By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

ALABASTER – Eric Starling said he would like to use his financial background to strengthen Alabaster’s economic standing, and would like to ensure the city’s infrastructure is prepared for upcoming growth if he is elected to the Alabaster City Council.

Starling has qualified to run in the Ward 7 City Council seat against Kerri Bell Pate. The ward’s incumbent, Tommy Ryals, is not running for re-election.

The city’s municipal elections will be held from 7 a.m.- 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 23, at the Alabaster United Methodist Church’s Restore building at 128 Market Center Drive off Alabama 119.

Starling said he has had support from people in the community over the past few years, and said family health reasons prevented him from running for the seat in 2012.

“I decided not to run last time, but my desire to serve was still there,” Starling said during a July 20 phone interview. “After I got the blessing of my family and my company, I made the decision to run this time.”

Starling said he has been active in the community by serving as a photographer at many local events for the past 14 years. He said his photography hobby has allowed him to become connected to the community.

He currently serves as the national sales director for the ProCare Hospice company.

“I have a broad-base friendship in the community. It goes across wards,” he said. “This has been my home for 14 years. I don’t have any allegiances to any one group in Alabaster. My allegiance is to the people of Alabaster, and especially Ward 7,” Starling said.

If elected, Starling said he would like to work to establish a “cohesive team” among the City Council members, and said he will promote “transparency and accountability in how we spend the taxpayers’ money.”

“I think that my human resources and finance background will serve me well as far as getting Alabaster to the next level,” he said. “With the people that are coming to our city because of the school system, we need to make sure we have the infrastructure in place to handle that growth.”