Ian Sanford said it helped him to step away from his position as Sheffield's mayor and look at the city from a distance.

Sanford served two terms as mayor from October 1996 to September 2004 before deciding not to seek a third consecutive term.

Now Sanford said he's ready for another run. He has announced he will seek the position again during the municipal election in August.

Mayor Billy Don Anderson has also announced plans to seek re-election.

"People were encouraging me for two years, but that still wasn't enough," Sanford said.

"That's nice that they wanted me to; but do I want to? I came to the conclusion that it was something I wanted to try again."

Sanford is a native of Sheffield and a graduate of Sheffield High School and the University of North Alabama.

"Having served as mayor of Sheffield for eight years, I am very aware of the challenges it faces, but also the potential the city possesses," Sanford said.

During his term, Sanford said he demonstrated his ability to work in concert with other elected officials for betterment of the Shoals, specifically in the effort to bring in the Retirement Systems of Alabama project, SCA Tissue and the Walgreen's call center to the area.

It is through these efforts that the Shoals continues to be attractive to other major industries, he said.

"I have an eight-year track record that illustrates my commitment to serving the citizens of Sheffield through practical and frugal city management," Sanford said. "As mayor, I will always be available to listen to Sheffield's citizens, I will be a good steward of public funds, and I will make tough decisions in a timely manner."

Sanford said one of the major issues that has troubled the city for years is a lack of sales tax revenue.

"That is always a concern," Sanford said.

Having a background in sales and negotiations, Sanford said he doesn't mind "cold calling" prospects, "even to the point of bothering them." He said it took about a year of negotiations before the Outback Steakhouse decided to come to Sheffield.

"You can't snap your fingers and presto, they show up," he said.

Sanford said he is familiar with many of the ongoing projects the city is involved in, such as the overlook at the historic standpipe and the Love Plaza project on Montgomery Avenue.

Sanford said he also wants to revisit the idea of developing an entertainment district in downtown Sheffield and some aspects of the consolidation effort.

"We definitely have challenges, but there is potential out there," Sanford said.

"I'm proud to be a citizen of Sheffield. I'm not a rookie, so if I'm elected to that position, I can step back in without any major bumps in the road."

Russ Corey can be reached at 740-5738 or russ.corey@timesdaily.com.