FLORENCE, Ala. (WHNT) — Municipal elections will be held across Alabama on Aug. 26.
Voters in North Alabama will be asked to decide on mayoral races, city council races and, in some communities, school board races.
In order to provide voters with detailed information about the candidates running for mayor in 12 North Alabama cities, News 19 sent out a number of candidate questionnaires starting in mid-July.
Some answers will also be edited for length, grammar or spelling reasons, but otherwise the content will be published as submitted. Viewer feedback is always welcome.
Current Florence Mayor Andy Betterton is not running for reelection, meaning an all new list of contenders is in the running for Mayor. Candidates Bill Griffin, Christian McCoy, Billy Ray Simpson, Steve Holt, Anthony Britnell, Ron Tyler and Ricky Pickett were sent a series of questions.
McCoy, Britnell, Griffin and Pickett responded, and you can read their answers below:
1. Please provide a short biography
McCoy: I am a son of Florence. I was born and raised here as the youngest of 4 brothers from a long lineage of military relatives. I’m shaped by this community and grounded in a deep commitment to give back to the very city that raised me. I spent years mentoring youth, speaking nationally about resilience and mental health, and advocating for those who are often unseen and unheard.
I’m a certified life coach, a three-time published author, national public speaker, and the inventor of a medical smartwatch device designed to help manage emergency health situations — an idea born from my own personal health journey. Through it all, I’ve never stopped serving, because this city gave me my foundation. I’m running for mayor to give others that same opportunity.
Britnell: Hi, my name is Anthony Britnell. Yes, I’m running for mayor on August 26, 2025. I’ve lived in Florence since I was six years old, so I feel Florence has always been my home. I grew up in our public school system and graduated at Florence High. Back in school, I was an overachiever and, like most kids in school, I was trying to find myself and what I wanted to do when I grew up. I come from a middle-class family that has worked hard to make sure they put food on the table. Never did I think about getting into politics or leadership positions, but here I am. Just to tell you a little about myself, I graduated with my diploma in 2012. I started working at the City of Florence Park and Recreation Department just out of high school. I worked there for about a year part-time and worked my way up to become a dispatcher for the electricity department full-time, where I worked for about ten years. While working in dispatch, I attended college to complete about two years of schooling for a bachelor’s degree. I finished all my basics required for my degree. Now, even with all my experience in life and jobs I’ve held in different fields and different licenses and certifications, I’m still not sure what degree would be best suited for me; however, that doesn’t disqualify me from being your mayor. If anything, it should make it better. How, you ask? Because I’ve been in the trenches working, and like many with me, I know how tough it is to make a dollar to feed our family with. Not all of us had our education paid for by others; some of us paid for it ourselves. I want my voters to know and understand that I stand with them, I am in the majority as well. I know that if I consider myself middle class and struggle with the everyday cost of living, I can only imagine what those who are in poverty are struggling with. I am running for mayor because I’m tired of seeing our town struggle with rising costs and little to no hope of it ever changing. I’m a firm believer that we need less government and more community action because, as we were taught in school and more so in real life, it’s the actions and beliefs of the communities that make us who we are, not the government. I say all this to say that if you vote me in as mayor, I will do everything in my power to bring awareness to the citizens of this town and to communicate with the council members and department heads to make sure we do the necessary things to bring not just change but clarity to better our community. As I’ve said before, I am not a politician and nor do I want to be. I’m just another voter who fights in the trenches alongside all of you, and all I want is for all of us to succeed to the best of our abilities.
Pickett: I grew up in Russellville, Alabama. I’m single with grown children, who are off living their own lives. I went to the University of Alabama in Huntsville for a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in engineering. I worked for NASA MSFC for 37 years, accepted their deferred resignation offer, and am retiring at the end of this year.
2. What led you to run for Mayor?
McCoy: For me, this isn’t about politics. It’s personal. I’ve sat with families who feel forgotten, students trying to make ends meet, and elders who simply want safe rides to their doctor’s appointment for better care. I stepped forward because I saw too many people being left behind and not enough leaders willing to do the hard work that benefits the entirety of this city.
Florence needs leadership that doesn’t just come from titles, but from trust within our community. I’m running because I believe in collaborative change that brings together schools, nonprofits, small businesses, and residents to restore our city from the inside out.
Britnell: I thought about running for the mayor position last year, but just recently decided to make it official. I decided this because I grew tired of the corrupt ways the city is being ran. I’ve spoken to many people, and we all agree that it’s like no one in the leadership positions are listening to the community. All they are doing is spending countless amounts of money, which we as taxpayers will have to pay back. I personally take offense to that because many of the things they are spending it on doesn’t bring revenue back into the city, and we are having to pickup the slack. Don’t get me wrong, I like having touristic incentives to bring people here, but we need to spend less on beefing up those areas and more on taking care of our town. I guess the main reason I decided to run was because I’m tired of no one listening to the little guy. It’s time that we get the career politicians out and the folks that have nothing better to do but sit on a guaranteed paycheck. We need to put someone in charge that will fight for the people and to better them and our community.
Pickett: I had been a resident of Florence, Alabama, for a few years. I followed local politics. I saw from online forums the discontent of the voters. They want fresh, “outsider” faces. They want transparency, integrity. I am offering that, and my ability to tackle the difficult problems facing the city.
3. What will be your top priority if you are elected?
McCoy: My top priority will be rebuilding our economy in a way that is both inclusive and impactful. That starts with Plan 256, my initiative to create 256 new jobs within my first two years in office. It includes community partnerships to expand skills training, increase local hiring, and support entrepreneurship, especially among working families and underserved residents.
I will continue to proactively improve our public transit system so people can reliably get to jobs, schools, and healthcare appointments. Most importantly, I will invest in our infrastructure, because good roads and working neighborhoods shouldn’t be a luxury — they’re a necessity.
None of this happens in a vacuum. My plans center on bringing people together: churches, the business sector, youth leaders, and community voices. This vision is possible when we build it together, as a community.
Britnell: I feel that the biggest thing overall is to cut the amount of spending on frivolous things and start finding ways to bring revenue back to our town. We have gone so far in debt that no matter what we do right now, the cost of living will remain high. If we don’t start cutting cost and revamping ideas to bring better returns to our city, then it will be our ultimate demise. My top priority is to find ways to bring more money to our city without taxing our people more than they already have been. If that means we must find ways to cut cost on silly expenses or maybe even making our departments do some of the things we sub out, somehow or another, we have got to slow down the unnecessary spending!
Pickett: Tackling the big problems facing the city. Massive debt, a failing sewer piping system, water supply that the EPA gave them a two-year extension to correct. I will prioritize job training in technical skills and industrial recruiting.
4. What are the main challenges currently facing the city? How do you plan to address those issues?
McCoy: Florence is facing serious challenges: rising poverty, a crumbling infrastructure, and a widening gap between those who benefit from city growth and those who get left behind. Our 9.5% sales tax is the highest in our area, which amplifies the struggle of our residents.
We have the talent, the institutions, and the heart to fix it. I will launch a citywide collaboration that gives voice to the people. Our residents, educators, nonprofit leaders, and business owners, so that solutions are established by those who are affected most.
I’ll also prioritize budget transparency, redirect resources into underserved areas, and increase accountability in every department. We can’t solve 21st-century challenges with outdated leadership models. It’s time for fresh, innovative ideas to emerge.
Britnell: The top contributor is the cost of living! I want to cut out so much of theexcessive spending and find ways the city can stand on its own two legs without robbing its citizens. I have a few ideas to make that happen, but like many things, the mayor doesn’t control all of that, it will take communication with the council and mayor, along with the department heads to make that happen.
Next on my list is maintenance on our infrastructure we have. We have crews that can go out and fix an emergency repair either on the electrical, water, or gas system, and I believe street as well, but we can’t tackle the common maintenance of our infrastructures? Granted, I appreciate all their hard work in bad outages we get and what they do to get us back up and going but I also believe that part of cost cutting, like I spoke on early, would-be finding ways to make it where the people we employ can repair or replace a lot of our failing infrastructure. I’ve personally worked at the city, and I know a lot of our limits, I also know we have many people on our payroll so let’s use that instead of subbing out all these jobs to the out of towners that is costing us millions as a community. A hope, but something that may be far-fetched would be, should we be able to cut cost down for our citizens by bringing in other sources of income for our operating cost then my plans are to see about being able to pay our employees a higher wage that have the necessary license and skills to carry out their daily actives in their positions. That will only work, though if we can find other avenues to bring in more revenue and cut the cost to our everyday taxpayer. I will not support raising taxes on our citizens to cover that increase. Should we not be able to do it without that, then my goal would be to help them and our citizens by supporting ways to decrease the cost of living which will make their income suffice.
Lack of career-based jobs is another critical topic we need to improve in our community. I plan to branch out into our county areas to find ways to bring more career-based businesses here, should we not have enough land in the city limits that is. My plans also include to see what property the city owns and find ways to utilize those lots or properties to make something of them. I like Mr. Griffin’s idea of going to job fairs and the effort behind it, however, I don’t think it will work on bringing career-based jobs here. We have enough jobs that pay twenty-five to thirty-eight thousand a year and less, but with the cost of living like it is now, it’s still living in poverty for many of our citizens. I personally made thirty-four thousand a year working at the city and by the time you pay; rent, utilities, vehicle payment, insurance, maintenance on your vehicle, food and all the other cost of living expenses, there is no room to grow for yourself on a single income. To me, that’s not succeeding but surviving in today’s high cost of living.
Pickett: The debt and infrastructure. I plan on looking for every chance to reduce the city budget and increase revenue streams. The infrastructure is difficult; I will work with the city’s engineering department to look for answers.
5. Do you have a personal hero? Who is it and why?
McCoy: My grandmother is my hero. I’ve watched her take care of everyone in our family without ever asking for praise. She worked in nursing homes for years, and even when she came home tired, she still showed up with love and grace. From her, I learned that servanthood isn’t about recognition, but rather responsibility. That’s the kind of leader I aim to be: one who shows up, stands firm, and leads with a servant’s heart.
Britnell: I would put my dad at the top of my list of personal heroes. Through it all, he has always made sure we had food on the table and a roof over our heads. He was there to comfort us and celebrate with us. My mom would be his runner up because like him, she has stuck by him through all the tough times and was around for the good times. She managed their income and made it stretch so that we all could live somewhat comfortably. When my dad got down in health she would rise to the challenge until he got better and sometimes stayed in the workforce along with him just to make ends meet. I believe they instilled commitment into me, which is why I believe it has set me up for this position. My commitment for my community and things I want to do to improve it strives a lot from their teachings.
Pickett: Yes, I have a few, two I called grandfathers. I have been fortunate to have been in the company of wise and honest people. I tried my best to learn from them.
6. Tell us something about you that might surprise people.
McCoy: Most people don’t know that I invented a medical smartwatch concept that stemmed from my personal health journey. It is about helping people of all ages connect to emergency services in times of crisis to save their lives when they need it most.
Britnell: I’m compassionate about animals. I have many pets and enjoy their company. When I’m not out working or socializing with the people of our community, I’m at home relaxing and entertaining them. I’m also a third-generation carpenter in our family. I enjoy building and designing cool things that others can enjoy and that I can say I did. There is nothing better than to see something you built still being used years later.
Pickett: I was going to the local BASS fishing tournaments when Ray Scott was coming out and starting his business. I also cattle farmed as a younger man.
7. Why should people vote for you? What makes you stand out from the other candidates in the race?
McCoy: People should vote for me because I’m the only candidate in this race who has built a true coalition of the people within Florence. My campaign is powered by those in recovery from addiction, residents who’ve faced homelessness, struggling students, and working families trying to stay afloat. I didn’t just talk to them, I listened, and I brought them in as family.
As the youngest mayoral candidate in the history of Florence, Alabama, I represent a new kind of leadership — one that builds bridges between generations, backgrounds, and beliefs. I don’t come from a political family. I wasn’t handed this opportunity. I earned it by showing up in the community, by helping people who were hurting, and by using my own setbacks as a springboard for change.
On August 26th, I’m not just asking for your vote — I’m asking for your partnership, your voice, and your participation in decisions that will impact our city. When Florence comes together, there’s nothing we can’t accomplish.
Britnell: My commitment to my community. I’m a business owner, and I believe that being a problem solver for my clients is what I want to bring to the mayoral position. In the end, the mayor runs the city and all the employees. That position, though, has a lot of influence on other things outside of that, and I plan to use that to better our community to the best of my abilities. I communicate well with others, such as I go out and communicate with my clients and other businesses to give our clients what they want and maybe give them some ideas on things they didn’t even know about as well. I like to have options and unlike what we were given with the municipal building, I want to make sure we exhaust every avenue before we throw away hard earned money from our community. To many, I’m young and may be too young for this position. I own a business and I understand how hard it is for people to let go of the money they save. I want to be a gateway for the people to be able to trust and communicate with and for them to know that I won’t support all that spending and to utilize our departments to the best of our abilities to cut unnecessary cost, should my position as mayor allow for these things. Most of all, I’m not a politicia,n nor do I want to be. I’m just another small business owner and taxpayer like everyone else. I can’t be bought, and I want what’s best for our community.
Pickett: I can give Florence leadership with technical experience. I am good at solving difficult problems in my career and business interests. I am a total outsider to politics. I hope to provide a fresh perspective with a technical background.
Bill Griffin did not answer the questions individually as requested; however, he did provide a link to his website where he says you can find the answers to these questions.
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