Choat beats Montalto in mayoral runoff election

By Megan Miller, Editor

TRUSSVILLE – Longtime Trussville resident and current city councilman Buddy Choat has won the mayoral runoff election against Anthony Montalto. Choat announced his intention to run in February.

Choat took the race with 60 percent of the vote, with Montalto coming in with 40 percent. There were 2968 total votes for Choat, and 1977 total votes for Montalto. There were 4945 total votes cast in the runoff election between First Baptist Church, City Hall and Northpark Baptist Church.

After falling out of the first election, Mayor Gene Melton threw his support behind Choat, saying his heart was in the right place to take good care of the people of Trussville.

“He’s tried his best between his work and trying to serve the city,” Melton said. “I think he’s done as well as anybody could to try to learn how a city actually runs and operates.”

At Choat’s campaign party, he said finding out he’d won the election was unlike any feeling he’s ever experienced before.

“I’m humbled and very thankful for the people of Trussville,” Choat said. “I appreciate my family, who have suffered with me for 28 weeks on this campaign, my friends, who are here tonight, and the honor the people of Trussville have bestowed upon me.”

Choat has served on the Trussville City Council since 2008, and enjoyed a year as the council’s president from 2013-14. He currently serves as the council’s liaison to the Trussville Public Library and the Grow Trussville committee while also working on the Trussville Park and Recreation board and the Trussville Downtown Redevelopment Authority.

Choat said the first thing he’d like to do is gather the new council to map out a plan to make the people of Trussville proud.

“We have five men who are going to work together and work hard,” Choat said.

After gathering the council, Choat said his next order of business is to meet with all of his department heads and staff.

“I don’t know them now as well as I’ll get to know them over the next four years,” Choat said. “I’m going to meet with them, we’re going to talk about roles, we’re going to talk about goals, and roll out a plan so we can all get on the same page and serve the people of Trussville the best we can.”

Choat also added he’d like to congratulate Montalto on a campaign well run. At the time this article was published, Montalto had not returned the Tribune’s calls for a comment.

Choat, who has called Trussville “home” for 23 years, is married to Ginny Stodghill Choat. The two have been married for 42 years and have three children: Katie Choat Thompson, Will Choat and Molly Choat Flournoy.

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Choat beats Montalto in mayoral runoff election

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