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By Carey Reeder | Managing Editor

Clanton Mayor Jeff Mims, the Clanton City Council and department directors all joined together on May 1 to give updates on the state of the city that included updates on the financial status of the city, addressing educational questions, big plans for the future and more.

Economic development and giving updates on the financial status of the city were arguably the biggest talking points of the meeting. Mims assured the city is continuously looking for ways to make sales tax revenue go up by getting people to come to the city and new businesses coming to town.

“More than 15 new businesses have been established in the City of Clanton during the past four years,” Mims said. “We are currently in discussions with several national brands and retailers for locations within the City of Clanton. We cannot tell who they are because of non-disclosures, but it will bring a lot of tax revenue to the city of Clanton.”

Clanton City Councilman Billy Singleton gave a deeper look into the good financial status the city is in with statistics that showed things like the annual budget almost doubling over the last four plus years to nearly $23 million. This allows the city to invest monies in other areas like reserve fund balances that are generating interest revenue that have purchased things like an additional city ambulance that has lowered the response time to around eight minutes, a significant decrease.

Additional statistics Singleton provided included the city receiving more than $20 million in federal, state and local grants to make improvements around the city — nearly equal to a yearly budget for the city. The city is poised to retire the bond obligation that helped build the Clanton Performing Arts Center next year, and after it does, the City of Clanton will be debt free.

“We contacted an unbiased bond company and asked ‘How do we stack up and compare with other cities?’” Singleton said. “The city currently has an unassigned general fund balance equal to 60% of our annual operating revenue. That is unheard of for a municipality, and that means we could operate for nearly seven months with no money coming in.”

To conclude the meeting, a rendering was shown of what could be possible with the land the city has near Exit 212 that sprawls hundreds of acres. The land was originally purchased in conjunction with the county for the purpose of economic development nearly 10 years ago, but the city is now exploring opportunities to partner with companies to help make the Clanton Recreation and Entertainment Complex a reality.

The rendering of the complex included an amphitheater, fairgrounds, an RV park, a 24-hour recreation and events center and extra land for future development around the complex. Mims reaffirmed the plans are very preliminary, but it is major goal for the city to get it done.

“After we get (the Performing Arts Center) paid off … This will give something for everyone to work towards and something we want to try to do,” Mims said. “We do not try a lot of stuff and not get it done, and we usually all get it done together.”

Other areas of interest where updates were given during the meeting included public safety. A dramatic downturn in crime within the City of Clanton has happened over the last four plus years with the crime rate down 50% from 2020-2025. Additionally, over the four plus years, the city had put a full-time staff at the downtown fire station, added new city ambulances, added license plate readers to exits 205, 208 and 212 on Interstate 65 and installed speed bumps, signage and better lighting to Interstate 65 and Highways 31 and 145.

Mims reaffirmed the plans to build a new judicial center for the city that will house the police department and courtrooms. The plans are for the city to tear down the current Chilton County Courthouse, which was given to them by the county in an exchange for land to build the new courthouse, and build the new judicial center in its spot — around a $15 million project.

The city’s Public Works and Utilities Department has shown growth as well. Public Works Director Jeff Zissette has helped expand garbage pickup for the city to two times per week and invested more than $2 million in resurfacing downtown streets in Clanton. Utilities Department Director Stanley Higgins and his department have gotten right around $15 million in principle forgiveness grants that went directly towards infrastructure improvements.

Plans were also shared to soon repaint the iconic Peach Tower. Since Mims took office, each budget the city has set aside $100,000 to go towards the repainting. The repainting was quoted at $600,000, but with rising costs and finding a painter, it could be a bit pricier.

“We will have the money to paint that water tank, and we expect to do that within the next 24-36 months,” Mims said.

Parks and recreation were showcased with the new additions to the city parks like new batting cages, two pedestrian bridges and a splash pad. Other improvements are being planned for the future such as coverage for the pickleball courts, lighting for the walking trails and establishing a mountain bike trail off Temple Road. The biggest piece of information Mims dropped related to parks and recreation was plans for a new Clanton Senior Center near Goose Pond Park by the old water works building.

“We already have an architect working on it, and we are meeting with our seniors to have all of the say they can put into it,” Mims said. “We want to make sure we build it the way they want it done.”

Lastly, education in the city was discussed that reaffirmed the plans for a new vocational school for the county’s students that both the city and Chilton County Schools are working towards. Mims also entertained questions about the possibilities of establishing a city school system, and he was not keen on the idea for Clanton at the moment but left the option open in the future.

“These are the things we are trying to do for the people in the City of Clanton,” Mims said. “And we are not trying, we are doing them, and we are going to continue to improve all of that.”

The City of Clanton will meet again for its first council meeting of May on May 12 at 5 p.m.