December 18, 2008
Strange set to attempt mayoral run
Montgomery County Commission Chairman Todd Strange announced his candidacy for mayor on Wednesday.
By Jill Nolin
Todd Strange has already raised about $100,000 for his attempt to become Montgomery's next mayor. He announced that he will run to replace Mayor Bobby Bright, who will step down next month to become congressman for the 2nd District, during an exclusive interview with the Montgomery Advertiser on Wednesday.
Strange, a successful businessman who started his second term as Montgomery County Commission chairman after running unopposed this year, said he believes he has the business and economic development experience the city of Montgomery needs right now.
"We can't run government like a business, but there are some principles that you can apply," Strange said Wednesday.
Strange is the former president, CEO and co-owner of the Blount Strange Automotive Group. He also once served as director of the Alabama Development Office where he was instrumental in recruiting Hyundai to the area.
Still, running to be the city's next mayor wasn't a decision he made lightly.
Strange said the first thing he did after learning of Bright's win on Nov. 4 was to visit his African-American friends in the business, religious and political communities and ask whether the black community could support him as a candidate.
"I have been very heartened by the support that has been there. (My) intention is to be a mayor for all of Montgomery," Strange said.
In those conversations with influential members of the African-American community, Strange said he has stressed that he wants the election to be about experience and record, not someone's ethnicity.
Strange said he wants to keep the campaign positive, which is one reason he hired the same team of people who worked with Bright during his congressional campaign. He said he wants his mayoral campaign to have the same tenor.
Although Strange's campaign won't officially start until January, he has already raised about $100,000. His plan is to raise about $600,000 for the election.
Strange is now one of only three candidates who have publicly declared their intention to run for the open seat. Michael Briddell, Bright's executive assistant and city spokesman, confirmed last week that he plans to be a candidate, and former mayoral candidate Scott Simmons has said all along that he plans to run. An e-mail sent to the Advertiser late Tuesday confirmed Simmons' candidacy.
Strange already is talking about what he believes are the four major issues facing the city -- the financial condition brought on by dwindling sales tax revenues, economic development, education and crime.
Here are some of the key actions he is supporting:
Taxes: He said the city should reduce the sales tax rate and replace that revenue by proportionately increasing the property tax, which would be a more stable revenue source.
"When you're depending on 50 percent of your revenues to come from the sales tax, that's a bit high. It ought to be down in the 30 percent range," Strange said.
Economic development: Strange said it is crucial that officials work diligently to get the economy going again so that more jobs are created. He said the city and county are currently working with companies that have an interest in coming to Montgomery.
Education: Strange said Montgomery public schools need to continue to develop programs, specifically thematic schools, for non-college track students. He also wants to see the school system explore pre-K programs and build on more reading and math initiatives.
Crime: Strange said the city needs to do more to make residents feel safe in their homes and when they go shopping in Montgomery. Having a stronger police presence would be a starting point.
Downtown development: Strange also said that continuing the work in downtown Montgomery, which has been a pet project for Bright, is also important to him.
"No great community can be successful without a vibrant downtown," he said, adding that the city should complete ongoing projects and seek out new ventures.
Bright plans to resign Jan. 5, which is the day before he will be sworn in to Congress. The City Council will meet after his resignation is tendered to begin the two-week qualifying period and set the date for the election.
Video also available: http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/article/20081218/NEWS01/812180325&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL
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