A Message from Mayor Stimpson - November 3
Nov 3rd, 2020
Good evening,
It is 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3, and I am writing to give you an update from the City of Mobile.
Today, the Mobile County Health Department reports 17,509 COVID-19 cases, an increase of 91 cases. To read a detailed report, click here.
Our crews on the ground are continuing to make progress collecting debris from hurricanes Zeta and Sally. Public works employees and third-party contractors are collecting debris following our normal trash pickup routes and schedules. Our aim is to have the city completely cleared by Thanksgiving. We are also continuing to accept bagged vegetation at Langan Park and Seals Community Center every day.
This week I spoke to a small business owner about some of the challenges that our restaurants and other small businesses are still facing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the destructive hurricane season we've seen along the Gulf Coast. There are a number of local businesses hurting, and my administration is trying to assist them where we can and connect them to other resources where we cannot.
Tomorrow, the City of Mobile will host a Facebook Live event with representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Small Business Administration that is aimed at helping small businesses and individuals navigate the application process for federal disaster relief funding.
With two recent hurricanes that have led to local emergency declarations, there are still funds and disaster loans available for physical and economic injuries sustained during these storms. The deadlines for applying for some of these funds are fast approaching, and because the application process can lead to costly delays, our hope is that bringing these agencies to the public will help streamline the process.
With the cool, clear weather we've been enjoying over the past few days, it seems like a perfect time to catch our Parks and Recreation Department's Movie in the Park event this Friday, November 6, in Hillsdale Park at 558 Felhorn Road. The movie, "Trolls World Tour," will start at Dusk (approximately 6 p.m.). So, grab a blanket, a chair and your favorite snacks and treat your family to a movie to us!
Like many of you, I started this morning by exercising my right to vote. I was at my polling place, the Mobile Museum of Art, by 6:30 a.m. and was one of the first to cast a ballot when the doors opened.
Though we're still waiting on an official count, all indications suggest we could see a record voter turnout for our area. When turnout is low, you sometimes wonder if the results truly are representative of the people. Regardless of how any particular race turns out, I believe the people of Mobile County will have made their voices heard and we will all be better for it. I'd like to thank the Mobile County Probate Court and all of the poll workers who helped facilitate this election under uniquely challenging circumstances.
As you read this, we are likely still at least a few hours away from having any kind of definitive results. Regardless, the die has now been cast, and like you, I'll be waiting to see who our leaders will be when the final ballot is counted. Whether the faces are familiar or new, I hope all who are called to public service would remember that effective leaders never separate leadership from relationships.
In his book "Leadership Promises for Every Day," John C. Maxwell makes this point using Romans 12:10, which instructs us to "be devoted to one another in brotherly love" and "honor one another above yourselves." He writes that those looking to lead should remember to honor all people because they have all been created in God's image and each have a unique contribution to make.
"As a leader, you should never assume that people will follow you because of your position or because of your knowledge. People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."
Sleep tight,