Steve Gantt is familiar with Wetumpka City Council District 4.
Gantt should be. He grew up near downtown on Company Street. And for the last 13 years he has represented the district on the city council. It’s a position Gantt is campaigning for again. As a child he saw a vibrant downtown and Company Street. But it was far from that when Gantt first came to the city council in 2012.
“It had many empty buildings, but through hard work and thoughtful planning, downtown has become vibrant again,” Gantt said. “I'm very proud of that.”
Gantt said while downtown Wetumpka has gotten attention the last several years, it's not the only area the council has worked together to improve in Wetumpka.
“There are some who think downtown's getting all the attention, but it's not right,” Gantt said. “Actually, there's been over 20 new restaurants, coffee and smoothie shops come to Wetumpka and located somewhere other than downtown. Downtown has its share too.”
In 2013, the City of Wetumpka purchased the property for Wetumpka Sports Complex. The construction of ballfields and parking lots soon started. Today there are baseball and softball fields with batting cages, a football stadium with a track, walking trails, rodeo arena and splash pad.
The complex doesn’t fall within District 4 but is crucial to all of Wetumpka. Across the street, River Town Center does fall in District 4. Gantt was on the council when the property was purchased and the city broke ground on it last summer. Today businesses are coming from the ground to provide restaurant and children’s entertainment options for north and west Wetumpka.
Many of the improvements were in the planning stages before HGTV Hometown Takeover came to town.
Since 2012, Gantt said the city’s budget has increased from $10 million to more than $20 million per year. The increased budget has helped support Gantt’s three main concerns in Wetumpka police and fire protection and public works.
“The police budget has increased by 60% and public works by 41%,” Gantt said. “The fire department’s budget has increased by 400%. In 2012 there were 28 volunteers and no full-time firefighters. Now we have full-time firefighters and fewer volunteers with a westside station.”
Gantt wants to see the physical size of Wetumpka grow. He said there are plenty of people who say they are from Wetumpka and take advantage of some city services such as recreation.
“One of the things that I think we need to do is, we need to look aggressively at annexing some portions adjacent to the city limits of Wetumpka,” Gantt said. “We can’t just add firefighters or police officers in great numbers overnight. We need to make sure that we can provide full service without just just taking those areas in.”
The council currently has three members who were elected for the first time in 2020. One other council member joins Gantt as having three terms of service on the council. Gantt believes the current council and mayor have good chemistry for moving Wetumpka forward more.
“I'm excited for the future and just ask District Four citizens for their vote and support,” Gantt said. “If anyone has questions or concerns, I can be reached at 334-467-0385.”
Municipal elections are scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 26.
