A Plea for Honesty: Hoover City Council Meetings

Ever thought about administering an oath to the mayor, councilors, and city staff at the onset of each Hoover City Council meeting? After scrutinizing months of meeting footage and statements linked to the forensic audit, the inconsistencies appear to multiply with each discourse on the subject.

There is hope, though, that Hoover residents will be treated to some unvarnished truths. Kroll has assured the city council of their readiness to respond to queries, although this hinges on the city's gatekeepers. The city has been rallying questions about the audit through the city clerk's office, which ceased accepting submissions yesterday. Now, all eyes are on the horizon, waiting for a Christmas Miracle: Comprehensive and transparent answers.

Kroll Forensic Audit Queries

For any questions concerning the Kroll Forensic Audit, reach out to the Office of the City Clerk. Questions will be forwarded to Kroll post December 5, 2024, at 50 p.m.

Prior to Thanksgiving, Mayor Frank Brocato addressed the City Council, asserting, "As the mayor, I felt obligated to stand before you tonight. I want to reaffirm my commitment to taking responsibility and tackling the challenges our city is grappling with. We've had quite a few in recent years."

He added, "The path of least resistance would have been to handle the challenges our accounting department faces internally. I opted not to." Despite the mayor's compelling delivery, the facts seem to tell a different story.

Evidence points to the mayor being aware of, yet neglecting, deficiencies and problems in the accounting department since his early tenure, ranging from staff shortages to software upgrades, among others highlighted in the Kroll report.

Brocato could have asked the council in any of his previous budgets to fully fund new positions, potentially stabilizing the office. However, he didn't, and the City Council failed to provide the necessary checks and balances to hold him publicly accountable.

Adding insult to injury, the mayor's comments comprised a series of statements that seem to contradict previous public declarations made by him, his CFO, and others. No wonder city leadership has resorted to erasing videos and skimping on meeting minute details in recent years.

The mayor emphasized that his door is open to every resident. Yet, can they trust the words that greet them upon entering? Will he continue to evade accountability, blaming those who spotlight the issues and those who care enough to engage or show up to query them?

As noted earlier, the city clerk was accepting questions. But how will these questions be channeled to Kroll, if at all? What about questions directed toward the city council, staff, and officials? Will they respond honestly or seek refuge behind attorney/client privilege?

Reliable sources describe the city clerk as honest, diligent, and trustworthy, but constrained by superiors, including the mayor and the city attorney.

This is the city clerk whose meeting minutes barely provide an overview of the council's discussions, omitting almost all conversations and deliberations between council members and offering no context to public comments. The same city clerk who produced a public records request devoid of any relevant public records after a three-month wait.

The mayor and city leadership, through their words and actions, seem to expect concerned residents to keep quiet and be thankful for whatever answers they've received. Here's hoping for a Christmas miracle, nonetheless. Will Hoover residents finally obtain truthful answers on the forensic audit?

Originally posted on Alabama Today.