By Barnett Wright
The Birmingham Times
Birmingham City Councilman Marcus Lundy said Tuesday he will not seek re-election to the District 9 seat.
He made his decision with 90 days until the Aug. 22 municipal elections.
“I said, ‘If I’m not [going to run for re-election], I need to let some folks know so we can get a good slate of candidates,’” he told The Birmingham Times. “I still live in the district. I still love the district. And I want a good set of candidates to vote for.”
Lundy, 49, is serving his first term in District 9, which includes neighborhoods in the Pratt City community and parts of the Ensley, Smithfield, and North Birmingham communities. He acknowledged struggling with the decision, which came down to priorities, he said.
“At some point, you have to ask yourself, ‘What are you going to do?’” said Lundy, who is married with three children. “For me, the thing I’m most proud of is being a preacher, a father, a husband. And I never call myself a politician. I try to be a statesman because I’m out here for the people, and I’m truly trying to be a servant.”
Lundy, a graduate of West End High School and Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University, is chair of the council’s Economic Development, Budget, and Finance Committee. He was elected to the Birmingham City Council on Oct. 8, 2013. He also is a vice president at Regions Bank and an associate pastor at Living Stones Temple in Fultondale.
His decision, he said, had nothing to do with his position at Regions Bank: “At some point, you have to prioritize,” Lundy said. “I’m going to put God first.”
The December 2015 brawl between Lundy and Mayor William Bell, which garnered national headlines, also was not a factor, he said. In fact, Lundy believes he will be remembered more for his accomplishments than the fight.
“People will look back and say, ‘Lundy was a contributor to Birmingham,’” he said. “Look at the budgets I’ve been able to influence. … I’m over economic development, budgets, and finance. … If you look at everything over the past three and a half years, everything the mayor is touting had to be approved by somebody. I share in the accolades.”
Lundy said he’s left his community in better shape than he found it, pointing out “small things that don’t seem big” in his district, such as a new bridge built in Dolomite. Also, under his watch recreation centers were remodeled, including one in Hooper City, as well as the McAlpine Recreation Center and the Dolomite/Westfield Recreation Center. Other accomplishments he’s proud of: the One Pratt Development, the new library and the fire station, and the revitalization underway in downtown Ensley.
“I pray that the [voters] can find somebody who can do it better than I did,” said Lundy. “That’s what I’m looking for in a candidate: somebody who’s going to build on what I’ve been able to do. I still believe this is the best district in the entire city. … I’m simply moving on.”
