In this post I wanted to talk about my top five issues in Anniston Alabama before the Municipal elections. These five issues I feel like are the top problems facing Anniston currently in 2025.
1: Anniston’s Crime and Homeless Problem
Anniston still has a massive crime problem inside the city. Yes, it has gotten better over the years, but crime is still a big problem. Multiple websites rank Anniston Alabama as one of the most dangerous cities in Alabama and the entire country.
And one big problem about crime in Anniston is the poverty problem. Anniston does not have many jobs inside the city that are good paying. Anniston has been mostly focusing on bringing in retail or restaurant jobs. And the problem is those types of jobs do not pay much.
So the goal of Anniston lately is to only bring in low-paying jobs and continue the poverty problem, which results in crime and homelessness.
Yes there is a homeless shelter open in Anniston, but homelessness is still a massive problem inside Anniston. When I used to live in Anniston, I would often encounter homeless people sitting in front of my rental place. Or homeless people coming up to me begging for money.
If Anniston wants to turn things around it must get a handle on its crime and homelessness problem.
2: Anniston’s School Problem
If we took a survey of people and asked them, is the Anniston City School System the best school system in Calhoun County? No one would raise their hands. Let’s face it, Anniston City Schools are not doing great.
And this limits anyone moving to Anniston who has kids. Unless families can afford to put their kids in private school or homeschool, you will not see families with kids move to Anniston. The city school system is so bad you have several apartment complexes and mobile home parks on the east side of Anniston that are not in city limits so the kids living there can go to the county schools.
I find the Anniston City School System as one of the biggest problems facing Anniston right now. And I am not criticizing the teachers or staff who work at Anniston City Schools. They are doing the best job they can do. It’s just Anniston needs to support their school system much better than they do now.
3: Anniston’s Downtown Problem
Anniston keeps talking about downtown, but I hate to say it, downtown Anniston is dead Jim. When you have many empty buildings up and down Noble Street and other downtown city streets, you can tell that downtown is struggling and dead.
And I find it funny that Anniston keeps relying on eco-tourism to turn things around. So the city officials of Anniston are getting onto their knees and begging people to come to downtown Anniston. And it does not work that way.
For starters, you need the people living in Anniston to not be in poverty. A healthy downtown starts with a local population that has money. Anniston has recently completed the Chief Ladiga Trail through the downtown area. But even something like a bike trail is not going to turn downtown around.
I have been to many successful downtowns in cities that are similar in size to Anniston throughout the country, and they are all doing better than Anniston. If Anniston wants to make its downtown more vibrant, the local people need to be earning more income. Visitors to Anniston will not turn downtown around. It’s that simple.
4: Anniston’s McClellan Problem
There is one big eyesore inside Anniston right now, and it’s the former Fort McClellan property. Ever since Fort McClellan closed down in the early 1990s, the former fort has been pretty much dead. The former Fort was run by a Development Authority until the city took over the entire Fort McClellan area.
And if you go inside the former Fort McClellan area now, you will see it’s pretty much dead. There are numerous empty buildings, there is a ton of empty land, and the roads inside the former fort are some of the worst roads you will ever encounter.
It seems like this City of Anniston officials are waving their hands in the air like that Beyoncé song and they have no clue what to do.
It’s embarrassing to see the former Fort McClellan like the way it is now. There should be way more development throughout the area then there is now. A couple of bike trails or horse trails are not going to turn around the former Fort McClellan. Neither will a movie star buying buildings to try to make a movie studio.
I guess Anniston does not care about Fort McClellan at all.
5: Anniston’s Empty Homes Problem
Throughout west and south Anniston, you will find numerous abandoned and empty homes throughout the area. And many of these homes can be livable again with some repairs. But as I have talked about earlier, who wants to live in Anniston?
Who wants to live in Anniston when there is still a crime and homeless problem? Who wants to live in Anniston where the city school system is one of the worst in East Alabama? Who wants to live in Anniston where all you can mostly find is low-wage retail or restaurant jobs? See where I’m going here?
If Anniston wants to get people living in these empty abandoned homes again, there has to be massive changes to how the City of Anniston is run. And it will start with the Municipal elections happening this week. I hope the citizens of Anniston will elect a good mayor and city council. A mayor and city council that will actually know what to do to turn Anniston around.
Because as we have seen in the past several Municipal elections, the citizens of Anniston have elected stupid leadership. Maybe this time it will be different. But I am not holding my breath. Good luck Anniston!
Categories: Politics Talk Stuff
