Jennifer Underwood Announces Muscle Shoals Candidacy

 

Jennifer Underwood Announces Candidacy for 

Muscle Shoals City Council Place 4

Jennifer Underwood, a lifelong resident of the city and proud graduate of the Muscle Shoals school system, has officially announced her candidacy for Place 4 on the Muscle Shoals City Council in the upcoming municipal election scheduled for Tuesday, August 26, 2025.

Underwood is a Registered Nurse at Florence Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and a Licensed Medical Esthetician at Bare Beauty Spa in Florence. She says her deep roots in the community, combined with her professional experience in healthcare and small business, make her uniquely equipped to serve the residents of Muscle Shoals.

A mother of two—Stella, a fourth grader at McBride Middle School, and Colin, a Muscle Shoals High School graduate and member of IBEW 558—Underwood is focused on preserving the city’s strong educational reputation. “I want to help push the Muscle Shoals school system to be the number one school in Alabama,” said Underwood. Jennifer is married to Billy Underwood, a retired attorney. 

She said her campaign is driven by a passion to preserve and enhance the quality of life for all residents of Muscle Shoals. Her campaign platform emphasizes responsible spending, infrastructure improvements, and economic development that fits the city’s long-term vision. She is calling for better-paved roads, support for public safety workers, and incentives to attract industries that bring meaningful employment to the area.

Underwood voiced concerns over recent decisions by the current administration, including a controversial vote allowing a corporation to utilize four acres of the city’s Industrial Park for a solar panel installation. She posits that the project creates minimal jobs, contributes to local flooding, and strays from the Industrial Park’s original intent of job creation for local residents.

In addition, Underwood is highly critical of the city’s proposed $95 million Sportsplex project, citing the lack of such supporting infrastructure as hotels and restaurants and the potential for heavy financial burden on taxpayers. “That’s nearly $6,000 per person in Muscle Shoals,” she stated. “We need recreation options, but not at the cost of financial instability. This project could bankrupt the city.”

She also raised red flags over recent city spending, pointing to inflated personnel costs within the Recreation Department and questioning the city’s trend of purchasing expensive vehicles for staff. “Unlike the mayor and city clerk of Muscle Shoals, the mayor and city clerk of Huntsville do not drive $70,000 cars. Every city employee doesn’t need a $70,000 vehicle. We have to learn to spend wisely.”

Jennifer Underwood is committed to working collaboratively with city leaders and departments, while remaining focused on fiscal responsibility and community input. “I may not have all the answers,” she said, “but I will listen—especially to those who may not agree with me. Our community deserves thoughtful leadership, not reckless spending."

Muscle Shoals municipal elections will be held Tuesday, August 26, 2025.