Editor’s Note: This is one in a series about local candidates for the Aug. 28 elections.

Gardendale voters on Aug. 28 will choose between the incumbent mayor and a former city councilman with 32 years in office.

Mayor Othell Phillips has been mayor for four years and wants to stay on board in order to complete multiple projects that he has helped start.

The biggest one is the proposed City Center on Mt. Olive Road, which will include a new city hall building and a theater, hotel, retail space and restaurants if all goes according to plan.

Phillips’ challenger, William “Bill” Flippo, thinks he can do a better job.

He served on the Gardendale City Council from 1972 to 2008, and said his experience would give him an edge.

Flippo does not want city hall to relocate to the City Center; he said the former Caufield Square site should be used strictly for commercial development.

There is a discrepancy in the figures that each candidate is using regarding major city projects.

Flippo claims it will cost $8 million to move city hall to the City Center, and cost $3-4 million to renovate the former Food World building into the Public Safety Center. He said neither projects will generate revenue for the city.

“They bought Food World without researching what shape that building is in. I feel like the administration we’ve got now is putting us in such debt they’ll have to raise taxes,” he said. “I think we’re going in the wrong direction. I don’t think they’re wise in their spending.”

Phillips, however, said the city expects to spend $2 million on the new city hall facility, and has spent $2.7 million upgrading the former grocery store. He said much of the cost was offset by selling the current city hall building and the former Anderson Boat building.

“Don’t listen to the scare tactics and the imaginary numbers that are being put out there for political purposes,” Phillips said. “We’ve been very transparent and the total debt won’t even come in at half of what’s being portrayed by my opponent. I know the voters will see through the political propaganda and make the right choice.”

William ‘Bill’ Flippo

Flippo said one of Gardendale’s biggest needs is growth.

“Caufield Square has been an albatross around everybody’s neck because it’s been vacant so long” he said. “If a mayor comes in there and rolls his sleeves up and recruits business, we can see businesses out there.”

One move Flippo opposes is building a new city hall at the former Caufield Square site. He said it should be moved to vacant space at the former Food World building. The police department, jail and courtroom is taking up only a portion of the building.

In addition to developing the Mt. Olive property, Flippo said that if he gets a chance as mayor, he will continue the work to get Publix opened in Gardendale.

He said his biggest qualification to serve as mayor is the more than three decades he served as a city councilman.

“I’ve got experience at all levels of city government,” he said.

As for his management philosophy, Flippo believes a mayor should have an open-door policy.

“City employees should be able to come to the mayor and talk about anything they want to discuss,” he said. “If you talk to any city employees who have been around for a long time, they know they can talk to me.”

Othell Phillips

“Our main focus is economic development,” Phillips said. “We’ve gotten the city in financially good shape. We ended the 2011 fiscal year with a $7.5 million balance and a $2.5 million surplus.”

Phillips said his background in banking, finance and the mortgage industry has given him the experience to lead Gardendale to financial stability.

“I think it takes someone with a financial background to survive these tough economic times. We’ve put the city on solid economic ground,” he said. “We’ve held our own in one of the toughest economies I’ve seen in my lifetime. We’ve achieved some success and I want to continue to see those projects through in the good times.”

Phillips said many of the goals he has for Gardendale takes time.

“It takes many years of planning and networking to see a final product,” he said. “Even though I do believe in term limits, one term is not enough to accomplish what I want to accomplish.”

He said his main goal is to move the city forward and “improve all aspects of the city as a whole.”

Phillips said running a “clean and honest campaign” is important to him.

“I promise to always represent our citizens and our great city in a positive and professional manner,” he said.