Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By NOAH WORTHAM | Managing Editor

CHELSEA – Debbie Byers is campaigning for her first full term on the Calera City Council after being appointed to the role in 2023.

Byers currently serves on the Calera City Council after being appointed in June 2023 to fill the vacancy left by Phillip Busby. If elected, Byers will serve her first full term on the council.

“As a lifelong resident of Calera, I am passionate about our city’s growth and prosperity,” read an official post on Byers’ campaign site. “My vision is for Calera to be more than a pit stop for travelers, but a place where visitors and residents can create lasting memories.”

If elected, Byers aims to revitalize the city’s historic district and make Calera a captivating destination by collaborating with Calera Main Street, providing engaging entertainment options and fostering new businesses.

Addressing challenges like train traffic and enhancing the infrastructure of the city are also top priorities for Byers. She also aims to improve the Calera Sports Complex and expand the number of amenities for the city’s senior citizens.

A major component of her campaign is a focus on providing support for the city’s police and fire departments.

“I’m an (outspoken) advocate for the police and fire department,” Byers said. “I want to make sure that we as a city still fulfill any emergency that you may have in your area.”

The city of Calera has seen significant turnover in its police department due to the city’s current pay scale being at a lower level than surrounding municipalities.

“I want to keep Calera from being a training ground,” Byers said. “We have a significant amount of money invested in these policemen going to school and then they stay here a couple of years and then they’re gone. We need to make our pay competitive. We want to keep them here.”

Byers serves on the Calera Board of Adjustments and is a certified Alabama Planning and Zoning Official. Before retirement, Byers spent 15 years as the central billing coordinator at Brookwood Medical Center and 20 years as optimization manager at Greenway Health.

“As a council member, I am dedicated to being a devoted steward of our community’s needs and aspirations,” Byers said.