Sanders to seek nomination for county judge

Carol "Ann" Sanders Sanders to seek

Former Bryant City Councilwoman Carol "Ann" Sanders is seeking the Republican nomination for Saline County judge in the May 20 primary.

"I have the experience to bring positive changes to Saline County government. I am asking voters for the opportunity to run our county government more efficiently, encourage economic growth, enhance the county recycling program and make sure we are well prepared for a man-made or natural disaster," Sanders said.

Sanders said she filed as a Republican because she is a conservative Christian who identifies with the Republican Party views and values.

"Republicans believe in keeping es low and running government as efficiently as possible. I believe people know how to spend their money better than government does, so those in government have a moral obligation to provide the best government services possible for the least amount of money," Sanders said.

She said those values are important because the county judge is the chief executive officer of the county government. "Most people think of the county judge as being in charge of the roads," Sanders said. "Roads are very important, but the county judge also approves the disbursement of county funds, administers county ordinances, accepts federal, state and private grants, and presides at the meetings of the Saline County Quorum Court. I have the experience to handle those duties as well as see that we have the best roads."

A Saline County resident for more than 30 years, Sanders is a management project analyst II for the state Department of Labor, where she has been employed for more than 27 years. Her service to the community includes eight years on the Bryant City Council, during which she was instrumental in starting a city animal shelter, and six years in the Army Reserves. She has volunteered many hours at the Humane Society of Saline County and currently serves as president. She was named as 2007 Non-Profit Executive of the Year finalist in the Arkansas Business of the Year Awards.

Last year, she was appointed by the mayor of Bryant as interim director of the city-funded animal shelter. Sanders also has served as a Girl Scout troop leader.

A 1981 graduate of Bryant High School, Sanders attended the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, where she majored in business.

She has two daughters, Elizabeth Ann, a senior at Bryant High School who teaches tae kwon do at ATA, and Amanda, a sophomore at Bryant High School. Sanders and her daughters are members of First United Methodist Church in Bryant.

Sanders credits her parents with getting her interested in seeking public office. Her father, the late Dr. Jerry R. Moss, and her mother, Agnes Moss of Bryant, encouraged her to serve as a page for the Arkansas General Assembly. After that firsthand look at government, she said, she developed an interest in the political process.