Joe Glass for Mayor of Tallapoosa: Bringing Back What We’ve Lost

Like most small cities, Tallapoosa has seen its share of ups and downs. We’ve had moments of great pride and times when we’ve struggled to find our footing. But when I meet with residents and business owners today, a common theme always comes up: something changed after 2019.

That year, our city’s beloved mayor, William “Pete” Bridges, was stricken with illness. And on December 26, 2020—the day after Christmas—he passed away. His loss wasn’t just the loss of a man; it was the loss of a leader who embodied what this community was all about.

Remembering Pete

When I sit down with longtime residents, I hear the same kinds of stories:

• How Pete would start every day driving the streets of Tallapoosa, notebook in hand, making lists of things that needed attention.

• How you could always spot his white Ford F-150 with the orange safety cone in the back, a symbol of a mayor who didn’t wait for problems to come to him—he went out to find them.

• How he was at every event, every ribbon cutting, every open house—not because it was on his calendar, but because he cared.

• How he would light up when a new business opened, sharing in the excitement of the owners because he knew what it meant to take that leap of faith. Pete understood them, because he himself was a business owner.

  
  

In so many ways, Pete Bridges represented the best of Tallapoosa: a city where leaders didn’t hide behind their desks, where small businesses were celebrated, and where people felt that City Hall worked for them.

What Tallapoosa Lost

Since Pete’s passing, many residents tell me they feel the city has lost its momentum. Business owners share stories of delays, roadblocks, and red tape that make it harder to open and grow. Residents point to parks and public spaces that feel more “maintained” than improved, as if we’re stuck treading water instead of moving forward.

It doesn’t mean we’ve lost our spirit—Tallapoosa still has hardworking families, dedicated volunteers, and business owners who believe in this town. But without the right leadership, we’ve lost the sense of partnership between City Hall and the people.

What I Want for Tallapoosa

I don’t want to change Tallapoosa into something it’s not. I don’t want to “Atlanta” it with big-city overreach or expensive, unnecessary projects.

What I want is what Tallapoosa lost:

• A city government that listens and responds.

• A mayor who knows the business owners by name, not by paperwork.

• A vision that balances our small-town charm with real progress—safe parks, thriving businesses, and streets we can be proud of.

• A leadership style rooted in accountability, responsiveness, and community pride.

  
  

Tallapoosa deserves a mayor who wakes up every day thinking about how to make life here just a little better—whether that’s fixing a road, cutting through red tape for a new business, or standing shoulder-to-shoulder with residents at a community event.

Moving Forward by Honoring the Past

When I talk to people about the Tallapoosa they remember—the bustling downtown, the friendly mayor in his pickup truck, the feeling that we were all pulling in the same direction—I know that’s the Tallapoosa we can be again.

We don’t need to reinvent who we are. We just need to get back to what made us strong in the first place.

That’s my vision: to honor the past by restoring the pride, accountability, and momentum that our community has been missing.

Joe Glass for Mayor of Tallapoosa — The Clear Choice for Responsible Family-Focused Growth.