The Pelham Reporter

By Austin Phillips

City Servant Spotlight: Karyl Rice, Pelham City Council

Published 7:41am Monday, November 2, 2009

By AUSTIN PHILLIPS / City Editor

Karyl Rice has been serving the people of Pelham as a member of the City Council for 25 years, and it’s that love for civic service that has made Rice successful all these years.

Although she never had political aspirations as a child growing up in South Carolina, Alexander City and Tennessee, Rice was called to action be a group of her peers.

Ironically for Rice, the issue that brought her into the political arena has once again become a focal point for the city.

In 1983, a group of neighbors with sewer and septic tank problems approached Rice, asking her if she had the same problem.

Although she didn’t have the same problem, the issue was serious enough that Rice advised the group to organize and go before the city council.

“There was literally raw sewage running down the street and it was becoming a health issue,” Rice said.

However, when the group went before the council, their concerns fell on deaf ears, and nothing was done about the issue.

“I told our group, ‘If we want to get something done, we need to vote them all out and put in some people who will help us,’” Rice said.

And since Rice had been the voice of the group, they recommended she run for her place’s council seat.

Twenty-five years later, Rice still holds a seat on the council, and once again the sewer is a hot topic.

With the city facing sewer debts and an imminent rate increase, Rice said the citizens should not be the ones to carry the burden since general fund reserves from all departments can cover a majority of the sewer deficit.

“All the money belongs to all the citizens,” Rice said.

But whether she agrees with a rate increase or not, she said such dialog among the council is essential.

“I don’t like the disagreements, but they’re necessary to maintain an open and fair government,” Rice said.

Rice has been a Pelham resident since 1971. She is a partner with Business Telephones Inc. in Pelham and works with many civic and volunteer organizations, including the Shades Mountain Junior Women’s Club.