BY MICHELLE KEY
PUBLISHER
OPELIKA — After 21 years in office, Opelika Mayor Gary Fuller delivered his final address during Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, reflecting on two decades of growth, collaboration and community progress. Fuller, who will retire at the end of October, shared a heartfelt look back at his time leading the city.
A Legacy of Leadership
Fuller first took office as the Mayor of Opelika in October 2004 after being sworn in alongside the newly elected city council. He went on to win five consecutive terms, serving until his retirement this month.
“Back in August of 2004, the citizens hired me to be their mayor with a four-year contract,” Fuller said. “Then they hired me a total of five times. I appreciate it. Thank you.”
He credited his wife, Laura, their children, Jenny and Gary and a close circle of friends and advisors for their unwavering support through each campaign.
“My wife, Laura; our children, Jenny and Gary; my five-time undefeated campaign manager, Barry Whatley; my solid-as-a-rock advisor and good friend Louis Cherry; and my always go-to guy, the vice mayor and my good friend Jack Robinson,” he said. “Many thanks to everyone who hired and rehired me over the years.”
Transforming Opelika’s Economy
Fuller said when he took office, Opelika was striving to define its identity.
“In the early summer of 2004, polling revealed that Opelika people thought Auburn was doing better than we were,” he said.“We set out to change that perception. I think we had a little bit of an inferiority complex back then. I assure you that is not true today — not with everything we’ve done together.”
Under Fuller’s leadership, Opelika focused heavily on economic development, bringing in thousands of jobs and major investment.
“Since October 2004, we’ve created about 5,600 good-paying jobs and $2.6 billion in capital investment,” he said. “It created demand for residential development and retail. We built almost 6,000 new single-family homes with an additional $1.5 billion in investment.”
Fuller said sales tax revenue has grown from $8 million annually to more than $50 million. The city’s investment in education, he added, also grew substantially.
“In 2005, the total support for Opelika City Schools was about $8.7 million,” Fuller said. “In 2026, that total will be $28.2 million — a 222% increase. That’s $19 million more a year for our schools than it was 20 years ago.”
A “Team Effort”
Throughout his remarks, Fuller repeatedly emphasized collaboration between city leadership, staff and citizens.
“This has always been a team effort, and I’m just a member of the team,” he said. “We’ve had a wonderful team to work with the past 21 years.”
Fuller listed many of the city’s accomplishments, including:
• Construction of the Opelika Sportsplex and expansion of Opelika High School
• A new police and municipal court building, library and public works facility
• Renovations at Covington Recreation Center, inclusive playgrounds at Floral Park and upgrades at West Ridge Park
• Development of covered pickleball courts, splash pads and walking trails
• Creation of Alabama’s first “Gig City” in 2013 through Opelika Power Services
In addition to major recreation and education projects, Fuller cited the city’s investment in public safety and infrastructure. Opelika added multiple fire stations across the city, including new facilities on Palin Avenue, Avenue B and Gateway Drive, with another planned on Pepperell Parkway. The city also purchased six new fire trucks at a cost of $4.3 million and replaced aging police vehicles, averaging six new patrol cars a year. Other major improvements included a new public works building, a renovated lodge at Spring Villa and miles of rebuilt sidewalks to improve safety.
“We’ve done all this without debt,” Fuller said. “We’ve worked hard to be good stewards of taxpayers’ money.”
Looking Ahead
Fuller expressed confidence in Opelika’s future under Mayor-elect Eddie Smith, who once filled Fuller’s former Ward 4 council seat.
“I’m delighted that he’s going to be our new mayor, and I’m confident that our best days are ahead of us,” Fuller said. “It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve the citizens of this great city. My goal from the very beginning was to somehow make a small difference in the life of our community.”
