Photo courtesy of Andrew Wolverton
City councilor Andrew Wolverton (third from left) and his family moved to Homewood in 2012.
City councilor Andrew Wolverton Friday that he will not be seeking re-election to City Council in the August municipal election.
Wolverton was originally elected to council in 2016 after he and his family moved to the area in 2012. In his announcement, Wolverton detailed the revitalization of West Homewood that has occurred since he took office and pointed to a bright future ahead for the city as it enters a council-manager form of government.
"Looking back on how the city has changed during the past 8+ years, it’s hard to argue that West Homewood didn’t receive the most substantive and transformative improvements," Wolverton said. "In the first 4 years we saw over $55 million in capital improvements realized in our ward with the West Homewood Athletic Complex, Mega field, batting cages and expansion of the baseball/softball complex. The new police station on West Valley has been a welcomed addition. Our beloved Hall-Kent elementary was expanded and renovated, along with earning prestigious National Blue Ribbon accolades. The addition of the pool at Patriot Park has reinvigorated the summer vibes on the west side as well!
"These last 4 years have been highlighted by bringing decades of sidewalk talk in Forest Brook into action along Delcris and Shades Glen Drives. We've worked diligently to address and encourage new development that is thoughtful and community minded. Creating the West Homewood Entertainment District has proved valuable as we have watched the old Weygand building repurposed and the addition of West Row bringing exciting new life in Paramount and El Barrio to our neighborhood. Most recently we worked to help clean up the vacant lot on Oxmoor road by procuring it for much needed public parking—a win-win for our neighborhood and its business owners."
Wolverton thanked several businesses and their owners, including Seeds, Nexus, Pizzeria GM, Parkside Salon, Salon Virago, Daily Edition, Neighbors, Buka, Mark Ash, Oak & Raleigh and Magic City Sweet Ice, that have believed in the neighborhood and contributed to its rebuild.
He also praised city employees for their hard work.
"It has been an honor to not only serve our citizens but also our employees, many of whom have become friends. Watching our amazing public service and public works employees supporting our city 24/7 has been inspiring," Wolverton said. "I also want to thank all the amazing Homewood employees that work hard to serve our community. I'm glad that during this term we have been able to demonstrate tangibly that we value our employees, providing the largest COLA increase and pay adjustments for them in decades. The future of Homewood is bright as we transition to the council-manager form of governance, bringing long overdue full-time executive leadership to our city. Our citizens and employees deserve this and will benefit greatly from having a central figure able to coordinate the city's efforts and resources on a day-to-day basis."
Wolverton went on to thank his wife, Trista, for her unwavering support, as well as his fellow Ward 2 councilors, part and present, that he has worked with over the years.
Moving forward, Wolverton plans to stay involved in the community while coaching his children in their respective sports and supporting their academic endeavors.
