Owens Wants to Make Sure the Future is Better

By John Earp

This week, we bring you another installment in our ongoing series of interviews with the current field of candidates for elected positions in Jal, including the school board, hospital board, and the city council. We encourage all candidates to contact us at Advertising@jalrecord.net if they would like to be interviewed. We always make it our aim to present the candidate’s answers in their own words to the voting public.

Johnny Mac Owens is running for a seat on the Jal Hospital Board. A lifelong resident of Jal, with deep roots and branches in the community, he describes himself as “a hometown guy,” “with no agenda.”

When asked, “What’s your reason for running?” Owens said, “I don’t have a reason I don’t have an agenda, but I would like to see what we can do for the seniors and just anything for our town. That’s it. I am for the town of Jal. And I’ve been here a long time. Sixty-four years, and “I’m not leaving. I’m going to try to make sure the future is better than what it is now for us.”

When asked, “What are some things that you would like to see that the hospital board do that would help make the future better?” Owens said, “I would like to try to get some kind of emergency service here in town, like an emergency room or something like that.”

When asked, “If somebody were to ask you why should I vote for you, what would you tell them?” Owens said, “Because I’m backing Jal. I will do my best. I’m backing Jal. I will do my best to make sure whatever is good for the city gets done. I’m just a hometown guy. I’m looking to help the future of our medical stuff. I do remember when it was a hospital. I had two sisters and a brother born here. I’ve been on city council. I’ve been on the school board.”