As 2014 drew to a close, Mobile City Councilman Fred Richardson laid out a plan to put residents of District 1 squarely in the driver’s seat when it comes to deciding how their part of the city should spend its share of upcoming capital improvement dollars.
Richardson said the power rests with the people who live in the district, and he intends to act on that belief quickly. His plan was to hit the ground running right after the first of the year by polling every single resident about their personal priorities and wishes for the district’s future.
Beyond individual input, the councilman encouraged residents to take part in districtwide meetings aimed at building a shared action plan for the year ahead. The goal, he said, was to give neighbors a direct voice in shaping local priorities rather than leaving those choices solely to officials at Government Plaza.
A key focus of that effort is money already set aside for neighborhood needs. The City Council recently approved a plan to devote $3 million per district to capital improvement projects in 2016, and Richardson wanted residents to help determine exactly how those funds would be used in District 1. Capital improvement money typically pays for things like street work, drainage, parks and other physical upgrades that shape daily life in a neighborhood.
By gathering feedback early, Richardson signaled he wanted a clear, resident-driven list of priorities in place well before the spending year arrived, giving the community time to weigh competing needs and reach consensus.
Richardson’s remarks were part of a broader look ahead by Mobile’s leaders. His comments were the first in a planned series featuring all seven members of the City Council, each offering a forecast of goals and priorities for the coming year and a glimpse of how they intended to serve their respective districts across the city.