Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, touting the success of his administration, announced Wednesday he was going to seek a fifth term as mayor of the state’s largest city.
In his speech, Battle highlighted Huntsville’s 14 straight Triple-A bond ratings. Since taking office, Battle said he has focused on running the city on a balanced budget, aiming to increase efficiency and transparency throughout the process. The consistently excellent bond ratings and overall fiscal health of the city are a testament to the success of the administration’s money management methods, he said.
Battle said more than 41,000 jobs have been recruited to the Huntsville area in the last 15 years. Working with officials across the region, Battle helped recruit companies such as Blue Origin, Polaris, GE Aviation, Facebook, and others, particularly the groundbreaking Mazda-Toyota partnership.
As a result, Huntsville has an unemployment rate of 1.7% and was recently named the number one job market in the nation.
“When I first ran for this office, I made promises,” Battle said. “Through teamwork and your support, we have kept these promises. We’ve gone above and beyond in the years since that first term.”
One of those promises was to create and fund a road plan. Under his guidance, Huntsville has invested nearly $1 billion in road resurfacing and infrastructure improvements throughout the city.
A key feature of quality of life in Huntsville, Battle said maintaining the average 18-minute commute has long been the goal of his administration’s focus on roads and transportation. Combining a manageable commute with arts, culture, entertainment, and the revitalization of key city nodes has landed the city in national headlines.
“Just since I was reelected in 2020, we have been ranked on more than 60 lists,” Battle said. “Best Place to Live, No. 1 Tech Market, Best Place to Raise a Family, Most Affordable Place to Live, Top Job Market in the U.S. I could go on and on – and that’s just in the last four years. Those rankings confirm that we’re on the right track.
“But it’s not about being the biggest, it’s about making our city the best it can be.”
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