Mayoral Hopefuls Litaker, Andress Square Off at Homewood Candidate Forum

Nearly 200 people filled Rosewood Hall in downtown Homewood Tuesday night to hear twelve candidates for Mayor and City Council answer questions and present the case for their election in the upcoming municipal election on August 26.

Tuesday's candidate forum was sponsored by The Homewood Star and Starnes Media. Dan Starnes, Founder and President of Starnes Media opened the forum and introduced the moderator, WBRC-6’s Jonathan Hardison.

The two candidates for Mayor, Jennifer Andress and Robin Litaker, led off, with Jennifer Andress touting her nine years serving on the City Council. “Homewood is thriving,” she said. “It’s the number one place to live in Jefferson County, according to Niche.com.” Andress went on to say “we are fiscally sound—no matter what else you hear, I want you to hear that. We are financially healthy.” Andress emphasized that, “simply put, people want to move here. They want to open their businesses here. They want to shop, eat and recreate here.”

Robin Litaker began her opening remarks with her experience of being a retired teacher, principal and former Alabama State Teacher of the Year, a software company COO and a catastrophic insurance claims adjuster. “Like everybody else in this room, I love Homewood,” she said, “but we’ve got some problems. We’re $159 million dollars in debt. That’s $6,600 dollars for every man, woman and child. That’s not okay.” She went on to say, “our City Council? They’re guilty—guilty of not managing the finances. I know how government finances should work, and we’ve got to get that in place.” Litaker went on to say “we need different processes in place. I know about strategic planning, and I can bring that to the table.”

The Mayoral candidates were asked about the embezzlement of nearly a million dollars by the former CFO, the misuse of City credit cards and the recent State audit of the City; specifically, how could be assured they would be good stewards of the people’s money.

Andress stated that it was “a travesty” that the CFO stole from the City, but that since that time there is a new Finance Director and several other changes, chief among them the new City Manager, which she called “the most important thing that’s happened since the last election.”

Litaker responded that she was glad the City now has a City Manager but “that manager is only going to be as good as the people who understand how those finances are supposed to work. I understand how government finances are supposed to work.”

The next question related to controversial project and development issues, specifically the Samford project, Creekside and the old Police Department. Litaker objected to a perceived lack of transparency in the development of some projects, saying “if there’s any kind of major project that’s going to affect you, your small business, your livelihood? You need to know about it from the get-go, not at the eleventh. That’s not how we need to do business in Homewood.” She went on to say “we need a process in place that will make sure that you know about it, not at the eleventh hour, no behind closed door deals.

Andress reminded the audience that she had been the Chair of the Planning and Development Committee for the past five years, and she found out about Creekside the week before it came to the City Planning Committee. She touted her “great relationship” with her constituents in Ward 5, and the relationship between the City and Samford students. She went on to speak about the development process, saying “they come to the City, they go through a process, there are public hearings,” and as far as the Samford project went “I think that process worked.” She went on to emphasize the need for developers to listen to the public.

With regards to the Police Department property, “the big highlight of that project for me was actually the park,” because “people are looking for green space downtown, and that’s why I really loved that project.”

Both candidates were asked how, as Mayor, they would support Homewood schools. Andress stated that she has an excellent relationship with Dr. Hefner (Superintendent of Homewood City Schools), and that she had been a part of appointing every member of Homewood’s “amazing” school board. She related her history as President of the PTO and of being a substitute teacher during COVID. She repeated that she has a “great relationship” with Dr. Hefner and is looking forward to working with him.

Litaker reminded the audience that she is a former Alabama State Teacher of the Year, and that she had chaired a “big project in Alabama that said every child is entitled to a caring, capable and qualified teacher.” She stated that to recruit and retain the best teachers in the State, “occasionally, that may mean the City needs to pitch in and pay our teachers more.” She also said that she would like to see foreign languages offered in K-3rd grade, the primary time when kids learn languages best. “Wouldn’t it be something if Homewood had that and no one else did? she asked.

On the subject of electric scooters, e-bikes and golf carts, there were marked differences between the two. Litaker said that she was in favor of banning scooters because of the safety issues. She said that 56,000 children had been injured on scooters last year, so she favors banning scooters. “Until we get our roads straightened out, we don’t even need to consider that. They need to be banned. I feel like decisions in the City are your decisions, but when they come to safety, we need to make them hard and fast.”  

Andress said that “a lot of that is managed with State statutes, and there are State laws about golf carts and low-speed vehicles. “A lot of that needs to be on the parents,” she said. “I don’t think we need to ban scooters, but I think the parents need to work with their kids to understand the safety issues in the neighborhoods.” She mentioned a recent library event about safety, saying “I don’t think we should ban scooters. I think we should teach them to use them safely.”

The final question to the Mayoral candidates dealt with “uneven development” of some properties, specifically Brookwood Village. Andress said that “Brookwood is my neighborhood. I buy coffee there, I buy groceries there.” She said she was excited that Andrew’s Sports Medicine was coming to the facility, but with Brookwood one of the issues was the complexity, involving Mountain Brook as well. As a member of the Planning Committee, she has been a part of that ongoing process. She also stated that she is proud of the EconoLodge going away, calling it a “success story” in West Homewood. She said that she has emphasized to every developer that “you have to have the approval of the public.”

Litaker began by relating that at her last doctor’s appointment, he told her they were moving into the facility, but the problem would not agree to move in there and renovate until the issue of dust and debris created when the rest of Brookwood was renovated. Her question was “who’s going to pay for that.” She went on to say “it’s not my vision for Homewood, it’s your vision. It’s what you want to see at Brookwood. It’s your plan, not mine.”

During their closing statements, Litaker asked the questions, “Are you tired of wasteful spending? No input until it’s almost too late? And endless, unaccountable debt?” She went on, saying “debt is debt—I don’t care what you have in the bank. Do you want true accountability and transparency? Transparency is an action word to me. You have to show that you’re accountable.” She closed by saying that she has years of experience “that will include you, the people of Homewood, in every decision that’s made.”

Andress closed by saying, “the facts don’t lie. Homewood's quality of life is second to none.” As a long-time mom, community leader and City Councilor, “I know where we’ve been, I know where we need to go, and how to get there. I’ve worked hard for you and our amazing City for the last nine years, and I’m ready to keep doing that as Mayor. I’ll be ready on Day One.”

All ten candidates for the Homewood City Council also spoke, but because of their large number and time constraints, their comments were much shorter than that allowed to the Mayoral candidates. A complete list of those candidates is HERE.

The Forum was streamed by WBRC-6, and can be watched on YouTube and below: