As the citizens of Cullman prepare to elect a new mayor and city council I want to express my sincere appreciation for those who have supported me during my tenure as both a member of the city council for 18 years and in service as your mayor for the past eight years. It has been my sincere privilege and honor to serve the citizens of Cullman and to be a part of one of the most progressive communities in the state of Alabama.

A very wise person once stated that it should be the priority of every public official to leave the office to which he or she has been elected in better shape than when they found it. I can honestly say I feel that both the members of the last two city councils and myself are leaving the city of Cullman in better shape than when we began together eight years ago.

To emphasize this point I offer the following facts and information, all of which are supported by public record.

I told the people of Cullman when I was first elected to public office that I would always be open and honest with them and that I would share information with them be it good or bad. I am pleased to report that the city of Cullman is in excellent financial shape. Standard & Poor and Moody’s Investors Service, both among the foremost providers of independent credit ratings, investment research and financial information in the nation, give the City of Cullman excellent marks. Standard & Poor rates Cullman a AAA/A+, while Moody gives the city a AAA/A rating. Both ratings are among the highest in the nation and enable the city to receive low interest rates on bonds or warrants for capital improvements.

The city’s good financial position is due in no small part to wise budgeting. One reason our budget works is the fact that we budget from revenue collected the previous year. That’s why we’re always in the black. We know exactly what funds we have to work with and we budget accordingly. This takes the guess work out of the budgeting process, which has allowed this council to implement several projects which have improved our community.

Since 2003, the funding received by the city school system as a result of the half-cent sales tax has provided more teaching units and capital improvements. We are very proud of our school system and the people who make it special. We’re also very proud of the fact that our school system was rated No. 7 on the State of Alabama’s most recent Report Card which measures test scores, student achievement, etc. Without the additional funding provided by the half-cent sales tax I have no doubt that instead of celebrating a Top 10 rating for our schools we’d be celebrating a Top 25.

Another positive result of the half-cent sales tax is the fact that our school system currently has three months of operating budget in reserve in the event of an emergency.

Also, as a result of sensible budgeting practices, the city has managed to keep water and sewer rates lower than average, while continuing to improve our systems. Our city employees have continued to do an excellent job maintaining our systems. With the improvements to water and sewer, our water loss is below the national average of 10 percent.

The city has continued to improve our streets and keep Cullman clean thanks to the street and sanitation departments and our community has continued to be a safe place to live thanks to our police and fire departments.

Economic development, providing jobs, and enhancing the quality of life of our citizens have always been top priorities of this administration. With the assistance of our economic development team, this council during the past seven years was responsible for securing more than $772 million in capital investment, the creation of 1,470 new jobs in addition to 5,045 jobs resulting from expanding industries. All total, 6,515 industrial jobs have been created in the city during the past seven years.

During that same period, 27 new companies have located in Cullman. There have also been 455 expansions among existing industries which has resulted in Cullman County being named No. 1 for industrial expansions in the state three out of the last four years. This is a tribute to the community and to the work ethic of its citizens and just another reason why we each have so much to be thankful for as residents of Cullman and Cullman County.

Cullman County’s unemployment rate, which is traditionally below both the state and national average, was 4.7 percent in July, which ranked us sixth lowest in the state, just behind such counties as Shelby, Baldwin and Madison.

Commercial developments throughout Cullman the past eight years have also added to the local job market as well as increased the city’s tax base and I expect the trend to continue in the years ahead. We’ve seen commercial development in virtually every area of the city from southwest Cullman along Cherokee Avenue and Olive Street, to Main Ave. SW, along Second Ave. (U.S. Highway 31) and Alabama Highway 157.

While other areas of the country have struggled during these difficult economic times, Cullman County has refused to follow the trend. However, indications are that a modest downturn is inevitable. It is estimated that Cullman’s sales tax revenues could decline by much as 1.5 percent this year. If that happens, I have no doubt that our city leaders will plan and budget accordingly.

The past eight years have been amazing. We’ve seen great strides made in the area of local health care and just recently we broke ground for a new police complex which will be located on the former Greif Bros. property. In addition to providing a centralized location for police and other departments, we are looking into the possibility of developing a modern conference and fine arts center on the old King Pharr site.

We are working to provide a more desirable downtown area through our streetscape program. A major step toward revitalizing downtown Cullman as a destination location was realized with the opening of Festhalle Market Platz, Cullman’s new farmers market and community pavilion, in June 2007. We also saw completion of the Field of Miracles baseball/softball complex for persons with disabilities, located across from Heritage Park.

The Field of Miracles is the first phase of a comprehensive Ingle Park expansion which will include a state-of-the-art aquatics and wellness center. We’ve seen the expansion of park and recreation programs for seniors and youth, the completion of new T-hangars and other airport improvements at Cullman’s Folsom Field, water and sewer system improvements, including an effort to take as many pump stations off line as possible to save the city thousands of dollars annually in maintenance and utility costs.

Major improvements have been made in traffic flow throughout the city, with an emphasis on traffic volumes and peak flow times. The city has initiated local paving projects, including the widening of Highway 278 West, the opening of Olive Street from Main Avenue to Highway 69, and the extension of St. Joseph Street across Highway 157. Much has been accomplished by this city council and there is much to look forward to in the years ahead.

There are some who say our community faces many serious challenges in the future. Where they see challenges, I see opportunities for city and county officials to work together for our community’s future prosperity and growth. I encourage the citizens of Cullman and Cullman County to support our elected officials as we build our future together.