OPELIKA, Ala. (WRBL) - Mayor Gary Fuller, who has led the City of Opelika for 21 years, will retire at the end of his current term in 2025, closing a chapter marked by major industrial growth, downtown revitalization, and record-breaking capital investment.
Fuller first joined Opelika's leadership as a city council member from 2000 to 2004 before being elected mayor in August 2004. Since then, he has been re-elected four times — unopposed in 2012 and most recently in 2020 with 66 percent of the vote.
Under his administration, Opelika has seen more than 5,700 new industry jobs and over $2.6 billion in new capital investments. Fuller points to the recruitment of Miele and Niagara Bottling as two of the city's most recent and significant industrial wins. The city's industrial park has expanded, attracting a roster of national and international employers, boosting the local economy, and creating opportunities for residents.
Beyond industrial growth, Fuller's tenure has included downtown redevelopment projects, infrastructure upgrades, housing expansion, and the creation of the Opelika SportsPlex & Aquatics Center. The city has also invested heavily in technology, becoming Alabama's first "Gig City" with Opelika Power Services' high-speed fiber-optic internet.
Fuller has often emphasized partnerships — with Opelika City Schools, local businesses, and state economic development agencies — as a key to the city's success. "It's been my honor to serve this community," he has said in past addresses. "Opelika's progress is the result of teamwork, and I'm proud of what we've accomplished together."
With Fuller's retirement, Opelika voters will choose a new mayor for the first time in two decades. The three candidates — Herman G. Barnes III, Raven Harvis, and Eddie Smith — will appear on the August 26 ballot.
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