When it comes to governing and how it affects your daily life, the most important vote you cast is for mayor of your city.

Most of our elections for mayor and city council were held in August. As is usually the case, the incumbents were reelected to most mayorships and city council. There were some significant upsets. However, for the most part, the city fathers will be back for four more years. City governing is where the rubber meets the road in Alabama and throughout the nation.

We have several mayors retiring this year, who will go into the annals of their city history as probably the greatest mayor their beloved hometown has ever had. Sandy Stimpson is retiring as Mayor of Mobile after 12 years. He has been one of the best mayors in Port City history, probably only rivaled by Arthur Outlaw.

Gary Fuller probably has been the greatest mayor in the history of the legendary city of Opelika. His decades reign has been marked with progress beyond compare. He has left his Lee County bailiwick in remarkably sound financial condition.

Joe Lee is retiring after 22 years as Mayor of Moody. He has overseen the transformation of his St. Clair County town from a population of 1500 to 15,000. He has left an indelible mark.

Two of our state’s most popular and accomplished mayors, Tommy Battle of Huntsville and Walt Maddox of Tuscaloosa, were elected without any opposition within the past year.

Pike Road founding father, Mayor Gordon Stone, was elected to yet another term. Dothan’s popular Mayor, Mark Saliba, was overwhelmingly reelected by a six to one margin to an unprecedented third term in August.

Troy Mayor Jason Reeves was first elected to the City Council in 1996 at 24 years old. Sixteen years later, he was elected mayor at age 40. He was unopposed for reelection to a third term as mayor this year. If he completes this term, he will be the longest consecutive serving city official in Troy’s history. He will probably make it. He is only 53. 

Phenix City’s popular longtime Mayor Eddie Lowe won a fourth term unopposed. Chuck Ables was reelected to his fourth term as Mayor of Geraldine.

Opelika elected veteran City Council President, Eddie Smith, a retired banker and Opelika native to succeed the legendary Gary Fuller as Mayor. Smith has been Mayor Fuller’s longtime ally. They have worked lockstep together over the years to keep Opelika very sound financially. Eddie Smith will be a good mayor.

Spiro Cheriogotis won a razor thin runoff over Barbara Drummond to become the Mayor of Mobile, succeeding Sandy Stimpson.

The most impressive victory of the year was turned in by Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin. He won a whopping 75% of the vote on the way to reelection to his third term. He beat eight opponents without a runoff, including a veteran County Commissioner and a vocal longtime State Representative.

Vestavia Mayor Ashley Curry trounced a token opponent on the way to reelection to a third term. He got 87% of the vote. Mountain Brook voters, for the first time, elected a female to serve as mayor. City Council leader Graham Smith ran unopposed.

Trussville elected City Council member Ben Short as mayor. Short won an impressive victory, beating two very viable opponents without a runoff. Homewood elected popular City Council member and cross-country runner Jennifer Andress as the first female mayor in their city history.

In one of Alabama’s fastest growing and most prosperous cities, Athens, voters reelected their popular and accomplished Mayor Ronnie Marks to a fifth, four-year term. In another booming Huntsville area suburban city, Madson, voters elected a female Mayor Ranae Bartlet. She beat two opponents without a runoff.

Albertville’s outstanding Mayor Tracy Honea won reelection to an unprecedented fourth, four-year term, impressively. Kent Lawrence was elected to lead the major City of Decatur. Their longtime Mayor, Tad Bowling, retired. Dale Phillips eclipsed four opponents to win the mayor’s post of the growing City of Northport. In Guntersville, incumbent mayor Leigh Dollar won a fourth four-year term. Mark Jones was elected Mayor of Jacksonville and will do a good job.

The two biggest and impressive upsets of the year occurred in Hoover and Ozark, where two current Police Chiefs beat the incumbent mayors. In Hoover, veteran Police Chief Nick Derzis beat two-term Mayor Frank Brocato by a 56%t to 44% margin to become mayor of the state’s fifth largest city.

The most impressive victory was in the Wiregrass City of Ozark. Veteran Police Chief and Law Enforcement officer, Charles Ward, trounced incumbent Mayor Mark Blankenship 72% to 28%. Ward is beloved in Ozark. He will be a proud mayor for his hometown.

The mayor’s office is where the rubber meets the road.

See you next week.

Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at [email protected].