Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox will host a series of town hall meetings beginning Thursday titled “Mayor’s Night Out,” where the mayor will travel to all seven districts in Tuscaloosa to talk with community members about their concerns and issues.
Deidre Stalnaker, public relations coordinator for the city of Tuscaloosa, said District 4 would be pertinent to University of Alabama students because it will be addressing election information.
“This meeting will take a look at election rules and procedures and highlighting changes,” Stalnaker said. “That’s where a lot of concerns originated.”
August’s municipal elections created a stir of controversy for District 4 when UA alumnus Cason Kirby defeated incumbent Kelly Horwitz for the district’s seat on the Tuscaloosa City Board of Education. Horwitz challenged the election results, citing accounts of bribery and voter fraud. A Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court judge later dismissed Horwitz’s contest of the results in early November.
District 4’s boundaries range from Jack Warner Parkway to 15th Street and Queen City Avenue to McFarland Boulevard.
Maddox said District 4 is an important area because of its partnership with the University and issues related to the geographical area. He said he wants to answer any questions he possibly can and continue the city’s policy of an open and transparent government.
“There’s nothing that is off the table,” Maddox said. “One of the ways we accomplish this is to make ourselves available to the people who pay our salaries. I want to go out every year and talk to my bosses.”
Maddox said he wants to talk to the community and see where problems can be solved. He said he understands he can’t solve every problem but is going to try.
“We need to be where we can make a positive impact on the lives of the people we represent,” Maddox said. “I want to do as much as I can, and the first step is making that happen and listening. I’m really excited about this opportunity. I hope people will take advantage of this opportunity, and I’m looking forward to learning a lot.”
Stalnaker said there is a specific time during each of the meetings to express concerns and ask questions.
“Mayor Maddox has topic points he wants to go over specific to each district and different projects going on,” Stalnaker said. “He has time set aside so people can talk to him for whatever and voice concerns about different issues they might have, like a pothole on their street.”
The meetings are expected to last from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Each meeting will begin with a meet-and-greet opportunity from 5:30 to 6 p.m., then Maddox will give an overview of things happening throughout the city, focusing on each specific district. A question-and-answer session will then be held from 6:20 to 7 p.m.
For more information on the town hall meetings, contact Tuscaloosa 311 at 205-248-5311.
