Spanish Fort’s City Council has chosen local businessman Bill Menas to fill a vacant seat representing District 2, following a selection process that included interviews with three candidates vying for the position.
The council voted unanimously on a Monday in early December to appoint Menas, a Realtor with Bellator Real Estate & Development, to the seat vacated in October by former Councilman Dennis Dismuke, who stepped down after accepting a job transfer to South Carolina. Menas was chosen over two other finalists: Robert Cummings, an engineer who serves on the city’s Planning Commission, and Sandy Cooke, a sales professional known for her volunteer work on the Eastern Shore.
Council members interviewed Menas and Cummings in mid-November, followed by a separate interview with Cooke later that month. Mayor Mike McMillan said afterward that all three candidates impressed the council but that Menas ultimately stood out.
“He just rose to the top within the council,” McMillan said.
Councilman Bobby Fortenberry credited Menas with a long track record of supporting Spanish Fort High School, where his wife teaches, calling him “highly motivated in helping Spanish Fort grow.” Fortenberry said the decision was a difficult one given the strength of all three applicants, but that Menas’ history of community involvement made the difference.
Menas, 52, leads BME (Bill Menas Enterprises) LLC, a company that provides equipment and services to car dealerships, and also serves as an association director for Bellator’s commercial real estate division. He spent 21 years with Selig Chemical Industries before retiring from the company in 2000 and moving into private business.
He will serve out the remainder of Dismuke’s term, which runs through 2016. District 2 covers the northern portion of the city along U.S. 31, generally between Blakeley Way and Buzbee Road, with some additional areas west of Jimmy Faulkner Drive falling within its boundaries.
Council members in Spanish Fort serve four-year terms and receive $6,000 in annual pay. A formal swearing-in ceremony for Menas was scheduled for the council’s next regular meeting later in December.