Moving Gadsden Forward

Forward momentum is the goal of Craig Ford, Mayor of the City of Gadsden, Alabama. Gadsden is a quaint town that runs along the winding Coosa River in the Northeast corner of the Yellowhammer State. Once a booming steel and tire manufacturing hub, key industries had long shuttered their doors and gone elsewhere when Ford took office in November of 2022. Today, this quiet little town is once again “all gas and no brakes” with Ford leading the charge to reimagine Gadsden.

Mayor Ford is no stranger to life in the political fast lane having 18 years of experience as a member of the state legislature. His mission at city hall is to bring a sense of urgency to local government work. “Get it done,” says Ford, “is something I say 100 times a day, at least. I can’t sit still, and I take that energy and direct it toward whatever comes my way.”

“I learned a lot in Montgomery, and believe it or not it has helped me in all aspects of my life. The main thing it taught me, though, is that if you don’t ask, the answer is always no. So, getting out there and asking for grants, asking businesses to build and expand, and finding ways to make things happen for Gadsden is something I and my team are not afraid of,” Mayor Ford said.

As mayor, he’s not one to sit behind the desk. He takes an active role in running his city, from attending police warrant roundups to picking up trash on the side of the road and cutting tree debris from the right of way. This mayor thrives when he can roll up his sleeves and work beside his people. “You should never forget where you come from. I have always been proud to come from Gadsden – East Gadsden to be specific. That is still true today, and serving this city as its mayor is a joy. I hope when we’re through, everyone will know that we set out to breathe life back into this place,” he said.

His work ethic is something to aspire to as well. In addition to serving his community as mayor, he serves his country in the United States Army National Guard. As the Commander of the Ft. McClellan Training Center, Mayor Ford is known to leave drill and come straight to work at city hall – sometimes still donning partial military gear.

During a recent water main rupture that interrupted water service for nearly all of Gadsden for several hours on a Monday morning, Mayor Ford could be found out on the street handing out bottled water at Colley Homes. The next thing his staff knew, he was in a twelve-foot ditch with water board workers who were working in several feet of mud to repair the twenty-inch water main. He simply wants to be with the people of Gadsden and says understanding their wants, needs, and challenges helps him make better decisions.

His work ethic extends to his personal life as well. While he stays busy with his public service responsibilities, Mayor Ford is quite protective of his time with his lovely wife, Gwen, their two children, Wells (Alex) and Jonathan (Erin), and their beloved dog, Dollar. They enjoy spending family time together on the lake. During this time, he entrusts the city to his staff leadership while remaining at arms’ length in the case of an emergency.

In his spare time, he can be found on the tennis court, on the softball field, or “pumping iron” in the gym. He enjoys leading an active lifestyle with his friends and family.

He attributes his perseverance and ability to adapt and overcome to his military service and in dealing with people for several decades in state and local politics.

Hope, Mayor Ford says, is what he found was missing as he was campaigning door-to-door asking the people of Gadsden for their vote in the heat of summer 2022. He says those conversations fueled his campaign efforts and still fuels him each day in working with the City Council and managing the city.

He wants the citizens of Gadsden to be excited to live, work, and shop here. “I want Gadsden to be a place of pride for the residents and myself, but especially for my children. One of my guiding posts is doing so well a job as mayor that I can convince my kids to want to come back here and settle. If we can make Gadsden attractive to them and their peers, I think that means we’ve begun to turn the tide for the future of our city,” said Mayor Ford when asked about what drives him.

To achieve those goals, Mayor Ford and the City Council have recently adopted the city’s third comprehensive master plan in history: GROW Gadsden. It is an ambitious roadmap of the city’s future which is already driving significant new investments from commercial growth, industrial development, and residential building efforts.

One aspect of turning the tide of Gadsden’s future means redefining the narrative about the once industrialized city. Instead of the “former tire and steel town,” he wants the City of Gadsden to be known as the “Coosa River and Noccalula Falls” city full of natural beauty, outdoor recreation opportunities, and an emphasis on quality of life.

“We joke about turning Gadsden into ‘Fun Town,’” says the mayor. “We might not get our population back up to 60,000 like it was in the 1950s, but we can bring residents from nearby communities into Gadsden, where they’ll earn a living and spend their money at our shops, restaurants, and tourist destinations. Then, we’ll reinvest those tax dollars into the community so those who do choose to live in Gadsden have a higher quality of life and more opportunity.”

While this mayor is still relatively new to his position, he has a lot to show for less than two years in office, more in the works, and exponentially more planned for the future. So, for those who haven’t visited Gadsden or haven’t in a while, it might be time to get to Gadsden – or get back to Gadsden.

This mayor, his team, and the Gadsden City Council are imagining a future that might need you in it!