City and school officials were formally sworn into office on May 19 during a joint inauguration ceremony at the Tuscaloosa River Market.
The event marked the start of new four-year terms for Mayor Walt Maddox, all seven members of the City Council, and eight members of the Tuscaloosa City Board of Education.
The new term follows municipal elections held on March 4, with a runoff on April 1 deciding the District 1 City Council seat. In that race, challenger Joe Eatmon defeated incumbent Matthew Wilson. Eatmon now joins the council alongside returning members Raevan Howard (District 2), Norman Crow (District 3), Lee Busby (District 4), Kip Tyner (District 5), John Faile (District 6), and Cassius Lanier (District 7).
Mayor Walt Maddox, beginning his sixth term in office, addressed the audience with an inaugural message centered on shared responsibility and financial resilience.
Maddox highlighted Alabama’s Simplified Sellers Use Tax (SSUT)—a flat 8% tax on online sales—as a significant source of revenue loss for the city, which collects a 10% sales tax from in-person purchases. Maddox said the city is losing millions each year under the SSUT model and introduced a new initiative, the “Tuscaloosa First” strategy, to ensure greater accountability and efficiency in city spending.
City Council President Kip Tyner, now entering his eighth term, expressed excitement about the new council composition and welcomed the addition of Eatmon, whom he has known for two decades. Tyner also encouraged residents to support local businesses by shopping in the community.
Members of the Tuscaloosa City Board of Education also took their oaths of office. The board now includes Chair Eric Wilson and members Dr. Karen Thompson-Jackson (District 1), Kendra Williams (District 2), Lesley Powell (District 3), Clint Mountain (District 4), Erica Grant (District 5), Marvin Lucas (District 6), and Erskine Simmons (District 7).
During the ceremony, Wilson praised Superintendent Mike Daria for his nearly 30-year career with the district, including a decade as superintendent. Daria is set to retire in 2026. Earlier this month, the board voted to shorten his contract at his request, moving his official retirement date to June 30, 2026.
Wilson also addressed the failed September 2024 property tax referendum, which would have provided $17 million annually for school improvements. Despite the defeat, Wilson affirmed the board’s commitment to progress, saying the system will continue to move “onward, upward, full speed ahead.”
Sherri Blevins is a writer for Mountain Valley News and a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].
