A former Mobile police officer signaled his interest in the city’s top job, resigning from the force as he weighed a campaign for mayor in the elections set for the summer of 2013.
Testing the waters
Ron Wallace, 39, stepped down after eight years in law enforcement and confirmed that he was considering a run against incumbent Mayor Sam Jones, who had said he intended to seek a third term. “Yes, I’m thinking about it,” Wallace said, acknowledging that his resignation was “a little bit” tied to his political ambitions. “We need change. If you are living in the city, you know that.”
Wallace outlined a prospective platform built on three pillars: spending restraint, transparency and public safety. “We need to really watch how we’re spending; that’s a key factor to our future as a city,” he said, adding that greater openness about municipal finances would build credibility with residents. “If we’re doing things how we’re supposed to be doing them, we shouldn’t have anything to hide from anyone.”
A collaborative tone
Wallace pledged to forge a good working relationship with the City Council, describing its members as colleagues in delivering good government. “We need to work together,” he said. “You can’t be at each other all the time.” He said he would seek out the ideas of residents and city employees alike, floating a campaign slogan of “Help me help you.”
Public safety, he stressed, would be paramount. “There have been things going on in the city for the last several years, crime and all, that we cannot let stand,” he said. “Coming from law enforcement, I would make sure that public safety was our No. 1 priority along with sound finances.”
A familiar name
Wallace was not new to city politics. He had challenged for the City Council’s District 3 seat in 2009; although longtime incumbent Clinton Johnson was ousted that year, it was Jermaine Burrell, not Wallace, who emerged victorious. An eight-year veteran of the Mobile Police Department, Wallace had spent five years as a detective and three in patrol, and had served for a time as a department spokesman. A graduate of John S. Shaw High School and a Marine Corps veteran, he had once been a U.S. Olympic hopeful in the 100- and 200-meter sprints.
Wallace said he had set no timetable for a decision. Through a spokesperson, the mayor’s office was offered a chance to comment but did not respond immediately, leaving the early jockeying for the 2013 race to take shape with one more prospective challenger in the wings.