SYLACAUGA. Ala. – In the inaugural “State of the City” program from the Sylacauga Chamber of Commerce, Sylacauga Mayor Matt Hubbard presented what he called a “foundation upon which to build a future for coming generations.”
Mayor Hubbard opened by allowing the city’s department heads to introduce themselves and present a brief overview of what all they provide for Sylacauga and its citizens. Those include the Municipal Court, Human Resources, Animal Shelter, Administration & Finance (City Clerk’s office), City Shop, Fire, Building Services, Police, Street Department, B.B. Comer Library, Parks and Recreation, Commercial Development, Industrial Development, and Municipal Airport.
Hubbard, six months into his term as Mayor, began his personal address talking about those departments as well as efforts to advance commercial, industrial, and residential development in the city.
He praised the efforts of our local education systems and workforce development efforts, saying, “We are fortunate to have leadership in education in place for local schools and Central Alabama Community College, and having EARTH (East Alabama Rural Innovation and Training Hub) as a locally-based hub for workforce development can only benefit our future.”
Hubbard went on to point out that having outstanding public safety and cultural entities in place, along with aggressive development of new recreation facilities, combines with all of those other aspects of the city to lay a great foundation for Sylacauga’s future.
Prior to the program, Hubbard was asked what, in his brief time in office, came as the biggest surprise discovery.
To this question, he immediately replied, “How long it takes to hire people to fill positions. We have a strong system in place, but it definitely surprised me how long it takes for that process to play out in getting people in positions.”
All in all, Hubbard said that he is quite pleased, as he praised former administrations and councils, noting, “We’re in a good place, and I look forward to finding ways to move the city forward.”
