By CHRISTINE BOATWRIGHT / Staff Writer

MONTEVALLO – After serving on Montevallo’s City Council for two terms, Hollie Cost has decided to run for mayor.

“I felt like it was time to step up and take a stronger role in city government,” Cost said. “With the partnership between the city, university and county, I feel like I’m in the best position to lead those efforts forward.”

Cost, a special education professor at the University of Montevallo, as well as service learning coordinator, said she has led initiatives, but wants to strengthen the tie between the city and the university.

“When there are programs that the city is interested in doing with the university, I’m already poised to act because I’m in this position,” Cost said of her service learning coordinator position. “It just makes it a lot easier to communicate with the right people.”

Cost leads the city’s art walks, but credits her committee for its commitment. She also co-chairs the Shoal Creek-Prentiss Village task force, which, with fellow Councilmember Sharon Gilbert, is working to improve the neighborhoods surrounding Montevallo Middle School.

“I just see Montevallo as a beautiful little village town, and we’re on the cusp of becoming this special university town that would be attractive to people,” Cost said. “This should be a destination, and I think we’re really close.”

Cost has also served as the chairperson for the Montevallo Parks Trail committee.

“The initiatives I’ve started have supported the economy through culture. That’s really what I’m about,” Cost said. “The art walk was something I led the efforts on and that promotes our businesses. One business quadrupled their sales on the day of the art walk.

“I want to promote what we already have,” she added. “We have the arts, a lot of culture in Montevallo, and we need to tap into that to build our economy, our visibility and raise our profile.”

For more information, search Facebook.com for “Hollie Cost for Montevallo mayor.”