Brad Bass sworn in as Spanish Fort mayor; council adopts rules and a slate of routine resolutions

Brad Bass was sworn in as mayor of Spanish Fort on Nov. 3, 2025, and outlined priorities including neighborhood investment, public safety, support for small businesses and protection of the city’s natural areas. After the oath was administered, the city presented a proclamation naming Nov. 3, 2025, as Dr. Barry Lee Booth Day and awarded Booth the inaugural “Spirit of Spanish Fort” honor for decades of service to veterans and the community.

The newly constituted council moved quickly through organizational business. Council members unanimously adopted Ordinance 7-26-2025, establishing rules of procedure for city council meetings to fill gaps the presenter said are not covered by state law and to clarify reliance on Robert’s Rules of Order where appropriate. The council also adopted Ordinance 7-27-2025, setting a rotating chairman pro tem schedule among council districts for the four-year term.

Votes at a glance - Ordinance 7-26-2025 (rules of procedure): Adopted by roll-call vote; all present voted Yes. - Ordinance 7-27-2025 (chairman pro tem schedule): Adopted by roll-call vote; all present voted Yes. - Resolution 1565-2025 (designation of depositories and signatories): Adopted; the resolution authorizes the mayor to designate bank depositories and names Councilmember Mary Bradner as a signatory in the mayor’s absence. - Resolution 1561-2025 (generator preventative maintenance contract): Adopted; authorizes a contract with Taylor Sutton Service for maintenance on four standby generators at a contract amount of $4,380. - Resolution 1563-2025 (multi-agency child-exploitation working group): Adopted; authorizes the chief of police to execute a memorandum of agreement with the Alabama law enforcement agency cited in the record to form an interagency task force to address exploitation of children using the internet. - Resolution 1564-2025 (donation of Kubota tractor): Carried over to a future meeting while donor and IRS documentation are finalized. - Resolution 1566-2025 (appointments to City Library Board): Adopted; the five council members will serve on the library board during its establishment (state law limits the board to five seats).

Mayor Bass spoke after taking the oath: “It’s an honor to stand here tonight as your mayor and to take the oath to serve the people of Spanish Fort,” he said, and thanked family, volunteers and his transition team for their support. The mayor’s remarks emphasized building revenue to fill empty storefronts, recruiting retail businesses, and continuing partnerships with Baldwin County economic development entities.

Dr. Barry Lee Booth, honored with the inaugural Spirit of Spanish Fort award, reflected on his career and community service. Booth noted his long practice in Spanish Fort (opening his practice in 1969) and his role with Honor Flight South Alabama; the proclamation and remarks in the record cite the Honor Flight program (2008–2013) and a figure of "over 957 veterans on 9 flights" as presented in the proclamation. Judy Whitby of the Armed Forces Honor Guard presented Booth with a folded flag and a challenge coin during the ceremony.

Chief Barber, responding to questions about the child-exploitation resolution, said the interagency partnership will help address crimes online that target children and emphasized the importance of information sharing and joint investigations.

Other routine business included committee reports (the "Tidy the City" volunteer event collected approximately 12 tons of debris), a short presentation about the city’s 3-mil education tax and school programs, and announcements about Veterans Day closures and the annual Christmas parade. The council set its next work session and regular meeting for Nov. 17, 2025, and adjourned the meeting following the celebration for Dr. Booth.

The meeting record shows unanimous roll-call votes on the items adopted; items carried over for future meetings include the ground-lease ordinance with the Baldwin County Solid Waste Disposal Authority for a county recycling facility and the donated Kubota tractor pending donor documentation.