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Mayor Earl Johnson has qualified to seek re-election this year.

“When I first ran for this office, I did so with the intention of making Andalusia a better place,” Johnson said. “We’ve worked very hard and made major strides, but we’re not done. In qualifying for election, I’m seeking an extension of the contract I made with Andalusia’s citizens to make it the best place possible for them and their families.”

Johnson first took office in 2000 and has served five full terms. He pointed to improvements in the city’s infrastructure, the beautification and redevelopment of the downtown area, and efforts to make Andalusia as business-friendly as possible, leading to major investments in local businesses, as evidence of his accomplishments. The work done in all of these areas, coupled with a conservative fiscal policy, has put the city in a solid and envied financial position, he said.

Economic Development
Economic development has always been a focus, Johnson said, adding that announcements made in his current term occurred as a result of the preparation done in the past two decades.

The announcement in February of 2024 that Conecuh Sausage was investing $60 million dollars to expand in Andalusia’s Industrial Park is one of the biggest economic development achievements of his administration, he said.

“Announcements like this one come about once in a generation,” Johnson said. “The Sessions family is moving their entire operation to Andalusia, and will be producing sausage here this summer. We were in competition with communities not just in Alabama but also in other parts of the United States for this plant, and we are humbled that they chose Andalusia.”

While new announcements are important, he said, growing existing industry is one of the most important pieces of economic development.

“Another important story in the current term is Covington Casket,” Johnson said. “This is the oldest manufacturer in Covington County. They had operated for years with a heavily-travelled street running through their facility. We were able to work with them to move into a spec building we had in the industrial park so that they could streamline and expand their operation. We are so proud of the work Alan Williamson and his team have done in the past few years.

Downtown Redevelopment also has been a major focus of the Johnson administration. During this administration, the community has seen the renovation and repurposing of the Prestwood Building, the Opera House, and the Coca-Cola facility. These redevelopments have brought new businesses and new residents to the downtown area.

“We have been able to work with developers to capitalize on historic tax credits, which makes investments in our downtown more financially attractive,” Johnson said. “We are continuing to do this work, and will join other developers in announcing two new projects in iconic downtown buildings in the very near future.”

Mayor Johnson is particularly fond of the Prestwood Building, as it was there that he first practiced law when he returned to his hometown to start a family.

“I like to tell people that in my first job after law school, I worked in what is now the kitchen of Lost Pizza,” he said.

Johnson’s administration also worked with the owners of Covington Mall to redevelop it as The Shoppes at Covington, and to populate it with national retailers.

“The analytics prove that this has been major for our community,” he said. “There were 1.1 million visits to this shopping area the first year it was fully open. We also know that other retailers follow the brands that have located here, and we believe their success will lead to more businesses for Andalusia.

Planning
Another project in the current administration was to update the City of Andalusia’s Comprehensive Plan. Before the updates were written and adopted, the City held both virtual and in-person town hall meetings to seek citizen input into plans for the community’s future.

“Based on citizens’ desire to have more green spaces in our community, and what they wanted to see in that space, we created a plan for Heritage Park,” Johnson said. “This park, located in an abandoned rail yard, is currently under construction on South Cotton Street. When we complete it later this year, it will include a water feature, an outdoor amphitheater, and walking and biking trails.”

Infrastructure
During the past four years, the City of Andalusia Utilities completed a $7 million overhaul of the sewerage and stormwater drainage systems in the city’s south basin, complementing a previous project in the north basin.

“The infiltration of stormwater into original sewerage lines greatly increases the City Utilities’ costs at our water treatment plant,” Johnson said, “By improving these lines, we are extending the life of our treatment facility and reducing our daily costs.”

In the current term, the city continued its quest to make Andalusia one of the state’s most walkable small cities with the completion of a 1.1-mile sidewalk that circles the Andalusia High School and Andalusia Junior High School campuses. Work has begun on a similar project to rework sidewalks on Third Avenue, connecting the new high school sidewalk to sidewalks on East Three Notch.

In addition to the sewerage and sidewalk projects, the city has completed numerous paving projects, including a $1.2 million project completed last summer.

Public Safety
The City also has completed a renovation of the Andalusia Fire Department, and has taken numerous steps to enhance public safety.

“The renovations at the Fire Department updated that facility to provide private sleeping accommodations for members of the department, as opposed to a bunk room,” Johnson said. “The firefighters have told me what they like most about the changes is not having to listen to their co-workers snore.”

The City also has worked with the Andalusia Police Department to ensure local officers have the latest technology available for use in fighting crime, and to keep its fleet updated. Additional updates are planned for the APD facility. The City also has acquired a building for its court system, which will allow the existing courtroom to become an expanded dispatch work area, allowing for monitoring of safety cameras placed strategically in the city.

“We have asked our community to invest in its downtown, so it was only fitting that the City continue to do its part there, too,” Mayor Johnson said. “These facilities are historic parts of our downtown, and we want to preserve them as such.”

He also said it is of utmost importance that officers have the tools they need to fight crimes.

“We are pleased that the council has funded the body cams and other technologies which make police work more efficient and ultimately lead to a safer community,” Johnson said. “This is extremely important to our quality of life.”

In addition to his work with the City, Mayor Johnson serves on the Troy University Board of Trustees, to which he was appointed by Gov. Kay Ivey and confirmed by the Alabama Senate. He also recently was elected to a two-year term as chairman of the PowerSouth Board of Trustees.

He and his wife, Sylvia, have two adult daughters and four grandchildren.

Municipal elections will be held on Tuesday, August 26, in the Kiwanis Community Center.