The Calera population was 3,158 after the 2000 census, a number Roy thought was low. Calera council member Lamoine Glasgow views the growth as a positive for the community. She said the increased tax revenues that Walmart and the other new businesses will generate will allow Calera to improve city services such as fire and police protection. Council member Tommie Lynn Morrison said Calera officials started 20 years ago building an infrastructure to support a residential and business boom. Roy, Glasgow, and Morrison all feel the new Walmart will not hurt Calera's smaller businesses, many of them family owned.
Many people still prefer their personalized service our current merchants offer.
They said current Calera businesses such as Baer's Department Store and Cowart's Drug will continue to thrive. Theresa Harris, owner and manager of Cowart Drug, said she doesn't see Walmart affecting her business. We were established in 1920 and we have established a solid base of customers. As far as the growth pains Calera may be in for, Harris said Calera must be prepared. She lives in Helena and has seen their traffic problems.