By: Ali Elizabeth Turner
Once a year, Mayor Marks attends a conference hosted by 14 southern states in the southeastern district of the League of Municipalities, and it’s something he always looks forward to. In years gone by he has had responsibilities when he has served as president, but this year he could just attend, learn and enjoy. It was held in Virginia Beach, VA, and while it was full, Mayor Ronnie returned refreshed and encouraged.
“It was wonderful,” the mayor told me. “Just being able to talk to other people, exchange ideas and fellowship is so good. I felt honored to be a part of the group and came back re-energized,” he added. Public safety is always going to be a top priority, and one of the ways communities are protecting first responders is to have highly trained social workers safely accompany them on certain calls. What has happened as a result is that there lower crime rates and fewer incidents.
Another topic that was discussed at length was IT and communications systems, as well as paying attention to legislative trends. Alabama is actively involved in sharing what is and isn’t working in our state with other states. A source of great joy for Mayor Ronnie was having other states appreciate the importance of things like parks, walking trails and having plenty of planned green space. It all contributes to quality of life, which is high on the list of components that make up a successful city.
On a more somber note, Mayor Ronnie recently and suddenly lost a boss that had been a true mentor during the mayor’s career with DHR. Andy Hornsby was Ronnie’s supervisor, and the mayor could have spent hours telling me hilarious “Andy stories” if there had been time. “He could motivate you to work hard and have a good time.” DHR is not the easiest place to work in the first place, and the lessons Mayor Ronnie learned there are ones he still holds dear and endeavors to implement at City Hall. “Andy would always end a meeting, (no matter how tough of a meeting it had been) by saying, “What can I do for you right now?” That willingness to help and serve has stayed with him. Rest in peace, Andy Hornsby.
We finished with a discussion of the ongoing challenge of improving government services, and that doesn’t mean just adding more or throwing money at departments; it means finding ways to make things “go and flow” without breaking the budget. One idea that has come forth with the new swearing in of City Hall representatives is to have councilmembers serve as liaisons between city government and city department heads. “Having someone to talk to in order to tell what’s going on is an important part of improving government services,” he said.
Finally, Mayor Ronnie wanted to thank retiring city councilmembers Harold Wales and Wayne Harper for their decades of hard work and faithful service to our city. It was kind of a bittersweet day, and there was really only one thing left for us to do, and that was to pray. So we did, and once again it was time for Ronnie to roll.
By: Ali Elizabeth Turner
