Oneonta, Alabama, population 6,805, is known for its mining history, its covered bridges and its charismatic mayor who’s put the charming community on the map using the city’s TikTok page.

Mayor Richard Phillips documents life in his hometown, pranks city employees and shows how much he genuinely loves Oneonta and its people through his sweet, short videos.

“When you grow up in a small town as a teenager, it’s the most stressful place in the world,” he says. “You just can’t wait to get out. I went to Auburn, then moved to Manhattan and ended up staying there for six years.”

But when the recession hit in 2008, he moved back home.

“You know, you go from, ‘I’ll never move back’ to appreciating all the things that you once couldn’t stand,” Phillips says. “When I came back, I loved being here, and it’s my personality to get involved. So that’s what I did, and that led me to run for city council and then ultimately led me to run for mayor because I thought, if I’m gonna live here, and this is my little corner of the Earth, I want to make it the best place it can possibly be.”

He’s loved by fans in his town and far away, amassing a following of 118,700 followers by making city hall approachable and fun. His viral videos captured the attention of NewsNation and the Wall Street Journal, which is surprising to Phillips, but ultimately exactly what he was aiming for.

“With my little antics that I came up with, they just took off,” he says. “It ended up doing exactly what I wanted it to do. I wanted it to engage people about our community. And now there are people all over the world that would’ve never known anything about Oneonta, and now they know.”

We chatted with Phillips about what he loves about Alabama.

This is Alabama: What’s your favorite part of living in Alabama?

Richard Phillips: Alabama has a little bit of everything. You know, we have these quaint, beautiful small towns that have retained their Southern charm and integrity and have not changed a lot over the years. I don’t mean that they haven’t grown, but they haven’t lost that charm.

We have beaches; we have mountains; we have so many things that other states only have one. And so it’s so easy for us to brag about the things that you can do in Alabama. And that’s why we call ourselves Alabama the Beautiful. Because there are so many beautiful things that you can do in this state.

But another thing is that we’re so close to other large cities. It takes me two-and-a-half hours to get to Atlanta. It takes two-and-a-half hours to get to Nashville. You know, we’re not so far removed from the hustle and bustle of the big city. And then, of course, we have Birmingham, which is very much up and coming, and Huntsville, which is now the largest city in the state. Alabama just has a lot to offer. It’s a growing state, and it’s a place I’m proud to be from.

TIA: Who would you put on your Alabama Mount Rushmore?

Phillips: Well, I definitely think that we would have to put Helen Keller. And then I can’t not give credit to Nick Saban, who has also put Alabama on the map, just for a very different reason. But I will say, I would put Aubie on there as well.

TIA: How would you describe the people of Oneonta?

Phillips: Very warm and welcoming. Very kind and gracious. I think people here are very, very proud of our community and what we have to offer, and they love sharing the experience of being in Oneonta with other people. If they meet somebody that might be from out of town, they’re going to go out of their way to make sure that they tell them, ‘Hey, while you’re here, don’t forget to go visit Palisades Park or the covered bridges.’ We’re very proud of what this community is and where it’s come from and where it’s going.

Easley Covered Bridge in Blount County. (Joe Songer)

TIA: What is the most beautiful place in Alabama?

Phillips: I’m a big fan of Mentone. I’m a mountain person myself. I appreciate the beach, but if I had to pick between the two, I’m going to want to go to the mountains. You know, I think Oneonta is the most beautiful place in Alabama, but I think Mentone is also absolutely beautiful. They’ve got those gorgeous cabins; they have very unique stores. There’s a restaurant out there called the Wildflower Café, and the chef lives in Oneonta now and is a good friend of mine. So, if I’m going to take a day trip somewhere, I would go to Mentone.

The Wildflower Cafe in Mentone is a quaint, quirky restaurant that also features live music and local art. (Bob Carlton)

TIA: If you had to make a soundtrack about your life in Alabama, what three songs would you choose?

Phillips: Well, of course, it’s gonna be “Sweet Home Alabama.” Without a doubt. I mean, anytime I travel somewhere, and particularly if I travel outside of the country, if I’m with friends somewhere in a pub or we’re doing something fun, and people find out I’m from Alabama, they always play “Sweet Home Alabama.” “Song of the South” is a good one. And then probably the Auburn fight song. I’m a big Auburn fan, and, this is going to make me sound like such a dork, but if it’s a pretty spring day and I’m out walking, I hum the Auburn fight song.

TIA: What’s one restaurant you recommend people go to when they visit Oneonta?

Phillips: Oh, gosh. We have so many wonderful restaurants. The only reason that I’m going to highlight this particular one is because it’s a restaurant that’s owned by one of our council members, Lee Alexander. But it’s probably one of the best-known restaurants. It’s called Charlie B’s Restaurant. People flock from all over to come and eat at Charlie B’s. It’s soul food, it’s comforting and it is just one of the many fantastic restaurants that we have.