Sandy Stimpson’s run leading the City of Mobile came to a close at the end of October, and the night before his final day in office, the two-term mayor used his newsletter to reflect on a dozen years of running Alabama’s fourth-largest city.
In the farewell message, Stimpson thanked his staff, his family, and — repeatedly — his faith, saying he often prayed for the people and resources needed to transform Mobile.
A Ledger of Accomplishments
Stimpson pointed to a list of markers from his tenure: stabilized city finances, hundreds of millions of dollars in debt paid off, modernized city processes, and what he described as a 61-percent reduction in major crimes. He also cited two signature projects now underway — relocating Mobile’s airport to downtown and building a new entertainment arena.
He highlighted the city’s workforce as well, noting Mobile is one of only two cities in the country with fully accredited police, fire, parks, public works, and finance departments.
Stimpson, who first took office in 2013 on a “One Mobile” platform aimed at making the city safer and more business- and family-friendly, closed with thanks to his wife Jean, his children, grandchildren, and siblings for shouldering the demands of life in public office.