Photo courtesy of Ashley Lovell
Ashley Lovell said she plans to run for Hoover City Council Place 3.
Greystone resident Ashley Lovell last year helped lead the fight against residential development in Tattersall Park, and that fight — which is still ongoing — opened her eyes to what she says are larger problems in Hoover’s city government.
So much so that Lovell has decided to run for a seat on the Hoover City Council in the Aug. 26 city election. And she’s not running against just anybody. Lovell is seeking the same seat held by Council President John Lyda, who has been in office for 13 years.
Lovell said she chose to run against Lyda because she has observed the way he treats other people and it goes against the way she is teaching her two children to behave.
“How you treat people is very important. It’s at the top of the list,” Lovell said. “When I see someone that’s not treating others with respect or when I see someone that is not listening to people that are trying to say something or see someone cut someone off in the middle of a very important statement they’re trying to make, … it fires me up.
“We need to treat people with respect, and we need to communicate with our peers and work together to put the good of the city first,” she said.
Lovell said Lyda has lost sight of his role as a servant to the public. “Hoover’s leaders should be working for us — not acting like we’re here to serve them,” she said. “It’s time to put an end to backroom deals, lack of accountability and bullying tactics. I’m stepping forward to fight for a transparent, community-focused government and to ensure the voices of Hoover’s residents are heard loud and clear.”
Lovell said her experience battling against residential development in Tattersall Park made her believe that some public officials aren’t listening to the public anymore, instead caving in to developers for short-term gain instead of looking out for the long-term future of the community.
The Hoover Planning and Zoning Commission in December voted 6-2 in favor of amending the zoning plan for Tattersall Park to allow for up to 355 apartments and condominiums, despite significant opposition from nearby residents. The proposal hit roadblocks when it got to the City Council, and now the developer is asking that a vote be delayed until October.
Lovell said she knows that development is crucial for a city, but developers have to be willing to compromise, and public officials need to listen to the concerns of residents.
Lovell said believes there are a lot of great things happening in Hoover that are encouraging, such as 18-year lows in major crime categories, strong public schools and improvement in parks and recreation.
Hoover’s strong school system is what brought her family to Hoover when she was growing up, and it’s what brought her back in 2022 after about 10 years of working in Florida, she said. “I am who I am because of Hoover City Schools.”
But there also are some problems that need to be addressed, particularly transparency and accountability, she said. She doesn’t believe some city officials were transparent about problems in city finances when problems first became apparent, and she is concerned about whether the public is getting the full story even now after a forensic audit was conducted, she said.
Lovell, 36, was born in the Nashville area and lived in Memphis for a while before her parents moved to Hoover in 1999. She attended Rocky Ridge Elementary briefly, then Berry Middle School and Spain Park High School, where she played basketball and golf.
After graduating from Spain Park in 2007, she played golf for four years at Birmingham-Southern College before graduating from there in 2011 with a major in biology and minor in business. She has worked for Lincare, which makes respiratory equipment for home care, for 14 years and is in the company’s marketing department.
She and her husband have two children, a 6-year-old at Greystone Elementary, and a 4-year-old. Lovell attends Church of the Highlands, where she volunteers to help people get plugged into various ministries, and she works some with the women’s golf team at Spain Park High.
Lyda thus far has not indicated whether he will seek re-election.
Hoover's election for mayor and the seven City Council seats is scheduled for Aug. 26. Official qualifying takes place June 10-24.
For more information about Lovell, see her campaign website: teamashley.org.
