ROBERTSDALE, Alabama — A new council member was sworn in at the Robertsdale City Council meeting held Monday, Nov. 2 at the South Baldwin Center For Technology’s Culinary Academy.
Russell Johnson, owner of Sweet Home Coffee in Robertsdale, took his place on the council following a swearing in ceremony conducted by Robertsdale Municipal Court Judge Julian B. “Buddy” Brackin. Johnson was the only challenger to win out of four races in Robertsdale’s Aug. 25 election, defeating incumbent Brent Kendrick by only 47 votes.
“I would like to thank the city of Robertsdale for entrusting me to serve as an upcoming city councilman,” said Johnson in an emailed statement following the election. “Thanks to all that helped me through this campaign and especially my wife, Stephanie. I have big shoes to fill from Mr. Kendrick and I thank him for his many years of service to the city. Most importantly I'm thankful to God for the opportunity to be his servant and to use this position to honor and glorify Him.”
Kendrick served as council member from 1988-1996 before being re-elected in 2000, a total of seven terms, or 28 years on the council.
“I am grateful to have been able to serve the citizens of Robertsdale,” Kendrick said following the Aug. 25 election, “and I am confident that the current city council will do a great job moving the city forward to accomplish its goals for the future.”
Johnson is the first new council member to be elected in Robertsdale since 2012, when Ruthie Campbell was elected to fill the Place 3 council seat vacated by Aubrey Grant, who chose not to run for re-election. Grant died in 2018.
Campbell qualified unopposed to fill her third term on the council, along with Place 5 incumbent Paul Hollingsworth.
Mayor Charles Murphy became the longest-serving mayor in Robertsdale history, holding off two opponents for his ninth term as mayor after serving one term as a city council member.
Joe Kitchens, Place 1, who was re-appointed as mayor pro-tem; and Sue Cooper, Place 2, also retained their seats over challengers in the August elections. Kitchens was also re-appointed to the Robertsdale Planning Commission and Cooper was appointed to the Park & Street Tree Committee.
Campbell was also appointed to the Park & Street Tree Committee, and the Robertsdale Library Board.
Johnson was appointed to fill a seat on Robertsdale’s Industrial Development Board, which had previously been held by Kendrick.
Dallas Colby, the city’s building inspector, code enforcement officer, was also appointed to fill a seat on the Planning Commission.
In other business Nov. 2, the council voted unanimously to re-appoint Shannon Burkett as city clerk, Brad Kendrick as chief of police, Ken Raines as city attorney and prosecutor. Johnson abstained from voting on the measure.
The council also voted unanimously to reappoint Herman Harville, Johnathan Kitchens, Lea Ann Russell and Janet Cheney to the Zoning Board of Adjustments.
Also on Nov. 2, the council:
