Copyright AL.com
Tracie Threadford still looks around when people address her by her new title, “Madam Mayor” before quickly remembering they are talking about her. “I still chuckle. I know I made it to this moment, but it’s still so unreal,” Threadford said. “It’s going to take some getting used to.” Threadford is just days into her term as mayor of Tarrant, a town of about 6,000 just north of Birmingham. While the title is new, the former councilwoman and mayor-pro-tem, who now leads the city, knows her orientation period must be short as she learns the inner workings of city hall and tackles immediate problems known and unknown. Threadford said her three early priorities are tackling city finances, learning details of daily operations and finally improving the city’s image. “I don’t want to alarm citizens or employees, but we can make payroll, but we’re going to have to take a hard look at some things,” she told AL.com as some senior staff members sat nearby in her office. Threadford said there was no need to ask them to leave during the interview. Everything she has to say should be public and transparent, she said. City officials warned in September that spending must slow down or the city will run out of money. Few details were provided. Emails obtained by AL.com at the time included a notice from Tarrant’s finance department notifying employees that all purchases must be pre-approved. “Things may be cut but won’t affect services for the city,” Threadford said. “I’m going to do everything in my power to keep every employee, and I did explain that.” Financial questions and finger-pointing are nothing new in Tarrant. The city has not passed an operating budget since 2022 as the council refused to approve former Mayor Wayman Newton’s spending plan. Threadford has said she suspected that the series of lawsuits stemming from political and personnel disputes at city hall and the legal fees they generated contributed to the city’s dwindling finances. “I’ve got 80 people depending on me to feed their families,” she said. “So, I’ve got to make strategic decisions. I’ve got to make decisions that are going to benefit both the city and city employees.” Threadford defeated Newton in a September runoff to become the second female mayor in the city’s history. She took office Nov. 3. The mayor’s suite was nearly empty, with just chairs lining the wall as Threadford met with city employees. There’s been little time for decorating. Threadford said the first order of business is restoring order itself. The city has earned infamy for its raucous council meetings and political division between the council and former mayor, which had, at times, turned violent. As a result, progress in the city remained stymied and residents on both sides voiced frustration. Threadford as mayor pledged a new era of cooperation between her and the council, which includes two incumbents and three newcomers. “All of us have to be able to communicate,” she said. “We’ve got to be able to develop that trust.” Longtime councilman Tommy Bryant, a political nemesis of former mayor Newton, is now mayor pro-tem, the senior member of the council. Bryant dominated headlines when he punched the former mayor during a verbal showdown in city hall that escalated outside. Bryant landed the slug in response to Newton’s profanity-laced and explicit insults regarding Bryant’s wife. A Jefferson County judge later acquitted Bryant on assault charges, ruling that the councilman was justified in his response to Newton’s “fighting words.” Threadford defended her support for her former council colleague now in his fifth term. “I nominated Mr. Bryant for the pro-tem because Mr. Bryant has institutional knowledge that I will need to guide this city,” she said. “In the shape that it is in now, I’m going to need that institutional knowledge. We have a great rapport. He’s my friend, and I’m his friend.” Just as importantly, she said, is improving relationships that have been damaged after years of political fights and by a tough, mudslinging mayoral campaign. She told employees that the election is over and so are any lingering political feuds. “I wanted to let them know that I’m not the big bad wolf that I was portrayed to be,” Threadford said. “I just want everyone to feel comfortable. I want to develop genuine relationships. Yes, I’m the mayor. Yes, I’m the boss, but I’m human.” Threadford said the city needs to be cleaned in multiple ways, including physically, politically and reputationally. A drive through the city shows the physical needs, but conversations are also needed to polish the city’s tarnished reputation, she said. “We have got to clean up our image,” Threadford said. There are relationships that need to be mended. There are a lot of fractured relationships.” Threadford said she must also meet with business leaders in the city to reestablish relationships. Several heavy industries are located within the town. “I want to find out where we can go from here and can you give me the chance to be the type of leader that you all want to work with,” Threadford said. “We all should have the same goal of making where we live, work and play the best it can be.” Threadford was blunt when it came to ending tension and controversy at city hall and beyond. “I am not messy and I don’t tolerate mess, period,” she said. “Let’s keep the drama out the public. Let’s not have any drama.”
