TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WBRC) -Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox is planning six town hall meetings this summer. Maddox says these venues will be an opportunity for him to hear directly from residents, one-on-one at various locations starting this weekend.
Mayor Walt Maddox explains how this is an important chance for him to learn what’s on people’s minds. After all, he runs a city with an average yearly budget of $267 million dollars, a ‘corporation,’ if you will, of 1,400 employees.
“For me it’s an opportunity to get out,” said Mayor Maddox.
Tuscaloosa mayor Walt Maddox likes to say T-town is a 24/7 city and it is his turn to listen to the very people who make up the population of more than 100,000.
“Well, I think it’s important that we always remember that we work for the people of Tuscaloosa who pay our salaries,” said Mayor Maddox.
The first town hall meeting is set for Saturday, June 17, at Jack’s on Skyland Boulevard starting at 7:30 a.m. There will be six meetings in all over the summer, and that is by design.
“What we’re trying to do is hit every geographical part of the city itself. We have seven council districts with one being right on the line between two districts,” said Mayor Maddox.
Over 18 years Mayor Maddox says he has conducted well over a hundred town hall meetings. These meet-and-greets often produce ideas, such as Elevate Tuscaloosa, a program that dedicates the one-cent sales tax increase to capital projects throughout the city.
“I do know these town halls make a difference, a difference in solving individual problems and then when you hear the same things collectively they weave a common thread from a policy standpoint we have to come back downtown and figure out how to address it,” Mayor Maddox said.
The town hall meetings are expected to be casual with no pre-planned script. It is all on the people to share what they are thinking. It is set up to be very casual, come and go.
“If you just need to drop by for 10 minutes, come see me. If you want to stay and listen to what everyone wants to talk about, that’s fine, too. What we don’t want is someone goes on for two hours and four people talk and someone leaves and didn’t get something addressed,” he said.
Mayor Walt Maddox says the one common thread he has heard over the years is that people want the fundamentals; good drainage, solid police and fire protection.
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