SPANISH FORT, Ala.— Wanda Finch—who’d been a city council member since Spanish Fort incorporated in 1993—said goodbye to her District 1 seat.

Mayor Joe Bonner at the Monday city council meeting’s end presented Finch with a certificate of recognition for her 15 years of service.

“Fifteen years is a long and good time and I think that it’s completely obvious that you helped move the city in the right direction and I and the council commend you for it,” he said to Finch.

Finch, in her efforts to make Spanish Fort a city, “dotted all the I’s and crossed all the T’s” to set up funds and the books for the city, Bonner said. She was also a key player with getting the Eastern Shore Centre, The Highlands—Baldwin’s largest planned unit development that will comprise neighborhoods, schools and community centers—and Cypress Equities to Spanish Fort.

Finch was always frugal with spending and had a “pay as you go” outlook on the city’s funds, Bonner said.

Finch became part of the city’s incorporation when asked to attend a meeting for the new Daphne High School by then-Spanish Fort School principal Agnes Smith and other trustees who helped organize a community group.

The group was unsuccessful at first, so they canvassed the community, got petitions signed and had the election in 1993.

“I had no intention in running for office,” Finch said, recalling the city’s humble beginnings. “But I had a lot of people come to me and say, ‘Hey you started this thing, you can’t get out now.’ ”

Finch said her biggest challenge as a city leader was first getting revenue after the city was incorporated.

The city had to fund a police department and other city employees. The first city employee hired was Mary Lynn Williams, current city clerk of Spanish Fort. Finch served as city clerk and treasurer until Williams was hired, Finch said.

“We proved the naysayers wrong,” Finch said. “We have been successful; not only have we accomplished our goals of maintaining our identity, now we’re a thriving municipality.”

Finch’s campaign for another four years had met with defeat in the Aug. 26 election when Dennis Dismuke prevailed, 174-119. When asked if she will make a bid for city council in 2012, Finch said, “I’ll see what I’m going to do with the future in a couple years.”  

One thing does seem certain: She’s here to stay.

Finch, a Spanish Fort resident of 51 years, said the city’s “a great place to live and convenient to everything.

“I feel so safe here; it’s just a good environment.”

Finch believes the city will remain in good hands after she leaves.

“I have utmost confidence in Joe Bonner, Mike McMillan, Mary Brabner, Joe Thomas and Tom Sawyer,” Finch said. “I regret that I won’t be there when the senior citizens center is built.”

Finch, who held a post on the Planning Commission, said Bonner will have to elect a replacement.

During her free time from all those public meetings, she would like to travel with her husband, Jim, and visit her daughters, Carrie and Katie, who live out of town. She will continue to work as the director at First Baptist Day Care.

Meantime, she expressed gratitude for her constituents’ support, and a reminder about government transparency and citizen involvement.

“I would like to thank people for their support over the last 15 years and to tell them that those are public meetings and they’re the first and third Monday of every month and they might want to show a little more interest,” Finch said.

“There’s a lot of things going on.”