Photo courtesy of Christian Coleman
Christian Coleman
When Christian Coleman has attended Hoover City Council meetings, he’s heard a lot of talk about retail developments, he said.
“How can we get more stores here? How can we get more stores there? How can we develop this?” he said.
The 36-year-old said he didn’t hear anybody speaking up to address the “fullness of Hoover citizens.”
“A Hoover citizen is more than just somebody who shops at retail stores,” he said. “A full person needs art. They need culture. They need parks. They need safe spaces for their kids. It seemed like all of the energy was about retail. … I felt that somebody needs to speak for the heart of a person more than just the wallet of a person.”
That’s why Coleman said he is running for Hoover City Council Place 4 in the Aug. 26 election.
Other candidates for that place are Donna Mazur and Khristi Driver, who was appointed to that seat in 2022 to replace Mike Shaw when he was elected to the state Legislature.
One of the concrete ways Coleman proposes to speak to the heart of a person is by pushing for the city to formalize a plan for an arts center to be built in the city — one that addresses the needs of not just the performing arts, but all types of artistic and cultural endeavors.
“We compete with Birmingham as far as sports go. We’ve got the SEC Baseball Tournament,” Coleman said. “Why can’t we compete with Birmingham as far as theater and music? Why can’t we compete with venues for those types of endeavors?”
The Hoover City Council already has allocated $17 million for an arts center, “and we just need to use it,” he said.
Some people say an arts center could cost as much as $60 million, which is pretty staggering, Coleman said. There are multiple ways that additional money could be raised, whether it be dedicating a half-cent of the current sales tax or seeking a federal grant or borrowing more money, he said.
He’s not dogmatic about which route is taken. He’s more for an “all of the above” option as long as they don’t have to raise taxes for it, he said.
It might take some type of revenue-sharing incentive agreement with a developer, he said. The city offers those types of incentives for developers of shopping centers, and “I see no reason we can’t offer similar incentives for an arts center.” he said.
Stormwater is another important issue that needs to be addressed, Coleman said. He’s heard too many complaints from people dealing with that, and the city needs to take some action, he said.
“If your home is flooding or your yard is flooding and your kids can’t play in the yard or you can’t use your basement, then your qualify of life has diminished,” he said. “I believe that a city exists to serve its citizens. We should be doing what we can to enhance their quality of life.”
Right now, it seems the city is spending its time, money and energy fighting residents over these problems instead of helping them, he said. Residents are having to take the city to court, he said.
He realizes that some claims may not legitimately be the city’s responsibility and that complicated laws make it easy for things to get tangled up, but “if the city has done something that negatively affects its citizens, then clearly that’s the city’s responsibility,” he said.
For example, residents in areas off Patton Chapel Road have said they began having significant flooding problems during and after a road project to widen the road, add curbs and gutters and a sidewalk.
“The city says ‘This is your yard, so it’s your responsibility,’ but the water didn’t start in their yard,” Coleman said. “It started on city property, and it’s supposed to be draining through city property. Clearly that’s a city issue.”
Also, Coleman said he would advise that the city rejoin the Jefferson County Stormwater Management Authority. “I’m not entirely sure why we left, but it doesn’t seem to be working trying to go it on our own,” he said.
Coleman, a veteran of Alabama Air National Guard, said he also would like to serve as an advocate for veterans in the city and advocate for proper pay increases for city employees to make sure their annual pay raises at least keep pace with inflation.
“If your cost-of-living adjustment is less than inflation, then that’s a pay cut,” he said. “Our city employees do a great job, and they do not deserve a pay cut.”
When asked what distinguishes him from the other candidates for Hoover City Council Place 4, Coleman said the fact that he is 36 and has an elementary school-aged child. He can represent that portion of the community that is parenting young kids, he said. Also, he lives off Lorna Road in an area of town where people have lower incomes, so he can represent that segment of the community, too, he said.
“I understand, sympathize and empathize because I’ve in that same situation,” he said.
Coleman grew up in Vestavia Hills, earned a bachelor’s degree in film from the University of Alabama and a master’s degree in poetry from the University of New Orleans. He previously taught at the University of New Orleans and Lawson State Community College and currently is working as a freelancer writer and stay-at-home father to two girls.
He ran unsuccessfully for Alabama House District 47 against Shaw in 2022.
Read more information about Coleman here, or visit christianforhoover.com, Christian Coleman for Hoover City Council on Facebook, or Christian for Alabama on Instagram.
