“I’m the best qualified candidate, and I’m backing that up with my background,” he said.

He said he has an “established background in effective leadership, and looks to market Montevallo more strongly and “clean up” the city.

As a native of Montevallo, Nichols said it’s “embarrassing to see how the city is deteriorating,” and the city needs to have an “atmosphere of friendliness and engagement.”

“Right now, let’s be realistic. When you drive into Montevallo, you see 21 empty storefronts. That’s what I see. That’s realism and that’s what we have to work on,” Nichols said.

Attorney Steve Sears was the city’s attorney for 20 years.

“We need to express dissatisfaction with the status quo,” Sears said.

He said he plans to create “transparency” in city hall.

“I want to bring transparency to the government and have a plan that people can see and comment on,” Sears said.

Sears said Montevallo has a “great foundation,” which was laid, in part, by his father, Ralph Sears, the former mayor of Montevallo.

“I possess a lot of common sense and dignity,” Sears said. “I think a mayor should tell the truth and be transparent to have the gravitas and dignity that will help Montevallo.”

Sears said being mayor involves a lot of “detailed work.”

“I’d like to restore dignity to city hall,” Sears said. “I’m going to treat everyone here as an adult. I won’t tell fairy tales about hotels and clothing stores. I’m not going to make promises like this.”