By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

ALABASTER – Incumbent Ward 7 Alabaster City Councilman Tommy Ryals said he would like to work to continue progress in the city and promote “the right kind of growth” while announcing his bid for re-election.

Ryals, who has served on the City Council since 2000, has announced he plans to run for another term once the candidate qualifying period opens on July 5.

“I put a lot of thought into running for another term, and I feel like it’s the right decision. I feel like I still have a lot to contribute,” Ryals said.

During his time on the council, Ryals said he has worked with other city leaders to attract retail development, such as the Promenade shopping center, has helped oversee the construction of a new wastewater treatment plant and has laid the groundwork for a road-widening project on Alabama 119.

Ryals said he worked with other council members to establish Veterans Park in southern Alabaster, and voted in favor of forming the Alabaster City School System in 2012.

“We’ve worked to take the city from a $7 million budget in the mid-2000s to more than $25 million today,” Ryals said. “We recruited two major shopping centers, and there’s still a lot more we can do on that front.”

Ryals said his main focus over the years has been working to keep the city’s growth rate at a manageable level.

“My main focus is controlling the growth in the city. Back before the recession, we were approving several hundred new houses a year, and that was way too many,” Ryals said. “A lot of that got put on hold because of the decline in the late 2000s, but it’s starting to pick back up again. Controlling that growth is the key to maintaining quality of life.”

“I’ve always tried to make decisions based on what’s best for the city. If you re-elect me, I will give you the best I’ve got,” Ryals added.