Fairhope Mayor Karin Wilson Presents 2019 State of the City as Debt Payoff Nears

FAIRHOPE, Ala. — Fairhope Mayor Karin Wilson presented the city’s 2019 State of the City address Friday evening at the Fairhope Civic Center.

The event was organized as an expo, with tables representing city departments and department heads and employees on hand to answer residents’ questions.

The city also released a 2019 State of the City booklet reviewing city operations, its financial position and projections, along with department and staff listings and statistical data. Copies are available at City Hall.

Finances

According to the booklet, the city’s debt of $6.83 million will be paid in full by June 2019. The budget includes the purchase of the K-1 Center if the City Council’s plan to fund it with grants does not succeed.

The city’s Economic and Community Development department secured $21 million in grant funding. Fairhope also secured $18 million in projects funded through the BP-related RESTORE Act, with $10 million going to sewer upgrades.

City by the numbers

The booklet lists Fairhope’s population at 22,320, with a median age of 45.82, a median income of $66,237 and 1,486 businesses. The city employs 292 full-time and 101 part-time workers.

Public safety

The Fairhope Police Department, led by Stephanie Hollinghead, the city’s first female police chief, has 65 employees covering 88 miles of police jurisdiction and received 24,178 calls in 2018.

Fairhope Fire and Emergency Management has 50 firefighters on its roster, along with 10 explorers from the Boy Scouts’ Learning for Life program, and responded to 1,041 calls in 2018.

Utilities

Public Utilities has a five-year, $32 million capital improvement and utility upgrade plan. The utility department’s debt was reduced by 21 percent, or $4 million, according to the booklet.