01 9:38

Oh, that's interesting. I didn't know any of that really about your background. I lived off 98 in Pensacola and I've been to Bella Pooch. I'd taken my dog there before. That's funny. I was like, oh, interesting.

SPEAKER_02 9:47

I didn't remember.

SPEAKER_01 9:48

Well small world. Very um the Washington, D.C. experience, I think, is pretty unique. Um what did you do kind of role did you do there for your congressman?

SPEAKER_02 10:00

Uh um well, I started as as an assistant there, you know, in the front office, and then um I became a clerk. And that would entailed many different facets of answering constituent um letters, emails, uh, and uh, you know, conversing with them, conversing with the the staff to come up with solutions or help the constituents in whatever way they might have needed. Also, we scheduled our congressman at the time was decided to run for the Senate. So he had a lot uh on his schedule besides his job as a congressman there representing our area. Uh so it was a varied experience. I learned a lot and I really enjoyed it. But when he moved to the Senate, that's when I moved to the Office of the Legislative Council, because there I could use my court reporting skills.

SPEAKER_00 11:06

Do you have any uh plans or ideas on how to put a slowdown or a stop to these data centers that are coming into the rural areas?

SPEAKER_02 11:18

Oh, that's a very, very difficult situation. The one in Stockton, of course, is the most well-known one, that it just came up in maybe February, January, or February. And I went to the town hall that they had about that because a lot of people were up in arms and still are. And we discovered then that the county commission really has no authority to deal with that because it's an unzoned area. Um, so the legislature has taken that up. We will find out in the next few days before the session ends if that is going to be something that can be at least put a moratorium on that. I believe Senator Albretton has proposed a bill for that. And we are in great hopes that that can be done, giving uh the county more time to figure out how to handle the situation. Uh, it's not only just the property rights of the seller that are involved, but it's the property rights of the neighboring uh homes that are there. And property rights are very important. A person should be able to sell their property, and there should be no problem with that. However, that doesn't give them the right, in my opinion, to infringe upon their neighbors' privacy and their neighbor's uh quality of life. So it's a fine line and it has to be balanced.

SPEAKER_00 12:55

Absolutely. And what uh besides uh high-density subdivisions and solar farms, what are some other things that constituents come to you with as far as concerned?

SPEAKER_02 13:07

Oh, yes, many things. Um a lot of drainage issues, and I get on the phone or on email and I contact the county highway department regarding a lot of drainage issues, or maybe somewhere they think that there should be a four-way stop where there isn't one. Um and that that is something that I do regularly and have had great results in getting those tape matters taken care of in a timely manner. The county uh or the uh highway department has been very good and responsive. Also, um not too long ago, a farmer had an issue with trespass by a developer that was coming in on next to his farmland, and that was gonna cause some flooding, he was afraid, as well as they had put some debris on his property over his property line. So I got the county engineer and the planning director and one of the other poet enforcement, I believe, people, uh kind of like an inspector, to come to the location and we met there, and they came up with some solutions for the issues, contacted the developer, and gave them notice that they had to remedy these things. So that was very satisfying, and the farmers very happy, obviously. Um other things are just the general population really has problems with congestion, uh, traffic, the high density neighborhoods, the school capacity being overrun, a lot of those types of issues. So I am proposing a new zoning category, which I have called RSF 1.5, which is in between the first and second two current categories. And that would be two homes per acre rather than the current second category, which is three homes per acre. And that would help a lot in getting giving the developers uh more choices as far as what they could choose to develop on the property they are proposing. Um and I've also promoted passing lanes and turning lanes on Highway 98. I don't believe it'll ever be four-laned, it's it's already grown up too much, too close to the road.

SPEAKER_00 15:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:44

But there are plenty of areas that could be improved. That would be nice, yeah. It would. So those are some of my proposals. And um I've also initiated and spearheaded Lillian Landmark District because a lot of our our um I guess you could our citizens that are in the area there are concerned that at some point in time in the future another town might try to annex Lillian, and then there would no longer be a Lillian. So uh we got that started two years ago, and I did several town halls, got over well over 700 signatures, and now that has been given to uh Congressman Alan Baker sponsored that and took that before the legislature this session, but it got waylaid when the um committee chairman, I guess the delegation chairman for our area decided to decided to form a committee and study the landmark districts because there's so many being asked for, even though we already have seven, I believe, in existence. And so now we don't know what's gonna happen. Nothing will happen this year, and maybe not next year. It eventually will go to a ballot. Uh, so that might be two years from now if it even gets that far. That's a shame. I know, it's very sad. We're very upset about it. But that's the way that politics works sometimes.

SPEAKER_01 17:34

So, you being a Lillian citizen, um, what kind of brought you to Lillian? What do you like about living there? What made you choose Lillian?

SPEAKER_02 17:42

Well, uh, first we were living in our motor home, and we didn't know uh a lot about planning and zoning. So you we thought we could just buy a lot somewhere and put our motor home there and live in it. We wanted to live in it for a few years as well as travel. But we found out that wasn't possible unless you go and really have a large acreage uh in order to be able to be allowed to do that. So we found a place that allowed RV permanent living called Spanish Cove, one of the sections there. And so we bought a lot there and lived in there for four and a half years. Then when and we loved the area, we we loved the rural world character of the entire area and the fact that it was, it feels safe and and kind of old-fashioned, I guess is the way to put it. Uh kind of remind you of the older times. And so uh then my mother-in-law needed uh to live with someone, and we decided we would move into a home and have a place for her with us. And we were so fortunate to find somewhere on two and a half acres, which allowed us to also have two horses that are pet big pets. We don't ride them. But um the country lifestyle is beautiful, and it's really important to very many people for their quality of life. And uh there's nothing wrong with being in subdivisions and being in other locations, but uh it it's a choice that people make when they buy a property, and then they don't expect when they buy that it's gonna be drastically changed in the very near future. So it's again another fine line about what is what is appropriate and where and when.

SPEAKER_00 19:48

Yeah, I grew up on a five-acre homestead in Mississippi, and not long after my parents brought bought the property, uh, they built a gravel pit, uh like a 40-acre gravel pit right down the road, and then all of a sudden we had dump trucks at 3 a.m. going right by the house, and we lived on a dirt road. We thought we were away from everything, and it followed us.

SPEAKER_02 20:07

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 20:08

I get that for sure.

SPEAKER_02 20:09

It's well, I don't know really the answer to that, but it could be researched, and I think there could be a lot more uh fairness to the current homeowners when these decisions are made. Um and I'm Americ a member of the American Planning Association. So I reach out to them a lot of times for advice on things like that, and that's been very worthwhile. And I plan to continue that. So a lot of things a lot of other areas have already confronted, and there are solutions that people have come up with, and we don't have to reinvent the wheel.

SPEAKER_00 20:50

What was the minimum acreage that you had to get to be able to have a permanent RV setup?

SPEAKER_02 20:56

Um, I'm not positive now that I remember, but I want to say something like six or seven.

SPEAKER_01 21:03

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_02 21:04

Something like that along those lines. And uh then, of course, you have to put in your own electric and power and sewage. Um so it's it's buying that kind of acreage is not cheap.

SPEAKER_00 21:19

Right, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:20

Um, so that wasn't a possibility for us.

SPEAKER_01 21:26

What are some other civic groups and like community organizations that you're involved with? Because I know you mentioned the American Planning Association. Yeah. Um, what are some other things that you're involved with?

SPEAKER_02 21:35

Um I'm a 50-year member of PEO, which is a philanthropic educational organization, and we support women for continuing education. And we give scholarships and we support a women's college in Missouri. Um then there I'm the chairperson for the Board of Adjustment for Bio. Baldwin County, South Baldwin, for the last two years. And I've been on that uh as a board member for three years. And then let's see, um trying to think what else. There's several. I know you're in the Republican women groups. Oh yes, the the yes, Baldwin County Rep Republican Women Groups. I'm in a member of the South Baldwin Republican Women and a parliamentarian. And then I'm associate member in all of the other groups in this county. Um what else? I don't have my resume in front of me. No, that's okay.

SPEAKER_01 22:46

You're definitely in a lot. Like you are one of the people who I think you're you're everywhere all at once. I don't know how you do it.

SPEAKER_02 22:54

I'm a member of that. I'm a member of uh what is now called uh Republican Minority Republican group, and it was called Minority GOP. I'm a member of that. And I know there are several other things, but I can't remember them all right now.

SPEAKER_01 23:20

Um in terms of issues that people bring forth to you, and we talked a lot about the zoning and development. What are some other issues in terms of I guess things that they're unhappy with that are just processes that could be improved? Because I know when my first, you know, in foray into navigating the county, I just saw a lot of process things that I would like to see improved in terms of transparency and accountability, putting things on the internet, the way they do bids, the way that their website was set up. Um there's a lot of little things like that that I saw that could be big. So I don't know if anybody else had mentioned that stuff to you.

SPEAKER_02 23:58

Yeah, that is true. And I've found that to be true myself. The website is not easy to navigate until you've done it several times, at least. Um, when you go into the building department to get permits, you can't do that on a piece of paper anymore. You have to do it online. And that that is uh a horrendous experience trying to get that straight. Um, the first time we ever did that, I had to go to Commissioner Gruber that very right there on the spot that we were in the Foley uh satellite courthouse, and his office was right around the corner. Fortunately, he was there, and I went in there and just said, This is unbelievable how unuser-friendly this program is to try and navigate. And so that was my first complaint to Commissioner Gruber. Um there are several things that could be done much more better, much more accurately and efficiently with posting things on the internet to keep people better informed. They do have a process where they put notifications in a paper of record, but a lot of those you have to subscribe to, then you have to read them. They're pretty boring. And um those come out usually two weeks in advance and sometimes four weeks in advance. But you really have to be paying close attention and be on top of those to notice things that you might want to oppose. Um the processes that are involved in the County Commission that I think should be or could be improved, I should say, are um the way that they go about doing rezoning first and then following up later with subdivisions. Because a question I need to ask that I keep thinking of, and I haven't done it yet, is if you rezone a property and then they failed in the subdivision process, well, then what about the property? It's already rezoned for no good reason. So I think they should implement where they go, if you don't get approval to build what you were asking to build in a certain amount of time, maybe be it a year, then the property should revert back to the original zoning. Because it doesn't make sense. It seems a little backwards to me. Actually, quite backwards. But since I'm not in that position, there may be good reason for it that I'm not aware of. But that's something that should definitely be looked at, in my opinion. And um their the planning and zoning department does a really good job. I think sometimes though their timelines again are too short. I think they don't get enough time between the time the application comes in and the time that they're required to have a hearing uh to do all of the research that could be done, and there should be things added to the evaluation process so that they do a growth score. And I think that they should add about probably a half a dozen more items to that so that the evaluation is more thorough.

SPEAKER_01 27:43

What do you think sets you apart from your opponents in this race? There's three of you. I think you're all uh bring something different to the table. And I've enjoyed listening to you guys debate. I feel like your race is a lot more active within the three of you really do show up to everything and kind of communicate other races, maybe not so active between the candidates. So uh watching people for you over the other two opponents in the race.

SPEAKER_02 28:09

Well, the situation being what it is with the what I call over-development, not just development, but over-development of the county and the speed that it's going at over the last, well, at least four years, if not longer. That um I have the experience because of how I got involved, and the planning and zoning to me is one of the most important parts of the job. Even the commissioners have stated that it is the hardest part of what they have to do. They have many other functions. They they fund the Sheriff Department, they do a lot of funding for many organizations and a lot of emergency services. Um they they are involved in taxes. I don't know the details about how they go about that. But I think that my experience, number one, going to so many commission meetings, I don't think my opponents have gone to very many at all, has familiarized me with the process to a large degree and a detailed degree. I know all of the people in the planning and zoning department and the county administration. And I know who to call or contact when there are issues. And uh the same way with Alabama Department of Transportation, when I work on these local issues, I got a traffic light and coming at County Road 91 and 98. I had to contact LDOT to get that done. And then Commissioner Gruber had to follow up on that with funding paid part by the county and part by the state. Uh, and that has taken two years, so these things don't happen fast. But at least it got it got approved and funded. So that's a big win. And that was needed for a very long time. Um I think that that experience, along with my business experience, I understand economics, my Capitol Hill experience, I understand the legislative process, gives me um a better grasp of what that job entails.

SPEAKER_01 30:40

You mentioned something before about at one of the debates, you quoted Ross Perot. I did, yes. About um go ahead and you can recant that quote be or you know Yes, you did.

SPEAKER_02 30:55

You quote the one and only Ross Perot, who I really did like. He said, I'm not interested in what you did 10 years ago. What have you done lately? So I think that is a brilliant statement because really uh at least it applies to me because I have done so much lately in the last four years. I write a newspaper column for the Lillian newspaper called Keeping It Country, and that is to keep the citizens informed and engaged, since the transparency is not that forthcoming from the county itself. I've had seven town halls. Um I initiated the Lillian Landmark District. I'm continuously advocating for anyone who needs it in any of these municipalities or county areas. I have in the last six months, I've advocated for Foley, Alberta, Lillian, Stapleton, Stockton, Bon Secur, Fort Morgan. At least I think it's seven or eight. And uh for whatever their local issues might be, or the or for the planning and zoning and the development. So I think that what I've done lately is uh extremely important to this job as as uh being able to walk in to the job and not have a long learning curve, uh, which they say is is an issue.

SPEAKER_00 32:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 32:40

To be a commissioner is not the easiest job in the world. It's not as straightforward as some jobs, and there's no prior training. So um I think that experience sets me apart.

SPEAKER_01 32:56

Well, tell everyone where they can find more information and where they can follow you, donate, and learn more.

SPEAKER_02 33:02

Well, thank you very much. Yes, uh, my website is let's keep itcountry.com, and my phone number is 251-216-2012, and I take I answer my phone uh unless it says potential spam. And then otherwise you could leave a message if it if that happens to be the case, and I will return your call. Um, I also have presence on Facebook, both Tracy Gandal, as well as Let's Keep It Country. And then I post regularly on other sites like X and uh Reddit, a few of those types. And Nextdoor is a very good one. The Nextdoor app has been very beneficial in getting the word out about many things that are coming up in uh in any area of the county. So all of those together is uh a fairly good representation of what I work on. And you can I post my newspaper column, for instance, um, and and other things like that, as well as videos like this one, um, and some things that I've had recorded during some of our candidate forums.

SPEAKER_01 34:27

All right. Well, the primary election for Baldwin County is May 19th. Remember that date. It is right around the corner. It's about less than 50 days, right? Like 48 days or something away from when we're filming this. So on May 19th, cast your vote in the primary. If you want to learn more, let's keep itcountry.com, Miss Tracy Gamble.

SPEAKER_02 34:46

Thank you very much.

SPEAKER_01 34:47

Thank you.