District 3 voters will choose between incumbent City Council President Jennie Robinson and challenger Liliana Peinder on Tuesday in Huntsville’s only City Council runoff.

Robinson came just short of avoiding a runoff in the Aug. 25 election, receiving 47.91% of the vote. Peinder received 30.66%, while John Stuart finished third with 21.43%. With no candidate receiving more than 50%, Robinson and Peinder advanced to the Sept. 22 runoff.

Peinder, a Madison County resident since 2014 who moved to District 3 in January, said she brings the perspectives of an educator, taxpayer and mother to the race.

“I’ve seen the impacts of Huntsville’s growth from multiple perspectives, perspective of an educator, of a taxpayer and now a mother,” Peinder said. “So that’s a perspective that’s not seen on the council that is essential for Huntsville’s growth.”

Robinson has represented District 3 on the City Council since 2014 and currently serves as council president.

“I know this community, I love this community,” Robinson said. “I am running because I want to continue to serve to make a difference in the community.”

256 Today asked both candidates the same five questions ahead of Tuesday’s runoff.

Growth and development: South Huntsville continues to grow and redevelop. What do you think the city has gotten growth right in District 3, and what has it gotten wrong?

Jennie Robinson: “The growth didn’t happen overnight and planning for growth didn’t happen overnight. So in 2014 the council passed a half-cent sales tax that was dedicated to major road projects and economic development.”

Robinson pointed to the South Parkway overpasses, Cecil Ashburn Drive improvements, greenways, the Sandra Moon Community Complex and Ditto Landing.

“Our quality-of-life investments in South Huntsville have been tremendous and that has not only helped us with growth, but has attracted people to South Huntsville.”

As for what still needs work, Robinson said, “We’ve seen a number of the shopping centers start to redevelop and we just need to do more of that.”

“I have kicked around the idea of a South Parkway master plan,” she said. “We could take a strategic look at where some of those vacant properties are, the ones that have been a little bit more difficult to develop, and see if we can do more of that.”

Liliana Peinder: “I am very excited about, you know, the Sandra Moon Complex that opened today. I think it gives residents across our city, not just District 3, an opportunity to have spaces for creative outlets, whether it’s music, theater, you know, sports, recreation. So I’m so excited that this old Grissom High School was repurposed and now is going to become a staple in our community.”

“I’m excited about our greenways. However, the residents have been bringing up for years that they don’t feel safe on our sidewalks, they don’t feel safe riding their bikes. They don’t feel safe because of the speed of traffic cutting into residential areas. And so that’s where I believe that the city has overlooked just basic traffic safety.”

Peinder said she believes the city needs to connect sidewalks, expand public transportation and provide more transit options for seniors.

Peinder also said Huntsville needs to expand representation as the city grows, “making sure that all residents feel heard, not just the natives, because Huntsville is a city of transplants now.”

The next four years: At the end of the next council term, what is one thing District 3 residents should be able to point to and say is better because you served on the City Council?

Jennie Robinson: “I think that that’s the South Parkway redevelopment. I want them to be able to look at the South Parkway. South Huntsville Main, the business association, is a really critical part of that.”

Robinson said she wants to see more commercial and industrial development along the corridor, while continuing the city’s work at Ditto Landing and programming the newly completed Sandra Moon Community Complex.

“I hope people will look back and say, wow, not only is it a cool building, and it is a very cool building, but there’s great stuff going on in there and there is something going on all the time for the whole family and it has become a regional asset.”

Liliana Peinder: “I’m going to say our public services. Our public services at all levels can use more investment. And, you know, one of the things that I want people to point to is whether our residents, people who are working, our public servants, have better working conditions, whether they feel supported at their employer by their community.”

Asked who she meant by public servants, Peinder said, “I mean, all of our public servants, our police officers, our firefighters, our educators, our postmen, our nurses. Anybody who falls under public service, that they feel seen, that they feel heard, that they are earning dignified pay to continue living in the communities that they love.”

Asked specifically about postal workers, Peinder said, “I do believe that our local government can also have a higher influence than what they’ve done now, because another doorstep conversation I have routinely is the fact that people aren’t getting their mail delivered consistently, and especially here at the Whitesburg office.”

Peinder said the city could work with state and federal representatives and its planning department on the issue.

“If we’re going to be annexing land, if we are going to continue inviting businesses, it’s more than just time to start having that conversation about getting our own mail sorting center here.”

Peinder also said one of her biggest goals is expanding representation on the City Council.

“The big thing is just making sure that we expand the council so that people in our city have just representation.”

Flock: Huntsville’s use of Flock cameras has become a significant issue in this race. What should the city do with the system, and where do you draw the line between public safety and residents’ privacy?

Jennie Robinson: “I think license plate readers are a valid law enforcement tool. We’ve seen it because they have helped us. I know there was a double murder in Tuscaloosa that our license plate readers in Huntsville helped solve and could list a number of other ways they have been used.”

“They’re a law enforcement tool that needs to be used like every other law enforcement tool we have. You need to be trained, you need to be authorized to use it, and you need to be held accountable for that use. We need, so we need those guardrails in place.”

Robinson said privacy also needs to be addressed when the city considers its next contract.

“We also need to ensure that private data is kept private,” she said. “And when our next contract comes up, I think that’s something we’re going to have to look at very carefully, is how is that private data safeguarded and, again, to just ensure that we have the safeguards we need.”

Liliana Peinder: “So there’s a lot of dissatisfaction from the residents. And I mean, I consider myself a taxpayer and a resident. And I don’t remember, you know, a moment when the community was educated on the system, let alone, you know, us agreeing to being surveilled 24 hours a day.”

“And yes, I hear, you know, that it’s a tool, but we also have a lot of other tools that we use in investigation. And an example of that is the drones that the Police Department uses. And so I don’t think that we need the system. We already have people in place. And to me, it is an invasion of privacy and, you know, it goes against our Fourth Amendment. So my stance on that is I’m very anti-Flock.”

Peinder continued, “Given the circumstances that we’re in and the context that we’re in where, you know, the city has already been in contract with this system, I would, you know, push the council to discuss basically releasing audit logs and giving the public an understanding of who’s been using this, how long have they been using it? Where do they store our data? The public deserves these very basic understandings of who has access to the system. How is it being used?”

Asked directly whether she opposed Flock cameras altogether, rather than supporting the system with additional guardrails, Peinder said, “So I don’t think that we need them.”

“But given the current context when elected, you know, at the very least now that we still have them, I would open up that conversation about releasing those audit logs,” she said. “But I am anti-Flock.”

Asked about the city’s next contract, Peinder said, “In January when the contract comes up, I would vote against it.”

What is the most important difference between you and your opponent that District 3 voters should consider before voting Tuesday?

Jennie Robinson: “Experience. I think that just, it just comes down to experience.”

Robinson said that includes experience in city governance, working with city departments and handling the city budget.

“You don’t want to put someone who has never, not just served in elected office, but who has never really been involved in city government, in serving on a board, a commission, has no knowledge of city governance, all of a sudden coming in and weighing in on a $500 million budget.”

“I have years of experience in working with city departments, in working with the city budget and in working, most importantly, with residents in the community,” Robinson said. “I have lived here for decades.”

Liliana Peinder: “Well, they should definitely consider the decisions that have been made. A lot of people don’t understand local government, and I am a conduit for that.”

“I can say that all people are my people. I don’t know if my incumbent can stand and say that. And so I’m a voice for all Huntsvillians, whether they’ve been here for four months or they’ve been here for 40 years. And I intend on leading with accountability and transparency.”

John Stuart finished third in the Aug. 25 election and has since endorsed Robinson. What are your thoughts on his endorsement?

Jennie Robinson: “It was a huge, and we were just so incredibly grateful to have that endorsement.”

Robinson said she and Stuart have met since the election to discuss their common interests.

“I was really honored to have his endorsement and his very active desire to serve,” Robinson said. “So we’ve met a couple of times now and have talked about our common areas of interest and where we can plug him in and how he can best make a difference.”

Liliana Peinder: “I talked to John Stuart multiple times. I announced my race March the first. He announced his race on June the 9th, which was the day of qualifying.”

“When I talked to him after, you know, the first round of election and I talked to him about possibly endorsing, he said that he would not endorse anybody. So I just don’t think he’s a man of his word. And I wonder what truly inspired him to run, because if he wanted to see a difference, going with the same incumbent is not it.”

She added, “So I would really want to get that quoted because, you know, people should know who lives in our community.”

The District 3 runoff is Tuesday, Sept. 22.

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