12-04-2025
Steven Folks, former city manager, enters Anniston mayoral race
ANNISTON — After three decades of dedicated service to the city of Anniston, Steven Folks is ready to step into a new role: mayor. The longtime city employee and former city manager officially announced his candidacy Friday morning during a Facebook Live broadcast, making him the fourth candidate in the race for the city's top elected position.
'I think the city is headed in the right direction,' Folks said. 'And I've been a servant for 51 years—21 years in the Army, 30 years with the city—and the direction the city is going, I think it just excites me and incites me to just continue to be a part of this.'
Folks, 69, wrapped up his tenure as city manager Thursday, ending a chapter that saw significant development, collaboration and revitalization efforts throughout Anniston.
Born in Aiken, South Carolina, Folks joined the Army during his senior year in high school and later earned degrees from Gadsden State and Jacksonville State University. He began working for the City of Anniston as a temporary employee and rose through the ranks, eventually becoming city manager—without ever having held elected office.
Now, he's vying for the mayoral seat, joining Kevin Cheatwood, Ciara Smith, and Ben Little on the ballot.
Throughout his announcement, Folks emphasized his deep connection to the city and his desire to bring continuity and collaboration to city government.
While Folks didn't pinpoint a single issue he would tackle first if elected, he stressed the importance of staying the course with the city's established roadmap.
'Our comprehensive plan is working. It's a roadmap,' he said. 'The progress of Main Street, the things that we're talking about with McClellan are exciting. Regional Medical Center is headed in the right direction. At the end of this year, we'll be doing something with the master plan for the airport.'
Folks said he hopes to bring stability and a sense of shared purpose to the mayor's office, leaning into partnerships and regionalism. 'Working with our partners to the south and to the north… working with the county—those things are key,' he said.
During his time as city manager, Folks helped lead several major projects. He described the development process with a mindset he adopted from his military days.
'In the Army, I learned that when you have a project you have to ask yourself three questions: how do I attain this? Then how do I maintain this? Then how do I sustain this?' he said. 'There's no need to embark on any new project if you can't answer those three questions.'
Among his proudest accomplishments, Folks cited the city's 2022 comprehensive plan, the revitalization of Main Street, partnerships with health clinics like St. Michael's, infrastructure improvements, and a $2 million street paving initiative that began in 2019.
He also highlighted successful collaborations with organizations such as Main Street Alabama, Jacksonville State University and various nonprofits that supported underserved populations.
'The key things, like St. Michael's Clinic, I think that has been a big issue, because, again, that's helping the most valuable resource we have, which is our people,' Folks said.
Projects like the transformation of McClellan, the new City Market, and the development of the Fire Training Center also top the list of city achievements under his leadership.
'We're talking about the transition of McClellan to the city of Anniston,' he said. 'That could not have been done without our legislative delegation and also the county and the city working together in unison.'
Folks also pointed to the soon-to-open extension of the Chief Ladiga Trail and the newly restored City Hall as significant milestones for the city—projects that combine economic potential with deep historical roots.
'When you get in [City Hall], the history that we have saved… I don't think there's anything like this,' he said, referencing the building's previous life as a post office and federal courthouse. 'Just think about the federal cases that've been held here.'
For Folks, Anniston's story is one of resilience. He sees the community's ability to overcome obstacles—from the Monsanto controversy to the closure of Fort McClellan to the COVID-19 pandemic—as a defining characteristic of the city he has come to love.
Folks addressed the naysayers who paint the city with a negative brush. 'We don't have time to spend a whole lot of energy on negativity,' Folks said. 'What I think we need to do is be patient, be persistent and have a brighter vision.'
Reflecting on his own journey, Folks drew parallels between his military service and his municipal career. In both, he said, he started at the bottom and worked his way up.
'I started off as a private, and I retired as a sergeant first class,' Folks said. 'The positions I had were always ahead of that, because I served as a drill sergeant, a senior drill sergeant, a platoon sergeant, a battalion sergeant, and also as a First Sergeant. The same thing, starting in the city of Anniston—I started off as a temporary employee without any benefits, and I rose to where I am right now.'
He emphasized the importance of seeing the city as a whole—beyond neighborhoods and districts—and working together for a common purpose.
'I always felt that no matter spending my time in Carver Center, it was never about Carver Center,' he said. 'It was all about one Parks and Rec field being one for one common goal, to be successful as a whole.'
Folks is a father of three sons—one of whom is deceased—and has nine grandchildren, whom he calls the light of his life.
As he begins this next chapter, he does so with the same servant's heart that guided him for 51 years.
'I tell everybody, my love and my passion for Anniston — I came here and I became a part of Anniston,' he said.
