Frank Brocato sworn in as Hoover's 10th mayor
Retired Hoover Fire Marshal Frank Brocato was sworn in as the 10th mayor of Hoover tonight before a standing-room-only crowd at the Hoover Municipal Center.
Jefferson County Circuit Judge Michael Graffeo administered the oath of office for Brocato, who defeated incumbent Mayor Gary Ivey and Hoover City Schools Foundation President Steve McClinton in the Aug. 23 election without having to go into a runoff.
His wife, Frances, stood at his side as he promised to serve the residents of Hoover for the next four years.
After the meeting, Brocato said it has been a long 10 to 11 months since he began his campaign for mayor, and he thanked all the people who worked hard with him to get to this point.
“It’s outstanding to be able to stand here tonight as the 10th mayor of Hoover,” he said. “It’s such an honor. I’m so blessed.”
Brocato said he’s ready to hit the ground running.
“The whole campaign we talked about working with our school system and helping them financially, and we’re going to do that,” he said. “Our council people are all committed to doing that, so we’re going to get on that quickly — work on the budget and just see exactly what we can give the schools.”
Master planning also was a key part of his platform. “It’s really important to all of us, and we’re going to start on that right away, so we’re very excited about a lot of great things happening in Hoover,” he said.
He plans to spend a good bit of his first full day as mayor Tuesday meeting with city department heads and talking with them about his vision for the city, he said. He has been retired from the city almost two years and looks forward to catching up with some of the city employees, he said.
He also feels good about the City Council that was elected this year, he said.
“They’re all very dedicated. I think we are fortunate that we have some veteran leadership on there, and then we have some new blood as well. I think it’s a great day for Hoover. I look forward to working with all seven of them.”
Two of his first acts as mayor were to appoint Ross Bridge resident Jason Lovoy to the Hoover Planning and Zoning Commission and Bluff Park resident Rebecca Hassee to the Hoover Beautification Board.
All seven members of the Hoover City Council also were sworn into office for the next four years tonight.