SPANISH FORT – When Mike McMillan starts his new term as mayor of Spanish Fort on Nov. 2, storm-water management, public safety and the completion of US 31 will be some of the city’s top priorities.
Before then, however, he will also have to deal with a trial on a misdemeanor harassment charge filed by a former city employee.
The mayor said he is looking forward to resolving the case in court and the issues that will face Spanish Fort in the next four years.
“We’ve got a lot to accomplish,” McMillan said. “Stormwater management is our number one issue. We’ve got to get our hands around. We’ve done a lot of legwork trying to get the funding sources put in place because it is such an expensive proposition. I’ve been meeting regularly with the RESTORE Council members to try to get them to push this project forward.”
He said other goals are the completion of the widening of US 31 and the city beautification efforts. Public safety issues will continue to be a priority as well, the mayor said.
“The migration of the Fire Department into a city department is going to be a big piece of what we’re doing and, of course, the support for public safety as a whole, to bring us up to the 21st Century,” McMillan said.
Before the term starts, McMillan is scheduled to stand trial in Baldwin County District Court on a charge that he slapped former city magistrate Lyndsey Cooper in 2019. McMillan is scheduled to appear in court on Friday, Oct. 16.
The mayor said Friday that he feels he is looking forward to resolving the issue.
“I look forward to this day. I have for the past year, to get this off our backs and move forward. I know the truth,” McMilllan said.
He said he appreciated Spanish Fort voters returning him to office while the case was still pending.
“I understand the hesitancy of people with the legal things that are hanging over my head,” McMillan said. “I understood that. We pushed hard to try to get that done prior to the election, but because of the backlogs and COVID and all of those things, it just didn’t happen. This was a misdemeanor charge and those people that are waiting in jail, certainly need priority over a misdemeanor charge. I understand that. They need and have the right to have their case heard so they can get in or out, whatever, the case may be.”
He said growth will continue to be an issue for the city. Spanish Fort had one employee when the city was incorporated 27 years ago, Mary Lynn Williams, city clerk. Williams will retire this year and the city is working to replace her and reorganize positions.
“Replacing Ms. Williams after 27 years is not going to be an easy hurdle to accomplish,” McMillan said. “Hiring Rebecca Gaines is good for our city, but there’s going to be some transition and to have some stability here makes a world of difference when you start going into that process, so there’s going to be some adaptation here at City Hall too.”
The mayor said he would also like to see the city expand public waterfront access on the Mobile Bay Causeway. The city received funding through the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act to buy a parcel on the Causeway for a park, but the mayor said he would like to add more property to that list.
“There’s one item on the wish list and that’s an expensive proposition that I hope to accomplish is the acquisition of some additional property for some family-park facilities that would give waterfront access as another piece of the Causeway Master Plan,” McMillan said. “While it may not be exactly connected to the Causeway Master Plan., all that goes hand-in-hand, so looking forward to doing something along those lines.”
He said he is optimistic about the next four years for Spanish Fort.
“We’re going to move forward,” McMillan said. “The city’s going to be moving forward in a positive manner and I feel good about where we are as a city and where we’re going to go.”
