Sweet 16: Mayor Tommy Battle delivers 2024 State of the City address
Published on September 10, 2024
Touting Huntsville as a championship city with a long list of wins during his tenure, Mayor Tommy Battle delivered his 16th State of the City address to more than 1,200 people at a sold-out luncheon at the Von Braun Center’s Saturn Ballroom.
Serving as mayor for his 16th year, Mayor Battle likened the City’s successes to a basketball team that advanced to the elite level of the Sweet 16 in a basketball tournament. The city’s median household income has increased 74% since Mayor Battle took office in 2008 and Huntsville’s annual gross domestic product has skyrocketed 79% to more than $38 billion.
“What we’ve been able to accomplish is beyond extraordinary,” he said. “It certainly has been a sweet 16 years. As you sports fans know, making it to the Sweet 16 is no easy feat. There are a lot of factors in getting there. First and foremost, you have to assemble the right team. And once you made it, you’ve got to have a plan to advance to the semis – to play for the championship.”
That plan included intentional efforts to diversify workforce opportunities, which has led to a robust economy and quality-of-life investments throughout the city that includes new roads, recreation facilities and the first South Star music festival later this month.
Moving forward, sustainability will be a critical asset for the city. Mayor Battle announced that the City is working with Huntsville Utilities to build a 200-megawatt solar power plant on 800 acres near the Tennessee River.
“This project will not only help in providing a secure power grid for our future, but will also continue the goal of a clean and sustainable power generation mix,” Mayor Battle said. “Huntsville will power its own future and have the energy security that we need.”