New council has ‘Trussville’s best interests at heart’

The members of the next Trussville City Council are excited to get started when they take office Nov. 2.

Perry Cook, Alan Taylor, Jaime Melton Anderson, Ben Short and Lisa Bright will serve on the city council the next four years.

Cook, who earned his third term in Place 1 by defeating Wendell Gibson, said he thinks conversations will be aplenty the next four years with three newcomers to the council.

“I think we all have Trussville’s best interests at heart, and we will pull the wagon in the same direction,” Cook said.

Taylor, who earned his third term by defeating Beckee Taunton in Place 2, said some focuses of the new council over the next four years will likely be continuing downtown revitalization, monitoring controlled growth, traffic and infrastructure improvements, and the construction of a fourth fire station.

“I think all the people that ran this time are people that care a lot about Trussville, and I think all three of them that are on there now care a lot about Trussville,” Taylor said. “I think at the end of the day they want to do what’s right for Trussville. I’m excited about them being on there. I think our last council accomplished a great deal. I certainly enjoyed being with the last group that we had. I think this is going to be a good group.”

In Place 3, for which Jef Freeman did not seek re-election, Anderson defeated Randy Schlitz. Melton Anderson, the daughter of former Mayor Gene Melton, said she was proud of her campaign.

“I can’t wait to get to work serving the people of Trussville,” she said. “I think the council that the folks elected is a great council, and I think that we’ll continue to move this city forward and move it in the right direction.”

Melton Anderson said her focus as a new city councilwoman will be to be a good listener, student and researcher. She wants to continue her Facebook Live sessions she participated in during her campaign, and have the council workshops and meetings live-streamed.

“I’m excited to work with everybody,” she said. “I think we have a good mix of experience and newcomers, and I like that. That is a good way to make sure that we’re looking at all angles of an issue. I think that’s going to be great for the citizens of Trussville, because I feel like every demographic is represented. I think it’s a great mix. I look forward to what we all bring to the council.”

In Place 4, Short beat out Brian Plant, who had served on the council since 2000. Short, a Trussville police officer for the last 10 years, said he learned a lot campaigning the past couple months.

“I got to meet a lot of people,” Short said. “But that’s not going to stop anything. My goal is to continue to meet people and listen to everybody. I’m excited that part is over, and I’m excited to get to work for the next four years.”

Like Anderson, Short said his focus is to be a learner and researcher. He said transparency is his first focus, so having council meetings live-streamed is something he wants to accomplish quickly. More goals, Short said, are putting a process in place for Trussville City Board of Education appointments and protecting the Cahaba Project.

“I’m excited to work with them and learn more about them,” Short said of the fellow council members.

Bright won Place 5 by defeating incumbent Zack Steele.

“I am going to try to stay true to my platform,” Bright said. “I’m going to have to get my feet wet and be trained on what my role is and how all of that works.”

Bright said mental health in schools, Board of Education appointments, economic development, downtown revitalization and transparency are her focuses.

“One thing I feel like I’ve always had is a teachable spirit and a servant’s heart, and I think you have to have both of those to put yourself out there for the public,” she said. “You’ve got to be willing to serve.”

Bright and Melton Anderson are the first two women to serve on the same Trussville City Council since Dee Dee Morris and Sally Payne did in the late 1980s, according to City Clerk Lynn Porter. Both women said they are proud to serve.

“I feel like that what we bring to the table is appreciated and our unique perspective is appreciated to add to the leadership of Trussville,” Melton Anderson said. “We want to be the best councilors we can be, period. I want to be the most prepared, the most thoughtful, open, transparent, accessible councilor period. Because I’m a woman I have a unique perspective, obviously, it’s different from a man’s. I believe that adds to my ability to bring a different viewpoint.”

All three newcomers said they enjoyed campaigning and are looking forward to serving alongside Cook and Taylor.

“It was a real fun experience overall, and you’re never too old to try something new,” Bright said. “That’s the way I look at it.”