Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to reflect the fact that Sandra Barnidge is a resident of District 1, not District 5.
District 1 councilperson Christy Bobo was named the new president of the Northport City Council Friday after District 5 representative Jeff Hogg sent his letter of resignation to City Administrator Glenda Webb on Thursday afternoon.
Mayor John Hinton said that Bobo, who served as president pro tempore, is the logical choice to fill in as the next council president.
“It’s always disappointing when a member has to step aside, but this happened before, so really it doesn’t stop the process,” Hinton said.
The council has 60 days to appoint a new representative for District 5, or Gov. Kay Ivey will appoint the next councilperson. The next president pro tempore will be appointed soon from within the council.
Hogg, who was an advocate for the University Beach Resort project, faced backlash from many of his constituents who were against the $350 million public-private partnership with Texas developers that was approved in February.
In his resignation, Hogg wrote that he and his family had received “physical threats, death threats, and harassing communications” over the past six months.
“These actions have also had an adverse effect on my career and future with my employer, who has also encountered these negative communications,” Hogg wrote.
Hogg, who was serving his second term on the council, became president in 2023 after Mayor Bobby Herndon resigned and then-Councilperson John Hinton was appointed to fill the position of mayor.
Sandra Barnidge, a District 1 resident, wrote in an email to The Crimson White that Hogg’s resignation is a big step for those who are opposed to the development.
“The council president’s resignation sends a loud and clear message to the Northport community that our voices really do matter,” Barnidge wrote.
She added that “the biggest advocate for the ‘water park’ will no longer be in the driver’s seat on the city government side. That could be a game changer over time in terms of the community having more meaningful input and influence as this project evolves.”
Kellen McQueen, a District 5 resident, wrote in an email that Hogg’s resignation still doesn’t halt the resort project.
“The developers have obtained a loan to buy the Shirley Property and studies have been reportedly conducted on the land this week as well,” McQueen wrote. “We will continue to hold firm to our goal of stopping this ‘Upscale destination resort hotel complex’ as it is no longer a simple 11 acre water park.”
Along with his resignation letter, Hogg attached a bulleted list of accomplishments he said he was proud of. These included bringing new businesses to the area, increasing the city’s credit rating to AA+ and upgrading city facilities. He also included the public-private partnership and the new River Run Park sports complex in this list of achievements.
