0813 Jim Sharp
Jim Sharp
With almost 13 years of service to your credit, you are the longest serving member of the Vestavia Hills City Council. What does this mean to you?
In 2000, we started off with 24 days of operating reserves, accounting for $50,000 per day to run the city and totaling $1.7 million in the fund. Today, we have a $12 million fund balance (141 days at $80,000 a day). I am very proud of that.
I’m also pleased to see how the City has expanded its public green space. We took this on as a priority, and as a result, Vestavia Hills has gone from having 150 acres to where we are today with more than 250 acres of parks and recreation property. We’ve also added 15 miles of sidewalks.
Sicard Hollow alone represents about 60 acres, and we’ll have another 10 or so from Patchwork Farms. McCallum Park is 33 acres.
Scotty McCallum was in his 80s and working 10 to 14 hours a day as mayor of the City of Vestavia Hills. The man did not miss a beat. I suggested the Council to change the name of that park from Little Shades Creek to McCallum Park in his honor.
You’ve seen the City managed under numerous administrations. What area few of the standout memories from your tenure under different leaders?
I would like to give special thanks to the mayor 12 years ago, Scotty McCallum, who had tremendous skills sets in managing and working with department heads and budgets. I’m also especially thankful to have served beside three excellent counselors – David Belcher, Bill Visintaine and Greg Canfield, all of whom have wonderful financial skills and who helped start the process of regaining our fiscal footing.
Tom Greene also deserves acknowledge-ment. A former U.S. Marshal, Greene’s efforts were tremendous in working to strengthen our police and fire departments.
As things progressed and these individuals left office, others, such as Mary Lee Rice, David Carrington and Linda Allison, came on board. Each of these folks took the ball and ran with it. They applied their unique skill sets and did an amazing job.
And I would be remiss not to mention my dear friends and fellow City Council members Steve Ammons, John Henley and George Pierce. They bring sound management skills to the table, and they have helped the whole idea of what we launched back in 2000 – the Vestavia Voters with Vision. Known as V3, it has helped propel our City forward in a planned manner.
What lies ahead? You have three years left in your current term. Lay out the priorities for us.
In terms of what the City wants to accomplish in the next five to 10 years, that list is ambitious, as it should be. Areas of focus include market street improvements along U.S. Highway 31 and upgrades, building up our tax base, pushing hard on retail and of course retaining the retail that is there.
What do you want your legacy to be?
My family moved here from Chattanooga in 1951 when I was three years old; I’ve seen everything happen that has happened in Vestavia Hills. I keep considering myself as a tribesman rather than a chief; I just want to work hard to embellish what we have.
It’s crazy to think I will have served for a consecutive 16 years once this term is up. I never intended to sit on the City Council so long, but with what we had started back in 2000, I felt there needed to be some cohesiveness with what we’d begun at that time.
In terms of my legacy, I want the citizens of this community to feel that I’ve left this City in a stronger position – fiscally, culturally, economically – than it was when I first joined the Council.
We cannot ask for better city leadership than we have now. From the police and fire departments to parks and rec to city hall, you couldn’t ask for a better group of seasoned and talented department heads and employees.
What do you love most about living here?
My roots are here. My friends, my church, my neighborhood, this is where I grew up.
I attended Vestavia schools through the sixth grade (at that time, this was the last grade available in Vestavia City Schools). Then, I attended seventh grade at Shades Cahaba and eighth grade at Homewood Junior High, and then I finished my grade school education at what was then the brand new Berry High School.
It was some time after I finished school at Auburn that I met and married Jane Watkins of Vestavia Hills. She took me to the cleaners – literally, but she has blessed my life.
In 1990, I purchased the Montgomery Highway location of Sharp Cleaners from my father-in-law, Tommy Watkins.
I am indeed a blessed man, and I will always be thankful to the City of Vestavia Hills. It is where I have chosen to make my livelihood and raise my family, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
