Mayor Choat to give first State of the City address

Mayor Buddy Choat will give his first State of the City address at the Trussville Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Oct. 19. The luncheon, sponsored by Trussville Gas and Water, will begin at 11:30 a.m. at the Trussville Civic Center.

Choat first spoke to the chamber last October as the incoming mayor after winning a runoff earlier in the month. This will be his first time to address the chamber as mayor.

“One of the things I campaigned on was being open with the citizens and keep them informed. What I look forward to is being able to give people an up-to-date report on things that have actually happened and things that will be happening,” Choat said. “I think it’s the best time of the year to be able to speak to the citizens. This is a chance for us to let them know what the city is doing and what we look forward to doing the next three years as we move forward.”

Last fall, Choat shared his hopes for his first year in office and highlighted his campaign promises for downtown redevelopment, keeping the city financially sound and keeping the city safe. He plans to discuss the city’s progress in all three areas, including an update on the downtown redevelopment, which could begin as early as the first of the year.

“I’d really thought it would take a couple of years to put it all together, but some of those things have fallen into place a lot sooner than expected,” Choat said.

He also plans to discuss changes to how the city is operating, new monthly department head meetings, ordinances that have changed, infrastructure plans and projects approved by the city council. 

Prior to being elected mayor, Choat served on the Trussville City Council beginning in 2008, including a stint as president of the council in 2013-14. 

Each month, the chamber luncheon begins with a 30-minute network development time during which members and guests can network and exchange business cards with the estimated 80-100 individuals expected to attend. 

During the October luncheon, the Chamber will present its second annual Small Business Awards, sponsored by CenturyLink, and honor its monthly Customer Service Award winners. Door prizes will also be given away. Volunteers for the Chamber’s fourth-annual Total Resource Campaign (TRC) will also be recognized at the luncheon. The TRC, which usually raises around $100,000, is aimed at selling sponsorships to businesses for the 2018 Chamber events now during one large push instead of separate asks throughout the year. The campaign begins with volunteer training Sept. 25 and runs through Oct. 31.

Cost for the luncheon is $17, with a processing fee for credit cards. Online registration is closed at midnight on Monday, Oct. 16, but the Chamber office will accept registration by phone until noon Tuesday, Oct. 17. All non-members must pay in advance. 

To register, visit trussvillechamber.com or contact June Mathews by phone at 655-7535 or email june.mathews@trussvillechamber.com. For more info about TRC, contact Diane Pool at diane.poole@trussvillechamber.com.

Trussville Civic Center is located at 5381 Trussville-Clay Road.