Mayor Maddox Provides Clarity Amid Personnel Changes In City Hall

TUSCALOOSA, AL — On a rainy night on March 2, Mayor Walt Maddox and his family met local media at the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater to declare victory in the longtime mayor's bid for a fifth term in office. During his victory speech, Maddox was adamant about moving the city forward.

While Maddox has hit the ground running and achieved several policy wins in the months since his re-election, City Hall has also seen turnover in high-profile positions. What's more, questions persist after the city confirmed its Chief Financial Officer Susan Snowden had been placed on administrative leave for undisclosed reasons this week.

City spokesperson Richard Rush told Patch on Friday that it would not be possible to provide further comment on an ongoing personnel matter, but did confirm that no resignations had been submitted to the city's HR department as of the publication of this story.

Prior to news of the city's CFO being the subject of some kind of investigation or probe, Tuscaloosa City Hall was dealt two major blows on the staffing end, beginning with the resignation of City Attorney Glenda Webb in March.

Also read: What To Know About Mayor Maddox's Policy Vision For Coming Year

Webb left Tuscaloosa to become the city administrator in Northport, now making her arguably the most powerful non-elected official in Northport City Hall. Then in May, the City of Tuscaloosa also lost Tera Tubbs, as she took the job of city engineer in Northport after serving as executive director of Infrastructure and Public Services (IPS) for the City of Tuscaloosa.

The shakeups among department heads have raised questions among some in the community, who have expressed concerns to Patch as the first few months of a new political term unfold.

While the optics may lead some to certain conclusions, Maddox struck a different tone, underscoring his pride in how the expertise of the city's senior leadership team is often sought after by both the private and public sectors.

"It is easy to understand because I see firsthand their ingenuity, passion and hard work," he told Patch. "In their positions as department heads, I worked with Tera and Glenda for 13 years and 8 years respectively. Being that Tera and Glenda are close friends, and with the opportunities provided to them, it makes all the sense in the world to make this move, especially at this point in their professional careers. They are outstanding leaders and will serve Northport very well. I can’t comment on Susan [Snowden] at this time."

Maddox also pointed out that neither Tubbs nor Webb "left the cupboards bare," as both hired senior leaders who were ready to jump headlong into the job. This includes Associate City Attorney Scott Holmes, who was announced as Webb's successor earlier this month — albeit by mayoral appointment — providing what many view as continuity in City Hall.

When asked about his communication with the new City Council, which includes — at present — three new elected officials, with the District 7 race still yet to be decided as it heads to a special election, Maddox pointed out that the Council has very little authority in conducting matters relating to staffing.

"As a practical matter, under state law, the city council is prohibited in directing staff, and for the most part, every Council that I have worked with has respected those boundaries," he said.

While Maddox couldn't speak on the ongoing situation with the city's chief financial officer, he attributed the other aforementioned changes in City Hall to timing and circumstances.

"During my time as mayor, the average department head length of service in that position [city attorney] has been over seven years," he said.

Maddox went on to provide a statistic he believes underscores the consistency in leadership brought by his administration, mentioning that 22 of the 27 former department heads during his time left their position due to retirement — coming out to 81%.

In looking ahead to a new term, Maddox has lofty goals of making the city safer, improving the quality of life for citizens and ultimately leading Tuscaloosa out of the coronavirus pandemic. But the mayor said any success seen by the city has been the result of hiring capable leaders, while providing them with the freedom to head up their departments.

"Our operational structure has not changed," he said. "Beyond our weekly senior leadership team meeting and the daily individual interactions, my door is always open. We have a high standard of excellence which demands a strong commitment. Over the years, we have been blessed with department heads who have embraced this privilege to serve and made such a positive difference."

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