Special to the
Opelika Observer
Opelika mayor Gary Fuller filed qualification papers yesterday for the August 23 municipal election. Fuller is seeking his fourth term as mayor.
Fuller was a businessman and former president and CEO of Fuller Broadcasting, and operated six area radio stations. He sold the company in 1998, and was elected to the Opelika City Council in 2000, representing ward four. He was elected mayor in 2004, and re-elected in 2008 and 2012.
In making the announcement, Fuller said, “I believe in Opelika and, working together, we’ve come a long way in the past 12 years but our best days are ahead of us. I’m convinced that everything starts with good paying jobs and we’ve added almost 3,000 jobs with a capital investment of over $1 billion since 2004. We’ve permitted and built 2,000 new, single-family homes and our population has grown to almost 30,000 people. Opelika is Alabama’s first GIG city with a world class fiber optic network. The city council and I heard your strong desire for a high quality voice, data and cable TV provider and we have it along with outstanding customer service. We now have a new and improved Opelika High School that’s making a difference in the educational experience of our children. We’ve completed other major projects in recent years, the Sportsplex and Aquatics Center, the widening of Frederick Road and new bridge on Oak Bowery Road. We continue to invest in historic downtown Opelika and it has never looked better. We continue to attract new retail and the Carmike 13 Cinema is doing very well. Over the past 12 years, we’ve invested some $15 million in taxpayer dollars in road resurfacing and intersection improvements. Our growth, success and progress is a team effort involving the city council, our highly valued city employees, and, of course, many citizens. I’m proud to be your mayor and want to continue making sure Opelika remains firmly on the right track during the next four years.”