City councilman publicly criticizes mayor, claiming immature behavior and distortion of personal achievements
In a recent post on the Mike Densmore For Mayor page, City Councilman Eric Brown has voiced his criticism of Alexander City Mayor Woody Baird. Brown accuses Baird of being vindictive, childish, and a poor leader.
Brown's criticisms stem from several issues, including Baird's treatment of citizens and his handling of certain projects. One such project is the potential building of a concrete plant in Alexander City, which Brown believes Baird worked on without consulting the city council.
Mayor Baird's communication style has been a source of contention for many, including Brown. The mayor's inappropriate facial expressions and comments towards citizens have not gone unnoticed. Brown also criticizes Baird for failing to communicate with city council members, which he believes has caused unnecessary problems.
One project that Baird took credit for was the Publix grocery store, but Brown claims that Baird actively opposed the development and gave the developers a hard time. Despite this, the city still benefits financially from the Publix development. According to Brown, 2.75% of the sales tax revenue goes to schools, Sportsplex, ACRIP (the city's paving program), and 2.25% goes towards paying off the debt with a 10-year cap on the loan.
Brown has also accused Baird of not living within the city limits, which is a requirement to hold the office of mayor in Alabama.
Brown's post was in response to an opinion piece by Bill Britt, and it cites and expands on the criticisms made in the piece. Brown's view of a good leader is one who builds people up, knows how to find common ground, and can handle opposition to their ideas. Unfortunately, Brown has not seen these traits in Mayor Baird.
The location chosen by Mayor Baird for the concrete plant was a residential area, which was unpopular with residents and council members. This decision, along with other issues, has led to a strained relationship between Brown and Baird.
Recently, the council decided to remove Mayor Baird from the dais due to his unprofessional conduct towards citizens who speak at city council meetings. It remains to be seen how this decision will affect the future of Alexander City.
The current finance director of Alexander City, who has significantly contributed to the improvement of the city's finances, is not directly named in the provided search results. However, Brown has credited this individual for many of the city's successes in getting its finances in order.
