Staff photo.
The polling location at Homewood Public Library.
Residents in Homewood could be casting a ballot in a special election as soon as August to determine a new form of government for the city and possibly the hiring of a city manager.
Supporters of the change seemed confident in June that they would get the remaining amount of signatures from a petition to hold the referendum that has circulated since mid-March.
The petition requires signatures from 10% of voters who participated in the last municipal election and still reside in the city.
There was no formal deadline to stop collecting the signatures on the petition, but city officials were clear they did not want to hold a referendum near the general election in November.
City Council President Alex Wyatt said in a June 4 informational session regarding the change in government that the hope was to collect the remaining signatures in the next few weeks.
“We want to get this petition wrapped up so that we can hopefully have an election in August or September,” Wyatt said. “If we don’t have it then, the referendum may be pushed until after the general election, but we are trying to get it before the general election.”
Ward 5 Councilwoman Jennifer Andress said that as of June 21, less than 100 signatures were left to obtain in order to hold the referendum.
“We are all bringing in more signatures daily as more and more people have done some research and are ready to sign the petition,” Andress said.
The state requires that a referendum be held between 40 and 90 days from the time signatures are collected. Otherwise, the signatures are no longer valid.
If 10% of voters agree to hold a referendum, the petition would be submitted to the probate court, and an official date would be scheduled for a special election.
If the vote to change the form of government is approved, it would be enacted in November 2025, when the new council is seated.
The referendum would ask voters whether they want to change from the current government structure of an 11-member council with five wards to a five-member council with four wards. The new change could also allow for a city manager, which would be a full-time executive position within the city.
Sam Gaston, city manager for Mountain Brook, who has been in the position for more than 30 years, gave a presentation at the June 4 informational session about the new governmental structure.
Gaston outlined reasons why cities operate with a city manager position and what it often looks like for a city that has one in place.
“This form of government works very well in cities like Homewood, Vestavia, Mountain Brook,” Gaston said. “For a city of your size, with roughly 29,000 [residents], over a
$50 million budget and 350 to 400 employees, you need more than just a part-time mayor and 11 council members. You need a professional running your operations on a day-to-day basis.”
Gaston told The Homewood Star at a later date that the current governing structure for the city of Homewood does not work well for a community of its size.
“Having 11 city council members and a part-time mayor is challenging, and no one is managing the city on a full-time basis,” Gaston said. “Having a professional city manager will increase the efficiency, professionalism, long-range planning and innovation in the city government, resulting in better and coordinated services to the citizens of Homewood.”
Currently there are 16 city managers in the state of Alabama, with five of them in Jefferson County municipalities.
Gaston said there are three options in Alabama if you want professional local government management:
- Council/manager form of government: The city of Vestavia Hills currently operates under this form and is the same form that Homewood is considering.
- City manager position by ordinance: The city of Mountain Brook operates under this form as well as several additional cities, including Pelham.
- City administrator: The city administrator answers to the mayor. Alabaster and Hoover have city administrator positions.
Gaston ended his presentation at the informational session by encouraging those interested in the various forms of government to talk with their friends in neighboring cities such as Mountain Brook and Vestavia.
Andress said feedback from Gaston’s presentation, which can be viewed on the city’s website, was positive and had increased interest in residents signing the petition.
“I have had several constituents who commented on how helpful Sam Gaston’s presentation was, that they ended up watching after it was over several days later,” she said.
One concern that some community members have had is that decreasing the size of the city council from 11 to five also decreases the amount of representation for residents.
Wyatt addressed some of these points at the informational session, saying there will likely be differing opinions about what the best number for a new council would be. He added that the number could change depending on the feelings of the council members moving forward.
“You will likely find some people who think five is too little, they want seven, or some who want nine, thinking that nine is the best number,” Wyatt said. “I think it is OK that there are differing opinions about that. If there are strong feelings about a certain number needed on the council, or adequate representation for a particular ward, that would need to be addressed to the council, from the public, for them to consider.”
Another point raised during the informational session was that many within the city limits of Homewood still are not clear on what the petition means if they choose to sign it.
Additional details about the petition and the potential changes can be found online at cityofhomewood.com.
Steps Toward A Rederendum
- Collect signatures: A petition to hold the referendum that has circulated since mid-March. To go forward with the referendum, the petition requires signatures from 10% of voters who participated in the last municipal election and still reside in the city.
- The probate court schedules a special election: If 10% of voters agree to hold a referendum, the petition would be submitted to the probate court, and an official date (between 40 and 90 days from the time signatures are collected) would be scheduled for a special election.
- The voters decide: A special election will be held to ask voters whether they want to change from the current government structure of an 11-member council with five wards to a five-member council with four wards as well as allow for a city manager, which would be a full-time executive position within the city. On the ballot this will read as, “Shall the council-manager form of government as provided by the Council-Manager Act of 1982 be adopted for the City of Homewood?”
Where Do I Vote?
Go online to myinfo.alabamavotes.gov/voterview to confirm your registration status, ballot status, polling location and address.
