By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

ALABASTER – Dr. Larry Sailes cited a desire to promote workforce development, youth and family services and solidarity among the city’s residents when announcing his bid for the Alabaster mayor position.

Sailes has qualified to run for the position during the city’s Aug. 23 municipal election, which will be held from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. at the Alabaster First United Methodist Church’s Restore building.

As of July 19, Sailes and incumbent Mayor Marty Handlon had qualified for the mayoral race.

Sailes, who served on active duty in the U.S. Navy for more than 20 years, said he has been involved in multiple community roles over the years, and said he recently decided to seek the city’s top spot.

“I got involved with some of the boards in Alabaster, and I’ve always had a passion and desire for public service,” Sailes said. “God spoke to me and told me ‘Now is the time.’”

Sailes has lived in Alabaster for the past 10 years, and grew up in Montevallo, where he currently serves as the pastor of Hopewell Baptist Church. He is a graduate of Leadership Shelby County and is on the board of directors for the Developing Alabama Youth Program and the Alabaster YMCA.

If elected, Sailes said he would like to promote “solidarity” among the community’s residents.

“A lot of times, we all talk about unity. But in my mind, we need to have solidarity in the community. That is continuous unity,” Sailes said. “We have a wonderful diversity in our city, and we understand that we have more in common than we have differences.”

Sailes said he would like to encourage more family and youth services in the community, work to promote safety in the city and strengthen the city’s workforce development offerings.

“We are growing, we have prosperity. We must have leadership in place that is proactive, not reactive,” Sailes said. “We must have leadership in action.”