Bessemer voters head to the polls Tuesday for a mayoral runoff between incumbent Kenneth Gulley and former state representative Louise Alexander. Gulley has been mayor since 2010. He received the most votes in August but fell short of the majority needed to win outright, setting up Tuesday’s runoff against Alexander.
Ahead of the election, WBHM spoke with people around Bessemer to learn what issues matter most to them.
The answers went beyond Project Marvel, which has been one of the biggest issues in the campaign. The controversial $14.5 billion hyperscale data center would span 16-hundred acres with 18 buildings, each larger than a Walmart supercenter.
For Denise McGee, basic city services are a priority. She pointed to stray dogs and trash.
“The stray dogs that are roaming all around the neighborhoods that are not picked up, and they end up attacking elderly people or vulnerable people. The trash on the side of the roads,” McGee said.
McGee also said she believes Bessemer needs a change in leadership.
Ayana Power pointed to her frustrations with the city-owned Bessemer Utilities.
“They fixed the water pipes, and that hadn't been done in a long time," Power said. "My water bill had been crazy with one person in the household, me, and then my water bill, light water and sewage together, $900.”
Public safety also came up repeatedly in conversations around the city, including one with Danielle McGruder.
“Safety is an issue, especially for our seniors. Our seniors don’t feel safe out in the community. And of course, I think we need to find more activities for the youth,” McGruder said.
Frank Morgan, who worked for the city for 25 years, focused on violence among young people.
“Crime is jacked up. These young guys, I don’t know what they got that from. A lot of them want to run up on folks and kill them for what?” Morgan said.
Other people WBHM spoke with raised concerns about police presence, street lighting, roads and conditions at city parks.
However, few people were familiar with Project Marvel.
The proposed hyperscale data center facility has drawn questions about its size, its proximity to neighborhoods, environmental and infrastructure impacts and the transparency surrounding the project. City officials recently announced changes to the plans intended to create additional distance between the project and nearby homes.
McGruder said she sees an upside from the data center but has concerns about the growing role of artificial intelligence.
“I think the data center could be beneficial, but it also can be a hindrance because with the AI becoming more important and part of everyone’s lifestyle, eventually there’s going to be no need for the human race,” McGruder said.
In addition to the mayoral race, one city council seat is up for grabs in the runoff as well.
