Mayor Tommy Battle is celebrating his “Sweet Sixteen” as he enters his fifth term of service to the city of Huntsville.

Mayor Battle was first elected to the position in 2008, and has served in the intervening 16 years.

The mayor spoke to Huntsville residents in a “State of the City Address,” held on September 10 in the Von Braun Center Saturn Ballroom.

Jeff Samz, Board Chair-Elect of the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber, introduced Mayor Battle.

“By the end of Mayor Battle’s term, Huntsville can say that we have only had seven mayors in the last 100 years,” said Samz. “It’s a staggering statement about the stability of local government that bond underwriters love to hear.”

The ballroom was packed for the sold-out event, with over 1,100 in attendance.

Mayor Battle opened his remarks with an expression of gratitude for the opportunity to continue serving Huntsville as its mayor.

“If you look back at almost 16 years ago to November of 2008, we were in the midst of a Great Recession, one of the longest and deepest our country has seen since World War II,” said Battle. “The first order of business was to tighten the city budget.”

Battle and his team then looked forward to create a plan for the city’s future.

The mayor said the success of the city can be measured both by the number of newcomers who are willing to invest their talents here, alongside the number of native Huntsvillians who return to the city as adults — after college and other pursuits — to raise their own children in their hometown.

“Huntsville’s population has increased 38% to over 241,000. Remember we started at 180,000 in 2008,” said Battle. “We are adding about 17 people a day and we’ve gone from Alabama’s 4th biggest city to its largest and fastest growing.”

Huntsville is the 95th largest city in the nation.

Huntsville has always been known as a “smart city,” and the percentage of residents with advanced degrees has only increased during Battle’s tenure. In 2008, 15% of Huntsville’s residents had attained advanced degrees; that number now stands at 20%. The number of Huntsville residents with a Bachelor’s degree has grown from 38% to 54% during those years.

Higher levels of educational attainment means well-paying job opportunities for local residents.

“The city’s median household income has grown by 74% — it leads the state. It’s also 37% higher than the U.S. average,” said Battle.

Redstone Arsenal pays out $3.3 billion a year in salaries to its employees. The annual economic impact of Redstone Arsenal is $31 billion.

“While Restone continues to fulfill job creation, and meet the world’s security needs, we have successfully diversified our investor portfolio to provide new and different opportunities,” said Battle. “Since 2008, we have created 46,000 direct new jobs, and many more indirect ones. Today, you really don’t have to be a rocket scientist or an engineer to have a good-paying job here in Huntsville, and that was not true in 2008.”

The city’s population growth and economic success have led to increased revenue. This revenue is being reinvested into the city through road improvements, public safety, and modernized infrastructure.

Battle said that through all of these changes, the city has maintained a balanced budget.

“We’ve beefed up city reserves — that’s a rainy day fund that every smart city should have,” said Battle. “We have earned a AAA credit rating for the past 14 years.”

The BIG Picture is the name given to the City’s master plan, which seeks to unite all corners of Huntsville in a plan that furthers the success of everyone.

“For the first time in decades, North Huntsville is seeing hundreds of new houses built,” said Battle.

Meeting the city’s increased need for housing is a central priority for Battle and his team. While Huntsville consistently receives national accolades for its affordable housing, there is not enough of it.

Battle described the issue as a “math challenge.”

Just 1,200 single-family homes are built in Huntsville a year, while 3,000 are needed to keep pace with growth. This represents an annual shortage of 1,800 new homes.

Adopting new zoning regulations and increasing mixed-income housing are two strategies that City Hall is employing to address the housing shortage.

The Mill Creek development, which will be located just west of Memorial Parkway on Governors Drive, is a prime example of mixed-income housing. The $400 million development, which will sit on 27 acres, is estimated to create 700 mixed-income housing units.

“This new neighborhood will be supported by retail, daycare, learning centers, and medical clinics,” said Battle. “Huntsville Hospital is investing in Mill Creek to secure 125 units for its employees.”

Building new roads and improving the functionality of existing roads is another formidable challenge facing city leadership.

The interchanges at I-565 and Memorial Parkway have been rated as “Functional F” by the Federal Highway Administration.

“This interchange was designed for 45,000 daily vehicle trips. It’s now reached 110,000 per day,” said Battle. “This is a federal road — make no mistake about it — and it’s the state’s responsibility. The state receives federal funding to maintain and improve [it].”

Battle said it is time for Alabama to put Huntsville on a “priority list,” when it comes to road improvement.

The mayor unveiled big plans to enhance the sustainability of the city. Battle announced that the city, in partnership with Huntsville Utilities, will be building a “200-megawatt solar plant on 800 acres near the Tennessee River.”

“In Huntsville, we will power our own future,” said Battle. “And we will make sure that we have the energy security that we need.”

Mayor Battle’s fifth term will officially begin on November 4, 2024.