Photo courtesy of Steve McClinton
Hoover Councilman Steve McClinton
Hoover Councilman Steve McClinton this week announced his intention to seek re-election to the Hoover City Council in the Aug. 26 city election this year.
McClinton was elected to the council in 2020 after defeating Alli Nations and Carin Mayo in that election. He took the Place 7 seat on the City Council formerly held by John Greene, who chose not to run for re-election.
McClinton, 55, grew up in Birmingham’s Roebuck community but has lived in Hoover since 1998, including four years in the Deer Valley community and the past 23 years in Lake Cyrus. He and his wife, Stephanie, have two children who graduated from Hoover High School and Auburn University and one who is a senior at Hoover High.
McClinton graduated from Auburn University with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and criminology in 1992, minoring in political science and history.
He spent 25 years in the retirement planning business, most with Primerica but also with Security Financial Advisors in Bessemer. He now is managing partner of gain$hare Marketing, a business-to-business consulting firm that helps companies grow their business by helping them make connections.
McClinton previously served as president of the Hoover City Schools Foundation for several years. He is currently on the boards for Hoover Helps, Hoover Neighborhood Bridges, Hoover YMCA, Destination Hoover International and Family Connection.
He previously served on the board of Birmingham Children’s Theatre. He helped bring the Birmingham Children’s Theatre production of “Alice in Wonderland” to the Riverchase Galleria in June 2019 and helped facilitate an agreement for the YMCA to begin providing after-school care for Hoover City Schools.
He unsuccessfully ran for mayor in 2016, coming in third behind Frank Brocato and Gary Ivey.
McClinton said his biggest joy of being on the City Council these past five years was being chosen as the Hoover City Council’s liaison to the Hoover Board of Education when he was first elected in 2020 and the work he did to lead the council’s selection of several school board members.
“I've had the honor of representing the best city in Alabama, a city regularly recognized as one of the best places to live in the United States,” McClinton said. “That doesn't happen by accident. It's the result of hard work and a testament to the dedication of our city employees.
“I am committed to ensuring the City Council represents the people of Hoover, holding our government accountable, and ensuring citizens know exactly what is being done in their name with their hard-earned tax dollars,” he said. “Transparency and trust are the foundations of effective governance.”
McClinton emphasized the importance of strong leadership in maintaining Hoover’s renowned schools, public safety and exceptional quality of life.
“For Hoover to continue thriving, we need leaders who are not afraid to make tough decisions and do what’s right for its citizens,” he said. “It is my hope that the citizens of Hoover recognize my actions and dedication over the years, and I humbly ask for their support as I seek their vote once again.”
While Hoover is a great city, the biggest problem it has is self-inflicted, unforced errors, many caused by a lack of transparency, McClinton said. Over the years, the mayor and some of his staff have failed to share all pertinent details of city affairs so the council can make well-informed decisions, he said.
For example, when the council was asked to include money in a bond issue for a performing arts center in 2023, the council was told a deal with the developer of the Patton Creek shopping center was imminent, but it turned out the city had not been in communication with the developer for months, and the deal fizzled, McClinton said.
Also, problems in the city’s Finance Department were not revealed to the City Council until after the council voted on financial incentives for the Riverwalk Village development in Riverchase, McClinton said. While he supports that project, he likely would not have supported some of the cash incentives given to the developer if he had known about issues in the Finance Department, he said.
One of the bigger issues facing the city now is the future of the Riverchase Galleria and Patton Creek shopping centers, McClinton said. Redevelopment of those centers is being talked about, but he would like to see it happen faster, he said. He doesn’t blame anyone for that because sometimes the wheels of private landowners turn slow, he said.
The development of Tattersall Park is another important issue, he said.
“I’m all for development and business success, but not at the expense of the citizens who live here,” he said.
The fact that 2,500 people have signed a petition opposing the current development proposal is a big deal, he said.
Hoover's election for mayor and the seven City Council seats is scheduled for Aug. 26. Official qualifying takes place June 10-24.
McClinton’s campaign website is stevemcclintonforhoover.com.
