Photo Courtesy of David Harwell Starnes Media
David Harwell
David Harwell, an active resident voice at Vestavia Hills City Council meetings over the past few years, has decided to run for a seat on the other side of the table.
Harwell, who has lived in Vestavia Hills for a total of 58 years, qualified to run for the Place 3 seat currently held by Paul Head, who also qualified to run for reelection.
Before retiring, Harwell was the vice president of his family business, Tubular Fabricating Company, until he and his brothers sold the scaffolding equipment business in 2005. Harwell graduated from Berry High School and has a business degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Harwell said he’s “not running against anybody” and doesn’t have any problems with anybody currently on the City Council, but chose to run in the seat currently held by Head after Head was the only member of the council to not declare that he was running for reelection at a council meeting earlier this summer. While Head later decided to run, Harwell still felt this was the right time for him to challenge for the seat, after previous campaigns came up short.
Harwell ran for council in 2008 and eventually lost to Steve Ammons, who is now on the Jefferson County Commission. Harwell also qualified to run for mayor in 2012 during the Butch Zaragoza administration but dropped out of the race a week later, saying that the timing at that point was not right. Harwell has served as a water safety instructor for Jefferson County and is involved in ushering, funeral services and the car ministry at his church, Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church.
While politics in the city eight years ago seemed “hostile,” it is not that way now, Harwell said, though he still believes there is work to be done.
Harwell said his main goal, if elected, is to reduce the city’s debt, possibly by shortening the amount of time the city takes to repay the bonds associated with the Community Spaces Plan, a $58 million project.
“I just think we need a faster payback,” Harwell said.
Harwell also wants to see financial reports presented at council meetings that include liabilities as well as assets.
With sidewalks being constructed across the city, Harwell said he would like to see a formal plan to maintain the sidewalks and also said he wants the city to review the requirements for spot annexation, questioning why the city would willingly annex single properties into city limits when the homeowner has a property tax exemption.
The municipal election is Aug. 25.