Jamie Dykes Seeks Re-Election to Northport Council to Address Unfinished Business

Incumbent Northport City Councilwoman Jamie Dykes is running for re-election and told the Thread she believes she can accomplish a lot if given a second term representing District 4.

Dykes, a program assistant at the University of Alabama, was first elected in 2020 and said she sought office because volunteering for various events and causes as her daughter went through school left her wanting to do more for the community.

Her daughter, Emma Katharine, graduated from Tuscaloosa County High in 2020 and will soon begin work on a law degree.

"I was like every other green person who thinks they can go in and change the world," Dykes said in a Thursday interview. "But whoever said the wheels of government turn slowly - truer words have never been spoken."

That has been frustrating, as projects like the repaving of Main Avenue, approved in her second year in office, have yet to get underway as the city goes through the red tape of securing land for sidewalks and more.

Still, Dykes said she's proud of what she has been able to accomplish in her five years in office, including an active role in developing River Run Park, the premier baseball and softball complex set to open next month on the banks of the Black Warrior.

"I want to finish some things that I've started. I ran on River Run Park - that was Dr. [John] Hinton's baby when he was in office as a councilman, and I kind of piggybacked off that because of my love for softball," Dykes said. "I knew I wanted that complex, and I would like to see all the phases of that finished."

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Dykes also said she wants to add a linear park in District 4, where a walking path periodically lined with exercise equipment would run from Glencrest Boulevard south to Mitt Lary Road, then running west to Highway 43 before turning north and ending at County High.

Discussions around University Beach have dominated this election - that's the $350 million lagoon resort the city council rushed to approve in February last year. Dykes was the only vote opposed to entering into the 30-year deal with Texas developers, and said her longtime opposition to the project reflects the overwhelmingly negative sentiment she has received from her constituents about it.

"If you look at the project independently, it looks like an incredible opportunity," Dykes said. "But then, when you put it in the middle of a residential area, it changes its complexity. I think the scope, and sequence, and magnitude of that were not something I was prepared for."

Dykes said that in a recent conversation with another local elected official, they told her that when a handful of constituents have a problem with a project or development, they can be ruled out as a vocal minority.

"But when you have hundreds that are opposed to something, you have to stop in your tracks and listen to what people are saying," Dykes said. "And I can honestly say I have never had anybody email, call, or text me and say this is a fabulous idea or ask me to reconsider. All I have ever heard is negative."

Dykes said a lack of transparency has plagued University Beach, and that she and other council members have signed non-disclosure agreements as part of the deal — a step she told the Thread she will never take again.

If she wins the race next month, Dykes said she hopes to explore ways out of the agreement made last year.

"If I'm re-elected, the first thing I will do, out of the gate, is contract an independent attorney who specializes in contracts and have them review that developer's agreement and see what our options are," Dykes said. "As I'm told right now, there are no options.
But I don't know that. I'm not an attorney, I don't do contracts. But I would want someone outside of Tuscaloosa County to be hired and look at this - somebody who's non-biased that specializes in contract law to give new counsel."

She also contrasted the secrecy around the lagoon resort with an open atmosphere at River Run Park, noting that Birch Dalton has been a constant ambassador for the sports complex and the city, shared updates about progress on the park, and has all but delivered the first stage of what could be a game-changer for Northport.

Dykes also lamented how the city's relationship with Kentuck Arts Center quickly deteriorated this term, ultimately leading to the relocation of their signature Festival of the Arts to a park across the river in Tuscaloosa. The councilwoman said she did everything in her power to keep the event in Northport and wants fences mended in the future, holding out hope that the Festival will return to the Northport park that bears the same name.

Another project she wants to see through is the expansion of city sewer service up Highway 69, where rapid residential development is expected.

"I just hope people will get out and vote because I know it's going to be difficult in District 4, with the location where it is," Dykes said. "I would like to have the opportunity just to finish things that we started, and work with a group of people who are willing to work as a team, then see what positive changes we can bring to the city."

Northport's municipal elections will be held on August 26, 2025. Four of five city council seats and the mayor's office are up for vote. Check out our just-launched coverage hub for those races here.

Any incumbent or challenging candidate seeking coverage on the Thread can reach the editor at stephen.dethrage@townsquaremedia.com.

For updates on those races and more, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.