MADISON — As Mayor Paul Finley prepares to leave office after more than a decade of leadership, he says his time at the helm of one of Alabama’s fastest-growing cities has been defined by partnership, progress, and purpose.
“When I first ran in 2008, Madison was already a good city,” Finley said. “But I believed strongly it could be great and that if we didn’t address a few key issues, we were going to hinder our ability to get there.”
Finley first took office in 2008, stepping into a city poised for rapid growth but struggling to keep up with infrastructure, school capacity, and economic development.
He decided not to seek reelection in 2012, citing his desire to focus on his family, but returned to office in 2016 after what he described as four years of “a council and mayor not working well together.”
“The community itself had realized the good things we had accomplished together, not just within Madison, but with Huntsville, Madison County, Limestone County, and Redstone Arsenal,” Finley said. “That partnership was broken. And people were saying, ‘We need help.’”
Defining a vision and delivering results
Finley said he’s most proud of helping Madison define a clear vision and then following through on it.
“The short answer is that we did what we said we would do,” he said. “Internally within Madison and externally within the Tennessee Valley, we built partnerships that mattered.”
Among the accomplishments he highlighted were securing funding for James Clemens High School, partnering with Madison City Schools on the 2019 property tax referendum, and supporting major economic and quality-of-life projects such as Madison Hospital and Toyota Field, the home of the Rocket City Trash Pandas.
“Those projects created economic development to the north and high-quality healthcare and entertainment options to the south,” Finley said. “They’ve been game-changers for Madison and the region.”
What he’ll miss — and what he won’t
Finley joked that he’ll miss “the parking spaces every mayor gets at community events, especially on a rainy day.”
But more seriously, he said he’ll miss the daily collaboration with “incredible people” who have helped Madison earn national recognition.
“I’ll miss working every day with people who make an impact,” he said. “Niche just named Madison County the seventh-best county in the nation. That’s because of the quality of people we have here.”
What he won’t miss? Late-night council meetings and the weight of tough decisions.
“I won’t miss every other Monday night at City Hall,” he said with a laugh. “And I won’t miss being the person who has to make decisions that 50% of the people won’t like.”
Challenges and opportunities ahead
Finley said Madison’s biggest ongoing challenge will be managing growth, a “wonderful problem to have,” but one that requires constant attention.
“You can’t shut growth off,” he said. “Huntsville, Madison County, and Redstone Arsenal are growing at unbelievable levels. The key for Madison is making sure our police, fire, and schools are supported at the levels they need to be, so the quality people expect stays high.”
He said maintaining Madison’s “small-town feel” even as it surpasses 64,000 residents will also remain an important focus.
“Most people move here for the schools, the proximity to jobs, and that sense of community,” Finley said. “It’s harder to keep that as you grow, but we’ve worked hard to do it and I know the next administration will, too.”
As he looks toward his final weeks in office, Finley said he’s grateful for the opportunity to serve and confident in the city’s future.
“I’ve loved what I’ve been doing,” he said. “And I’m going to love what I do next. But Madison is in great hands and I’m proud of the foundation we’ve built together.”
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