Mobile welcomed leaders from across the state Monday as the Alabama Big 10 Mayors coalition gathered downtown for its quarterly meeting, followed by a press conference at the Battle House Renaissance Hotel. The group, made up of the mayors of Alabama’s ten largest cities, used the session to lay out shared priorities for the year and to discuss issues affecting their communities and the state as a whole.
Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson hosted the gathering, joining Auburn Mayor Ron Anders, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin, Decatur Mayor Tab Bowling, Dothan Mayor Mark Saliba, Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato, Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, Madison Mayor Paul Finley, Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed and Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox around the table. The coalition meets on a rotating basis in member cities, giving local officials a recurring forum to compare notes on municipal challenges and to speak with a unified voice on statewide concerns.
The Alabama Big 10 Mayors formed to give the state’s most populous cities a coordinated platform for tackling issues that cross city lines, from infrastructure and public safety to economic development and workforce needs. Organizers note that roughly three out of every four Alabamians live within the metro areas represented by the coalition, giving the group considerable weight when it speaks on issues before the Legislature and other state bodies.
During Monday’s press conference, the mayors reiterated their collective focus for the year ahead, emphasizing cooperation among Alabama’s biggest cities as a way to keep the state competitive and to improve quality of life for residents in urban and suburban communities alike. Officials framed the meeting as part of an ongoing effort to keep municipal leaders aligned on priorities heading into the new year, even as each mayor continues to manage issues specific to his own city.
Hosting the meeting in Mobile put a spotlight on the Port City’s downtown corridor, with the Battle House Renaissance Hotel serving as the backdrop for the coalition’s public remarks. Local officials said having peers from Birmingham, Huntsville, Montgomery and other major cities in town underscored the kind of cross-city collaboration the group was built to encourage.
The Alabama Big 10 Mayors typically meet quarterly, with the location rotating among the coalition’s member cities throughout the year. City leaders said future sessions will continue to focus on issues shared by Alabama’s largest urban centers as the mayors work through their agenda for 2023.