2025 Voter Guide: Ask the Candidate
Homewood voters will choose their next mayor and city council on Aug. 26. Candidates Jennifer Andress and Robin Litaker are vying to be the next mayor.
The candidates shared why they're running for the office with The Homewood Star. Look for more question-and-answers with all candidates for office as the election season continues.
Q: What motivated you to run for office in Homewood’s 2025 election?
Jennifer Andress:
I’m running for mayor because I care deeply about where we go next. I’ve spent the last nine years listening, solving problems, and delivering results that matter. I know this community, because I’ve lived it—as a mom, a neighbor, and a councilor. With big changes ahead, we need leadership that’s ready on day one. I’m ready to serve, ready to lead, and ready to keep delivering for Homewood.
Robin Litaker:
The biggest motivating factor in my decision to run for mayor of Homewood is my desire to see Homewood as the best small city in our country. An integral part to that is making sure that our city government and those who serve in it are trusted and transparent. We have and will continue to have one of the top school systems in the state and that, among other factors, make this a city that young families want to move to and where long-term residents want to remain. I’m running because I believe in Homewood’s future, and I know we can build our city together.
The recent discovery by the Alabama Department of Examiners of Public Accounts (Audit) states that our current elected leadership lacked ability to manage and oversee city finances. There is no excuse for that kind of lack of oversight. Our city is $159 million in debt. I know moving forward we need new elected officials who know and understand government finances. I have experience with public school finances which, among other things, have extremely strict policies and procedures, including detailed line-item expenditures and a check and balance system of assuring each dollar is trackable and is spent in the best interest of the taxpayer.
I believe my experience will be of great value to the new city manager and the new city council as we move forward in our new form of city government. I will also make sure that all new city plans that will drastically alter the area in which we live or conduct business are given to the residents and business owners first as stakeholders. Not only will they know first, but they will be the first in line for input and needs and will have the final say in what projects move forward in our city. As an elected official, I will be there to be your voice. Often elected officials forget that they are not the decision makers. It is the people they represent, regardless of their personal wants or needs. I will never forget why I am there. The city council and mayor should facilitate, not dictate growth.
To read Andress' full Q&A, click here. See Litaker's full Q&A here.
