In a time of many leaders wanting to ban TikTok, one from Alabama has decided to embrace it.
Mayor Richard Phillips of Oneonta has become a TikTok sensation of sorts. He has been using the app to bring attention to his small town of 7,000 people north of Birmingham.
On the city’s account, Phillips has posted videos of himself engaging in light-hearted pranks at the expense of local officials.
In one particular video titled “Mayor Shenanigans,” he asks the chief of police if the department has a tank that he can drive. The chief, not sure if Phillips’ request was legitimate, responded, “a tank?” The video since being posted has garnered millions of views.
@cityofoneonta Mayor Shenanigans – The Full Tank #oneontaal #justhavingfun #cityofoneonta #alabama
The mayor said he believes that TikTok has been an asset for his town.
“You know, we’ve had people just show up at City Hall, and they’ve driven from other states just to see Oneonta and meet me because they saw our TikToks,” Phillips said.
The city’s TikTok account isn’t just filled with humorous posts, it also contains videos about living in small towns and info on voting in midterms. Phillips said his goal was to create a social media platform that was both fun and engaging for people of all ages, races, and genders.
The TikTok page is free to operate and doesn’t cost taxpayers any money.
Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.
