4 mayors meet to discuss over-the-mountain issues

All of the over-the-mountain communities seem to run together, and it’s sometimes hard to tell where Homewood ends and Vestavia begins, said Vestavia Mayor Ashley Curry. 

At the end of the last election cycle, Vestavia Hills, Mountain Brook and Hoover were left with new mayors: Curry, Stewart Welch and Frank Brocato, respectively. Scott McBrayer remained on as the Homewood incumbent. 

What started out as a casual conversation between the mayors turned into the Over the Mountain Mayors Group, which will meet quarterly to address issues that affect all four cities.

Curry said he first brought his concerns about opioids to the table. 

“It’s not just kids. People are quick to say it’s just teenagers getting a hold of prescription drugs,” Curry said. “My research shows the highest incidents of abuse is in the age bracket of 25 to 35.” 

A follow-up meeting will be held soon, Curry said, and will feature all four mayors, the respective chiefs of police and the respective school superintendents. 

“We can address it with the school students, but how do you address it to people that aren’t students?” Curry said. 

One of the problems with educating those who aren’t in a school includes avoiding scare tactics, as one shouldn’t have to resort to being “scared straight” to educate people on this topic, Curry said. 

Curry cited a study which states that in 2008, there were more fatalities from drug overdoses than motor vehicle accidents for the first time in over 30 years, with 75 percent of those fatalities being from opioids. While Vestavia is under the national average for overdose statistics, it’s still not something one should turn their head from, Curry said.

Another topic of discussion for the mayors is new businesses. When a business comes to a city, they ask the city for an incentive package, which could include discounted rent or property taxes for a set amount of time. Businesses often go between cities to get the better deal. 

“If it’s a brand new business to the area, no harm no foul if we lure them with a better deal than Mountain Brook,” Curry said. “But if that company is in Mountain Brook, and is looking to move to Hoover, and plays that game with Hoover, and then comes to us, net-net, somebody loses and somebody gains, but net-net we haven’t really helped the four of us.” 

Inter-city cooperation on the acquisition of new businesses is paramount to the success of each of the communities, Curry said. 

“There’s the old joke about no honor among thieves, but there ought to be honorable relationships between cities,” Curry said.

Other issues that could come to the table might be stormwater drainage systems, including the 60-year-old infrastructure of which is deteriorating, emergency departments and crime rates. 

“The idea of working together is not new,” Curry said, “but it’s trying to be more organized.”