FAIRHOPE, Ala. - Several City Hall watchers – those attending City Council meetings on a regular basis – have wondered why funeral home owner Gary Wolfe joined their ranks last year. He answered that question Wednesday in an interview with The Fairhope Courier.

“I’m thinking of running for City Council,” Wolfe said May 19. “The reason I’m coming to the meetings is I’m trying to decide who I’m going to run against.”

Almost a year ago to the day, the council voted to stop providing free police escorts for funeral processions in Fairhope.

At a council meeting two weeks before that May 24 decision was made, Police Chief Bill Press urged the council, before an audience of more than 150 people, to take action regarding funeral escorts.

At that time, Mayor Tim Kant had threatened to fire Press for refusing to provide escorts.

Press and Kant have sparred many times since the new chief was hired in June 2009, following an unsuccesful campaign by Kant and supporters to hire then-Fairhope Police Captain Steve Griffis as chief.

Griffis would retire a few days prior to facing a police disciplinary board in 2009 regarding allegations never made public. Had Griffis been terminated as a result of those ongoing proceedings, he may have lost his retirement pension and other benefits, according to city staff.

The city has denied frequent public records requests by The Courier regarding the charges against the former police captain, and Griffis has not returned repeated phone calls by the newspaper.

Wolfe, owner of Wolfe-Bayview Funeral Homes and Crematory, with offices in Fairhope, Daphne, Foley and Elberta, has attended most council meetings since Press first sought to end free police escorts in 2010.

After some council meetings this year, particularly those where actions of a controversial nature have been taken or discussed, Wolfe has walked up to the media table and visited with reporters, giving his perspective on the proceedings, usually in line with the mayor’s position.

“When they started messing with my business I came and wanted to see what was going on, and what I saw was just chaos,” Wolfe told The Courier this week. “I have not really made a decision (about running for council), and that’s why I’m coming to every City Council meeting.”