Mobile's Strategic Plan - A Vision for the Future

Jan 26th, 2005

Soon you could receive a telephone call asking you if you're satisfied with Mobile's city services and if not, how you would like to see things changed. The phone calls will be one of the first steps toward designing Mobile's new Strategic Plan. City Council members agreed unanimously to pay $41,500 to the University of South Alabama's Center for Public Policy to begin what will be a three to five month process.

The city's new Strategic Plan will be designed as a vision for the future-a roadmap directing the city into the next five to ten years. To get there, USA will use a three-pronged approach beginning with a telephone survey of 800 adult residents. The calls will determine levels of satisfaction with city services including fire and police protection; garbage and trash collection; taxation; city spending; and economic development. One question might be whether people are willing to pay more taxes for better city services. Another could be whether the city should look at a comprehensive tax reduction plan. Following the telephone survey, city department heads will provide their perceptions on opportunities, problems and the constraints they face. Once these first two phases are complete, the mayor and city council members can identify and prioritize city service issues.

Unlike previous strategic plans that focused on downtown redevelopment, Councilman John Peavy, who is spearheading the Strategic Plan effort, says this plan will be a community wide-review. Still, Peavy says it's important to support downtown developments and the enthusiasm that's growing out of the original "String of Pearls" strategic plans. "This plan will address the basics of financing the city's future and how that will impact Mobile's competitiveness with surrounding counties. We are in a time where we have difficulty providing salary increases for employees while meeting other financial needs of the city. We are frequently referred to as being in financial distress, "Peavy said. But he adds, "with this Strategic Plan in place we will be able to better serve our community's growth and financial needs."

Once information is gathered, and items are prioritized, city leaders will make recommendations. Mayor Mike Dow says it's important to take a new look at the direction the city is going and how citizens feel about their services.

"It's been many years since we last went through this Strategic Planning process. "I felt it was time take a step back and find out if we need to change our priorities, and if we do, determine the best way to do it.

We want to know how we can better serve our citizens, because that's why we are all here, to serve the people of Mobile." Dow says he looks forward to the Strategic Plan process and is anxious to learn the results. At the same time, Peavy says he hopes having a new Strategic Plan in place will allow for a more "collegial attitude" among council members, giving them the ability to work together to provide solutions to problems, before the problems exist.