Despite Homewood's recently elected Mayor Jennifer Andress touting the city's strong financial position in her State of the City speech earlier this year and a mid-year budget presentation in May that noted the city continues to have a robust surplus, the new city manager, Cale Smith, with Andress' support, has frozen new hires and promotions across all departments, including the city's police and fire departments.
"The city closed 2025 with a $2.1 million surplus after employee bonuses and a 4.5 percent cost of living adjustment. Sales tax, property tax, lodging tax, business licenses, and Parks and Rec revenue all increased, with a 2026 budget of $75.6 million," the mayor bragged in January.
The freeze, which began in April, includes positions that have already been funded by the city council and approved in the current City budget that runs through October and is widely being seen as a precursor to upcoming cuts to the departments.
It also follows the implementation of an early retirement program Smith pitched in May.
While both Andress and Smith insist it's "temporary," multiple experts tell 1819 News that the short-sighted move could cause long-lasting damage to recruitment, retention, and morale, in addition to the impacts on day-to-day operations.
Looking back at the last year, Homewood first responders have had a lot on their plates. From Black Lives Matter protests that went on for months after an officer-involved shooting that was deemed by the District Attorney to be justified to multiple arsons, including one that led to federal terrorism charges, and life-saving human trafficking investigations and arrests.
The move comes as the Homewood fire department, led by Fire Chief Brandon Broadhead, has stabilized.
Smith, a former city engineer who served as interim city manager and was chosen over outside hires with far more extensive experience, is defending his decision not to fill the funded positions immediately and instead treat the men and women who put their lives on the line every day in the police and fire departments the same as librarians and maintenance workers.
"I think it's important to clarify one point. Characterizing the City's temporary hiring and promotion freeze as 'defunding' the Police or Fire Departments is simply not accurate. The freeze is a temporary, organization-wide management decision while we complete an independent organizational study, evaluate staffing needs, and prepare the City's first budget under Homewood's new council-manager form of government," Smith said.
Smith says the freezes are due to high personnel costs across the city, which now account for approximately 70% of the General Fund.
"The General Fund has relied on carryover fund balance, or reserves, to supplement ongoing operating costs. While those reserves have allowed the City to maintain a high level of service, they are not an unlimited funding source. As City Manager, I believe it would be fiscally irresponsible to continue adding permanent personnel costs before we fully understand our organizational needs and long-term financial outlook," Smith said, alluding to the fact that no one, not even first responders, will be safe from proposed cuts.
Councilman Chris Lane is calling for the city manager to reverse course immediately.
" Homewood will not balance its budget on the backs of police and fire. Period," Lane told 1819 News.
"Our personnel costs run higher than most comparable cities. That's a real problem, and I'm glad we are addressing it. But the answer is tightening our belt everywhere else: postponing non-essential projects, limiting non-emergency spending, and making smarter choices across the board. That's why I'd like to see any current freeze on hiring or promotions for the people who keep our community safe lifted."
The police department currently has six impacted positions, including three sergeant positions, while the fire department has a mid-level position that will come open on August 1.
"As Homewood Mayor, I fully support our amazing Homewood Police and Homewood Fire Departments. I place the highest value in their service to our citizens and community," Andress told 1819 News before defending the one-size-fits-all freezes.
"I support our City Manager's approach to evaluating our organization before making long-term staffing decisions. This temporary hiring and promotion freeze is not about reducing our commitment to public safety," Andress said, emphasizing the word temporary.
Both Andress and Smith emphasized that they are looking to an outside contractor to tell them if their police and fire chiefs are doing an adequate job managing their respective departments' budgets and personnel decisions.
"It is about ensuring that staffing decisions are informed by the independent organizational study and that taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly, making sure that both departments not only have the necessary personnel, but that the personnel is allocated within the departments to ensure the best possible service to the City," Andress said. "Our Police and Fire Departments remain a top priority, and our commitment to providing the high level of public safety services our residents expect has not changed."
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