Councilman’s Corner: Recognizing a Legacy of Overcoming and Putting People First

Easterling Carpenter • February 12, 2026

Tallassee City Council Honors Linda Benson for Years of Service

Last night, I had the distinct honor of participating in honoring one of Tallassee’s finest civil servants, reviewing the future of Tallassee residencies and announcing an opportunity for Tallassee residents to make their voice heard. First, I will address the opportunity we had to honor former Municipal Judge, Linda Benson, with general information about our council meeting to follow.

Honoring 37 Years of Service

Linda Benson was presented a plaque honoring her more than 30 years of service as a municipal Judge for Tallassee. Upon accepting this honor, she narrated her journey with its ups and downs to the present day.

In 1980, she became a lawyer and soon after considered being appointed with the municipality of Carrville. However, an individual commented that Mrs. Benson was actively suing Carrville, effectively dissuading the municipal council from selecting her. “That wasn’t true,” she continued, “but, I wasn’t there to spread the truth.”

Judge Benson’s father was not going to stand for it. She states that her father “wore out 3 pairs of shoes going door to door,” starting a petition to merge Carrville into Tallassee. Beyond the time and energy committed to this endeavor, other obstacles emerged. Judge Benson’s mother received an anonymous phone call threatening her safety if she did not intervene in the petition process. Later an anonymous individual sent a strongly worded letter saying that Linda Benson would never be municipal judge in Tallassee. Despite the opposition, Tallassee and Carrville merged.

In 1984 Linda Benson was hired as Tallassee’s Public Defender and on October 3rd, 1988, Linda Benson was appointed as Municipal Judge for the city of Tallassee. Even after being appointed as judge, she was met with scrutiny when a council member criticized her for not moving through cases more efficiently. Judge Benson notes that just prior to this experience, she was stopped in a public book store by the parent of one involved in a DUI case. The parent praised Judge Benson for taking the time during his case to help them understand the implications. The individual started making better decisions because of it.

Judge Benson emphasized the importance of focusing on the people in her cases saying

“You can’t just brush people aside like cattle through the chute.” She went on to say that when an individual arrived late for court because he walked, they stayed. They heard his case. And Lane Knight, a lawyer with the city, drove him back to his home in Tuskegee afterwards.

Judge Benson concludes by praising court staff for their resolution in the face of unruly cases, naming Corrin and Glenda among others. She additionally commended lawyers John Smith and Lane Knight for their excellent work and respect for the local Police Department as they risk their lives to uphold the law.

The Council Business

The first item on the agenda was introducing a floodplain ordinance. As I understand it, the ordinance makes us compliant with FEMA standards such that citizens in floodplains can still participate in the National Flood Insurance Program(NFIP). This allows citizens to get flood insurance. Now, the document is very lengthy, totalling over 40 pages and we will be voting on it in the next session on February 23rd. This will give me more time to better grasp the ordinance’s content.

Next, we amended ordinance 2020-565 relating to how a mobile home may be installed in the city limits. This change prohibits the installation of new manufactured/mobile homes in the city limits. Current homeowners living in mobile homes are not impacted since they are grandfathered in. The council voted unanimously to accept the proposal. I personally voted to accept this because it protects Tallassee’s current and future citizens by deciding now to keep neighborhoods vibrant via high-quality housing standards.

Chamber of Commerce Director, Carmen Rodgers, presented a proposal proclaiming the 100th anniversary of Martin Dam. It was noted that a summer celebration would likely be in the city’s plans. The council unanimously accepted this proclamation.

Additionally, a resolution to pursue the Rebuild Alabama Act grant. The resolution authorizes the Central Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission (CARPDC) to prepare the application and the mayor to sign and prepare documents as necessary. This grant would seek to help in the restoration of the old railroad bridge below the Benjamin Fitzpatrick bridge. Bringing function back to such an iconic part of Tallassee’s history would be a great victory for connecting East and West Tallassee.

Looking Forward to the next meeting

At the conclusion of the meeting, Mayor Wiginton suggested changing regular council meetings to Tuesdays. This would allow council members to attend other critical Monday night meetings such as the Industrial Development Board and Chamber of Commerce. He also announced the City of Tallassee will be hosting a Public Town Hall, inviting all interested parties to come with concerns and ideas as it relates to Tallassee’s future.

The views and opinions expressed in this series are those of the author personally and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the City of Tallassee, the Mayor, or the City Council.

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TRA Board Member Spotlight: Michael Bird

By Kristina Pendergrass • July 12, 2026

Though he grew up in Montgomery, Michael Bird was introduced to Tallassee on family excursions to the Hotel Talisi for Sunday lunch and remembers falling in love with the town’s Mayberry-like charm and laid-back lifestyle. After being offered a job as Southside Middle School Band Director, Michael moved his family to Tallassee and knew he would stay here the rest of his life. His 20 years of service at SMS were followed by 8 years as THS Choral Director, during which time he was heavily involved in the creation and promotion of music education, including the Capital City Classic show choir competition and Tallassee Jazz Festival. In 2024, “Mr. Bird” retired from Tallassee City Schools to become Assistant Professor of Music at Faulkner University in Montgomery. A ready fixture in Tallassee, you have likely encountered Michael in Super Foods (where he has been employed since college), heard his voice as a radio host on WACQ (15 years), or read his weekly column in the Tallassee Tribune (over 20 years). In his free time (!), he has also served our community in various capacities: City Council representative, McCraney Cottle Arts Council member, and now as Tallassee Redevelopment Authority Board member. For many years, Michael has felt we are sitting on a gold mine. Tallassee is halfway between Montgomery and Auburn, close to Lake Martin, and located partly in one of the fastest-growing counties in Alabama (Elmore). Our town can boast of a rich history, including being the site of Tukabatchee, capital of the Creek Nation in the 1800s. What Michael feels is Tallassee’s greatest treasure, however, is its picturesque setting on the Tallapoosa River and its two lakes, which have huge potential for recreational development. Michael hopes that his work with the TRA will help promote Tallassee’s assets, highlighting the many retail opportunities available to prospective businesses and drawing visitors from throughout the state and region to our town. Michael and his wife Sena, a professional musician, have seven children and two--soon three!—grandchildren, and are members of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church.

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By Kristina Pendergrass Though he’s only lived in Tallassee for 10 years, Dylan Daniel has already accomplished a great deal to support this town and help foster its economic growth. Originally from Opelika, Dylan found himself seeking spiritual renewal and decided to attend some revival services held by Living Water Worship Center. He quickly fell in love with the congregation and decided to call Tallassee home. He and his wife Haley--a Tallassee native--built upon that idea of revival and renewal, completely renovating a vacant building and turning it into a thriving coffee shop, Restoration 49. Their vision was to create an inviting place for people to hang out and connect, where community-building can take root and flourish. The business has proven so successful, the Daniels have since opened a second location in Wetumpka. But their journey hasn’t been easy. What should have been the most joyful time in any expectant parents’ lives turned to heartache when their son, Samson David, was stillborn at 32 weeks. Through the love of community and the support and strength of their faith, the Daniels resolved to turn their tragedy into hope for others, establishing the Samson Strong Foundation. Along with outpourings of love and prayer, money raised through the Foundation and its annual Samson Strong 5K & Fun Run is used to financially support others in the community who have experienced the loss of a child. Dylan’s business acumen, experience, and drive led to his being asked to serve on the Tallassee Redevelopment Authority’s Board as Vice-Chair. His passion, vision, and love of community led him to accept. He hopes his work with the TRA will see the mill properties and riverfront area developed into a place for Tallassee residents and visitors alike to enjoy. In his spare time, Dylan enjoys restoring old cars behind Restoration 49, and Haley oversees both coffee shops while staying home with their adopted son. They both continue to be active members of Living Water Worship Center.