FAIRHOPE — Baldwin County elected officials said they are looking forward to more growth and progress in the upcoming year as three newly elected legislators join the mix and work continues on major local projects.

The Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce held its annual Elected Officials Luncheon on Tuesday, Nov. 29, in Fairhope. Representatives from the county legislative delegation, county commission, cities and other officials spoke with chamber members.

Three new members of the Alabama House of Representatives were elected in November. Donna Givens will represent District 64, Frances Holk-Jones will represent District 95, and Jennifer Fidler will represent District 94.

Holk-Jones was elected to the seat held by Rep. Steve McMillan for more than 40 years. McMillan died earlier this year after announcing he would not run for reelection.

“I want to say thank you and how humbled I am to represent Steve McMillan's district,” she said. “Again, you can't replace Steve. I am honored to represent House District 95, which is basically Foley, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, but I am Baldwin County born and bred and I am here to represent all of Baldwin County.”

Givens replaces Rep. Harry Shiver, who did not run for reelection. She also praised the outgoing members of the delegation, including Rep. Joe Faust, who held the seat that will be taken by Fiddler.

“You have spent your lives serving this county, and what you mean to me in friendship and what you mean to everyone in this room and what you all have done, I cannot thank you enough,” she told Faust and Shiver.

She told the audience she is looking forward to serving the county in the legislature.

“I stand before you today wanting to do a good job and represent you well, but I need your support,” she said. “I need you to reach out to me. If things are going on in Montgomery, if you're not understanding it or you're not happy with it, reach out to me. I can only be as successful as you help me to be.”

State Rep. Matt Simpson of Daphne said the new house members will be a strong addition to the delegation.

“They are new to being elected officials, but they are not new to serving Baldwin County,” Simpson said. “They are lifelong Baldwin Countians who go back a long way, and I am excited for the future with them.”

He said growth in Baldwin County has increased the number of House seats in the delegation from five to seven. The county now includes parts of three Senate seats as well.

“Now, we have 10 people whose job is to fight for Baldwin County in Montgomery, and that's huge because when they come back and listen to you guys,” Simpson said.

Sen. Chris Elliott said the county’s population and influence in state government continue to grow. He said that since the 2020 census, Baldwin’s population has grown by more than 7,800.

“That represents 48% of the state's entire population growth,” Elliott said. “That's a lot of people and what we endeavor to do, your delegation members, is to tell that story on a daily basis and make sure that our colleagues in the House and in the Senate understand the economic engine that is Baldwin County and that in order to continue to make sure that we have the growth that we have the growth that we are seeing, that we have the windfalls that we are seeing, we will continue to have to invest in this area.”

BALDWIN COUNTY
County Commission Chairman Charles “Skip” Gruber said that in the last year the county has added a new boat launch in Orange Beach and has begun work on a new animal shelter and a $65 million jail expansion.

He said plans to build a $2.5 billion aluminum plant in Bay Minette was one of the biggest economic announcements in many years.

“Our biggest prize that took us since 2012 was the Novelis prize that we have at the Megasite,” Gruber said. “That is big for Baldwin County. It serves every one of us. Good jobs and everything else.”

Cities also began or continued major projects during the year.

SPANISH FORT
Spanish Fort Mayor Mike McMillan said work is almost complete to widen U.S. 31 after several years of construction and to improve Eastern Shore Boulevard. Spanish Fort also brought in the volunteer fire department as a city agency earlier in the year.

He said the city’s finances are also in good shape.

“We just came through the end of our fiscal year, and our budgets are looking really good,” McMillan said. “Income is up 11% over budget, and expenses are 20% below budget, so those are good numbers. We're very blessed.”

He said the city is starting work to build a nature park on Alabama 225 in the Mobile-Tensaw Delta.

“We were fortunate enough to receive a grant from Gov. Ivey this year for $8.5 million to acquire some property on 225 on Bay Minette Creek, 144 acres that's just pristine, beautiful, historic property that we're going to make a family friendly park there,” McMillan said. “What a great red-letter day for city.”

FAIRHOPE
Fairhope City Councilman Jimmy Conyers said the city is continuing work to renovate the K-1 Center, develop the Triangle property as a nature park and continue the working waterfront project at the Fairhope Pier.

“Fairhope is growing just like the rest of the county,” Conyers said. “Like the Eastern Shore and we just have an explosive amount of development and projects going on around us in our county and within the city. We have crossed the 400-employee mark this year and a $130-million budget. When you look at our city and utilities combined.”

DAPHNE

He said Daphne is improving the city sports complex with a $1.65 million grant. The city also just completed the Al Guarisco Boardwalk Trail.

Daphne is also working on building a new animal shelter that will include space for about 50 animals.

The city also started a Junior City Council to allow high school students to take part in municipal government, he said.

“We’re very excited to see young people in the city of Daphne get to learn about the governmental process,” McCollum said.

COPS AND COURTS
Sheriff Huey “Hoss” Mack said one of the major recent accomplishments in law enforcement has been the effort to improve school security.

“We actually have over 70 certified school resource officers in Baldwin County, the most in the state of Alabama,” Mack said. “We're the only county in the state of Alabama that has a cooperative agreement between the sheriff and the municipalities, because one of the things that we wanted to do is to keep local law enforcement in those schools because they're going to interact with those children off campus.”

District Attorney Robert Wilters said his office has continued to expand programs such as the drug court, mental health court and veterans court. Prosecutors have also started a white-collar crimes task force and is working to set up a nurse-examiner program for sexual assault victims.

He said his office has also made major accomplishments in collecting court-ordered child support payments from parents.

“Last year, we collected $42 million in back child support from deadbeat moms and dads who had failed to pay,” Wilters said. “That's $42 million going to children and their families in Baldwin County.”