After a relatively brief hiatus, Gene Smith is looking to reclaim his spot on the Hoover City Council. He said he's focused on keeping promises and building on the work he started when he previously served on the council.
In an interview with 1819 News, Smith discussed his love for the city and his personal commitment to improving it.
“I understand the city’s legacy and recognize the obligations we’ve made over time. It’s crucial that we honor those commitments because promises must be kept," he said.
In response to how he would handle the problems facing the city now, he stressed his experience not just leading the council in the past but also years as a first responder and said that he is known to be level-headed and calm under pressure.
"During my last term, my colleagues gave me the honor of serving as council president. I take that responsibility seriously and carry a deep respect for my past colleagues," he said. "Should the people of Hoover choose me again, I’ll operate with confidence and work alongside the elected mayor and council members to continue making this city a place we can all be proud of."
Since stepping away from office, Smith has remained fully engaged with the city, attending council meetings regularly and livestreaming those he couldn’t attend.
Smith emphasized his dedication to transparency and cited his firsthand experience researching issues before the council in recent years as giving him a perspective he knows would help him make changes and improvements.
In August 2024, when the council was debating its video retention policies, Smith told The Hoover Sun, that “in the past, he has used council minutes from years past to help determine legislative intent when researching specific council actions and city issues, and the way the minutes are written today makes it hard to determine legislative intent. Having videos available for eight years is good, but sometimes he has had to go back 10 to 14 years to research issues.”
He stressed the importance of residents’ ability to be informed, highlighting the change in minutes as an issue he would address if reelected to the council, stating that residents need “complete minutes, not a cliff notes version.”
He said his main priorities include “upholding the promises made to our residents and businesses, with a strong focus on listening to the communities of Hoover’s Preserve, Scout Creek, and Tattersall. Strengthening public safety and supporting our first responders. Ensuring responsible fiscal management. Building a more unified council and restoring the trust and confidence of the public in our ability to work together effectively."
Current city leaders have sung his praises over the years. The Hoover Sun reported in March 2024 that the city’s fire and police departments publicly thanked Smith and his wife for a $100,000 contribution used to buy the bronze statues that stand at the entrances to the Hoover Police Department's Frank and Pam Barefield Training Center and the Hoover Public Safety Center.
According to the article, at the dedication, Fire Chief Clay Bentley said that the Smiths have always been dedicated supporters of public safety efforts in Hoover. “I had a whole bunch of bosses, but I want to say that Mr. Smith was always one of my biggest supporters.”
“We may not have always agreed on everything, but he always supported us in everything we did. I don’t think there’s ever been a time that I’ve ever called him and asked for something that he was not there. He still calls regularly. He still comes by regularly… He loves the Fire Department. He loves the Police Department. He loves our city. His support has been unwavering,” Bentley said.
Derzis echoed those comments in a statement from the police department, saying, "They’ve always come through whenever we have called on them.”
During his final meeting on the council in 2020, it was revealed that “the Smiths have been some of the quietest and most generous philanthropists the city has ever known and perhaps will ever know.”
At the same meeting, Councilman Derrick Murphy said no one could ever say that Smith didn’t conduct business transparently. He allowed people to speak freely and didn’t act in a divisive way with the council, Murphy said. He always wanted to hear his fellow council members’ opinions and didn’t hold it against them when they took positions different from his own."
Smith and his wife, Pam, have been married for 46 years. They have two twin daughters and a son, and they are proud grandparents of six grandchildren: four girls and two boys.
Apryl Marie Fogel is a Birmingham resident who frequently appears on and guest hosts radio programs around the state. She can be reached at aprylmarie.fogel@1819news.com or on X and Facebook at @aprylmarie.
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