In the race for mayor of Pike Road, two candidates are offering voters more than just different visions for the town’s future—they’re also revealing contrasting approaches to transparency, accountability, and attention to detail.
Under Alabama’s Fair Campaign Practices Act (FCPA), codified at Ala. Code § 17-5-1 et seq., candidates are legally required to file monthly reports disclosing campaign contributions and expenditures. These filings serve as a public measure of a candidate’s financial responsibility and willingness to follow the rules. But the reports from incumbent Mayor Gordon Stone and challenger Mark B. Spurlin tell very different stories.
Mayor Stone has filed seven campaign finance reports to date, each submitted on time and publicly accessible via the Secretary of State’s website. His most recent report includes six contributions totaling $2,350 and shows a healthy cash-on-hand balance of $74,811. That level of organization and financial management is reflected in more than just paperwork—it also matches the town’s AA+ bond rating, a mark of fiscal discipline from S&P Global Ratings.
“I believe in following the law, and I believe in transparency,” Stone said in a statement to APR. “It is important that the people of Pike Road know they can count on me to adhere to all laws and to be fully transparent. Attention to details like this is reflective of the attention to detail I have in being mayor of our town.”
The bond rating isn’t just symbolic. Pike Road’s strong fiscal reputation has helped the town secure low-interest rates and save taxpayers millions—benefiting schools, roads, and community projects.
But while Stone has consistently complied with campaign finance laws, his opponent has not.
Mark B. Spurlin, a declared candidate for mayor, was fined $346.55 by the Alabama Secretary of State’s Office on March 31, 2025, for failing to meet filing deadlines. The fine appears on his Form 5 expenditure report under the line item “SOS FINE,” signaling either multiple missed reports or a significant lapse in disclosure.
While Spurlin’s filings from February through May 2025 were eventually submitted, his June report—due July 2—was filed late on July 3. Even a single day’s delay can trigger penalties under the law. But the timeline of events suggests the issue is more than a one-off error.
State records show that Spurlin made in-kind contributions to his own campaign totaling $5,784.99 as early as January 29, 2024. Despite that early activity, he did not begin filing until March 2025, raising serious questions about whether his 2024 financial disclosures were simply never filed—or backdated after the fact. The Secretary of State’s public portal shows no campaign finance reports filed by Spurlin during 2024.
That potential year-long lapse may explain the fine and could indicate a broader failure to comply with the state’s transparency laws. Under the FCPA—Ala. Code § 17-5-8 and § 17-5-9—any candidate who exceeds certain thresholds in contributions or expenditures must begin submitting regular disclosures. Failure to comply can result in administrative penalties and public disclosure of violations.
As of July 2025, Spurlin’s reports appear to be current. But for voters in Pike Road, the question may not be whether he’s caught up now—it’s why it took over a year, a public fine, and missing filings to do so in the first place.
In a town that prides itself on stability, trust, and sound financial stewardship, campaign filings might seem mundane. But they offer voters a window into a candidate’s priorities—and whether they’re prepared to follow the rules they seek to enforce.
APR reached out to Spurlin for comment, but he did not respond.
