TUSCO Planning Director Snipes Retiring After Four Decades

Tuscaloosa AL

20 January, 2021

2:06 PM

Description

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Tuscaloosa County Planning Director Farrington Snipes has had a front row seat to some of the most important economic development victories in the city's history during his four decades in public service and will soon call it a career with his retirement in February. Click here to subscribe to our daily email newsletters and breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox and mobile devices for free. You can also support local journalism by donating as little as $5 a month to become a supporting member or by downloading our free Patch mobile app. Snipes, 75, was honored for his service during Wednesday's regular meeting of the Tuscaloosa County Commission, where Probate Judge and Commission Chair Rob Robertson presented him with a proclamation. "I must say retiring has brought mixed emotions," Snipes told Patch on Wednesday. "I've enjoyed working for the Commission and working in the area of grant procurement and management. One of the best feelings you can get is working on these industrial and economic development projects to help people raise their standards of living with new jobs, high paying jobs." Tuscaloosa County Planning Director Farrington Snipes poses for a photo with his proclamation after announcing his retirement on Tuesday after 40 years with the county (Photo by Ryan Phillips, Tuscaloosa Patch)When asked about high points in his career, he mentioned his involvement in perhaps the most impactful project to date for the region. "When Mercedes-Benz came to the county, I remember talking to the [Tuscaloosa County Industrial Development Authority] director and Judge Hardy McCollum and I guessed this would be the high point in any involvement that I would have in major projects. But little did I know about all the suppliers that would come in and today we've been busier since Mercedes came than we were when they first came. But I guess that would be the engine that started so much economic development." Snipes began his career with Tuscaloosa County in November 1980, initially working with a large federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grant in Holt, before taking a role with the county's Board of Registrars in mapping. He would then transfer to the county engineering department to work on procuring grants for road and bridge projects, before eventually moving into his job as the director of planning and community development for the county. "I just hope during my time here, I helped in a small way to make improvements to the county and for the people," he said. Ryan Phillips is the community publisher for Tuscaloosa Patch. A Tuscaloosa native and graduate of the University of Alabama, Phillips is an award-winning journalist, columnist and editor with previous stops at the Starkville Daily News, Weather.com, the Associated Press, the Birmingham Business Journal and the Anniston Star. To contact Phillips with news tips or advertising inquiries, email [email protected].