By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

ALABASTER – Incumbent Ward 5 Alabaster City Councilman Russell Bedsole said he would like to continue to build on progress the city has made over the last several years while announcing his re-election bid for the seat.

Bedsole, who has served on the City Council since 2012, has announced he plans to run for another term once the candidate qualifying period opens on July 5.

“I decided to run the first time (in 2012) certainly with a lot of prayerful consideration,” Bedsole said. “I feel like now, I’ve had a good chance to evaluate the kind of time that goes into serving the community in this capacity.”

Bedsole said his biggest accomplishments over the past four years have been working to bring local control to city employees’ benefits, updating the city employee handbook, purchasing a new fire truck for the Alabaster Fire Department, expanding the Public Works Department’s vehicle fleet and establishing a system to continually update the Alabaster Police Department’s vehicle fleet.

He said he is proud of the city’s economic growth over the past four years, including a 12-percent growth in the city’s budget, continued funding of the city’s reserve fund and its steady increase in sales tax revenues.

“We’ve done some good things, but we’ve still got a lot to do, especially with conducting commercial and controlled residential growth,” Bedsole said. “Economic growth is very important. You want to add businesses that will add to the attractiveness of the city, not detract from it.”

Bedsole praised the city’s school system, and said he will work to control Alabaster’s population growth “so we don’t overburden the school system.”

“I want to take the foundation we have built over the last four years and continue to be a good steward of taxpayer dollars,” Bedsole said. “I see my work on the City Council as a service to the public. I put a lot of thought into my decisions, because they affect me, my friends and family and everyone in the city of Alabaster.”