Photo courtesy of Alan Taylor
Trussville City Councilman Alan Taylor is running for re-election.
As Trussville continues to grow and navigate the challenges that come with it, Councilman Alan Taylor believes he can bring stability to a City Council that will look significantly different after the August elections.
“There’s going to be a lot of turnover,” Taylor said in a recent interview. “We have two council members running for mayor, and then one that’s not running, so … it could look a lot different.”
Two current council members — Lisa Bright and Ben Short — are running for mayor. Another, Perry Cook, has decided not to seek reelection.
“With the transition to a new mayor, it would be important for us to have some stability on the council,” Taylor said.
Taylor, who has served on the council for 13 years, said his decision to run again was driven by a desire to provide consistency during a period of growth and transition. He said the council will have to balance attracting development with maintaining financial stability.
Although Taylor never considered a mayoral run, his deep roots in the city and long-standing civic involvement made staying on the council a natural choice. A financial administrator at First Baptist Church Trussville and former local bank president, Taylor has served on numerous local boards, including the chamber of commerce and various school and athletic foundations.
“Before I ran for council, I was volunteering at our schools and doing things long before I ran for council,” he said.
Taylor reflected on the city’s transformation since the early 1990s, when the population was around 12,000 and the downtown area was in decline. He credited both the council’s leadership and community support for the revitalization that followed.
“It’s the community that makes that kind of thing happen,” he said. “People want to come to Trussville and be a part of our community.”
Taylor said his priorities include attracting quality businesses, maintaining a strong city budget and preserving the excellence of Trussville’s schools.
“With growth comes financial hardships from time to time,” he said. “We’ve got to make sure we have a strong budget … and continue to push our schools to be one of the best in the state.”
Taylor said his desire to serve stems from a deep commitment to his community.
“I did this because I wanted to serve my community,” he said. “That’s what it’s all about."
