In a sign of a more open and transparent city government, new Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson removed the door to his office and the curtains from his conference room in his first week on the job. While partly a symbolic gesture, Mayor Stimpson said he plans to usher in a new era of openness and transparency to the City Council, employees and the citizens of Mobile.

“Some of you may think this is just a symbolic measure — and it is in a way — but this is about letting City Councilors know that they are going to have access to the mayor,” Stimpson said. “But not just the City Councilors, but also the city employees and the citizens. You noticed when you came through the double doors behind you that the bullet proof glass doors were open. That’s how they’ll remain. And again, it’s to send a signal that we’re open.”

Stimpson then got philosophical and challenged Mobilians to consider ways to remove the divides between themselves and their fellow citizens.

“I would just challenge the citizens of Mobile to think about the doors that you’ve got in your life and think about taking some of them down. Because if we’re going to be One Mobile, that’s going to be necessary.”

One Mobile was the rallying cry for Stimpson’s unlikely bid to become Mobile’s mayor. Stimpson handily defeated two-term incumbent mayor Sam Jones by a 53-47 percent margin in August.

Follow Cliff on Twitter @Cliff_Sims