Laney looking forward to first term as Demopolis mayor

When reached via phone by The West Alabama Watchman the morning after his landslide victory, Demopolis Mayor-elect John Laney said he would have to call back. It was around 10 a.m., and he was out picking up campaign signs.

“I’m taking a break at 11. Can I call you then?” he asked.

And at exactly 11 a.m., Laney returned that call.

“I’m sorry about that earlier,” he said. “It’s just so hot in the middle of the day, so I was trying to get as much done before midday as I could.”

Throughout his entire campaign, Laney has referred to himself as a ‘servant-leader,’ and Wednesday morning’s phone call seemed to only validate his claim.

“I really couldn’t be where I am today were it not for the entire team who believed in and supported me and my campaign,” said Laney.

A Clemson-educated chemical engineer by training, Laney came to Demopolis in 2001 to lead the local CEMEX plant. When he retired in 2006 from the plant, he and his wife Sharon split time between their home in Demopolis and their home in Michigan.

“I was retired and started going to the city council meetings here in town in 2014, and I started to notice a trend,” said Laney, explaining what sparked his interest in running for mayor.

“It seemed as though we were reacting to things rather than strategically thinking and planning for what’s ahead. My entire career as a plant manager was centered around strategic planning and always looking for what’s next, so I felt like the City of Demopolis could benefit from my strengths in those areas.”

In August 2015, Laney started teaching at the University of West Alabama where he instructs Introduction to Engineering and Occupational Health and Safety. Through teaching at the collegiate level, he noticed that the region is not lacking in a skilled workforce, but industry to anchor that workforce following graduation.

“We’re losing population in Demopolis. We’ve got the people, we just don’t have enough places to put them to work, and so they leave,” Laney said. “We have to reverse this population loss. We can’t allow it to continue at current rates.”

Laney’s current plan involves three courses of action. First, the mayor and city government must effectively manage the city. Secondly, city government has to take care of existing businesses and ensure their overall happiness.

“The condition and visual impacts of our schools and healthcare are two of the first things that outside industry considers when looking at a new area,” said Laney. “We also have to take care of our existing businesses and show them that they matter. Word of mouth and networking is huge in economic development, and we want these businesses to be advocates for our city.”

The first two points of action in Laney’s plan drive the third: economic development.

“Before any industry is going to want to locate here, the first two are crucial. So they play into this hugely, but we also can’t sit and wait for industry to come find us—we have to be out on the front lines and be an itch that somebody wants to scratch.”

When asked about his first day in office, Laney said his plans are simple: meet with department heads to assure a working relationship.

“Any time there is change, we’re all wired to fear the worst, so my plan for my first day in office is to meet with all of the city’s department heads and reassure them that there is no reason to feel threatened. I’m there to nullify any fear on day one.”

Laney won Tuesday’s election by garnering 1112 of the 1776 votes cast, a sizeable 62-percent. In addition, he was the only candidate to capture triple-digit votes in all five of the city’s districts.

“I think that means a lot,” said Laney. “I felt going into Tuesday that there would likely be a run-off, but when I saw the numbers, I was blown away by the magnitude, especially the magnitude across all five districts. I really just can’t tell you how great it feels to have the support of an entire city going into my first term in office. I take that very seriously.”

Laney was quick to thank those who helped him throughout his campaign, and many of those people joined with him Tuesday night to celebrate.

“My family, because they had to live with me through it all, and Freddie Armstead was also very helpful to me. I’ve never run for elected office before, and Freddie had the experience and know-how to help me along the way,” said Laney.

Although he’s lived in Demopolis since 2001, Laney admits he wasn’t extremely well-known prior to his campaign.

“Becky and Roy Jordan hosted the first neighborhood meeting in their home. I appreciate them doing that because it gave me the chance to really start meeting so many of the wonderful people in Demopolis,” he said. “There were just so, so many who helped, and I know I can’t name them all, but I want to thank every person who opened their home to us, put a sign in their yard, and went to the polls on Tuesday. This is really about people, not me.”

Although the position is considered part-time, Laney ran on the promise of being a full-time mayor for Demopolis. In order to stick to that promise, he will stop teaching at the end of this semester.

“I’m finishing this semester at UWA because it’s already started. I’ll take office in November, so at the end of the semester I won’t be teaching anymore. I promised to be a full-time mayor, and that’s a promise I intend to keep.”