Vestavia Hills Election Guide

WHAT:

City elections in Vestavia Hills are held every four years on the fourth Tuesday of August for terms beginning Nov. 1, unless there is a special election like there was in 2010.

There are four city council “places” — 1, 2, 3, 4 — and the mayor, but everyone is elected “at large” rather than to represent a specific geographic area. Vestavia Hills is set up to include a council-manager form of government: four council members and a mayor, who serves as the CEO for the city. Members of the council interview, select and hire the city manager. One council member serves as mayor pro-tem. 

“Voter registrations maybe obtained from alabamavotes.gov or by Googling the Alabama secretary of state’s office,” said City Clerk Rebecca Leavings. “You can visit any local library for the paperwork or straight from the Jefferson and/or Shelby County Board of Registrars. The voter should complete the paperwork and send to the registrar of the county in which they reside. The addresses are obtained when the registration application is printed. 17-3-50(a) of the Code of Alabama states that a voter must have submitted registration to the Board of Registrars a minimum of 15 days prior to the election in order to vote in that election; in this case, registration must be received prior to or on Aug. 8, 2016.”

For those seeking to run for a council place, Leavings explained the necessary steps. 

“Qualification begins July 5, 2016, at 8 a.m. Central time here in the office of the city clerk,” she said. “Qualification ends at 5 p.m., Central time, July 19, 2016.  The qualifier must present an executed form declaring the position to which he/she is running, a $50 qualification fee and an executed Alabama Statement of Economic Interest form.”

Per the city of Vestavia Hills, registered and qualified electors of the state, who reside within the corporate limits of the city of Vestavia Hills, and have resided in the city for 30 days or more immediately preceding the date of the election, and who are qualified to vote in the county precinct which embraces and covers that part of the corporate limits of the city in which the elector resides, will be authorized to participate in the election.

WHEN:

July 5- Candidates begin qualifying to run. While many candidates often announce their intention to run for election before this date, this is the day when the formal process of submitting qualifying forms begins.

July 19- The last day to qualify to run. All qualifying forms must be filed with the city clerk by 5 p.m.

Aug. 8- Last day to register to vote for the municipal election. 

Aug. 18- Last day to apply for a regular absentee ballot, available from the city clerk.

Aug. 23- Election Day

WHO:

Registering to run:  Qualifying forms will be made available through the city clerk. Those wishing to apply as candidates will have until July 19 to turn in a statement of candidacy and the $50 qualifying fee to the city clerk no later than 5 p.m. Anyone wishing to run for office must file a Statement of Economic Interests directly with Ethics Commission before qualifying. 

Candidates must reside in the municipality and the district for a period of 90 days before the election and must be at least 18 years old. 

According to information available on the city’s candidate for elected office information page, candidates must familiarize themselves with the various reporting and other requirements of the Alabama Ethics Commission and Fair Campaign Practices Act. 

• Mayor Butch Zaragoza: Running for re-election
• Mayor Pro-Tem Steve Ammons: Running for re-election
• Councilor George Pierce: Running for re-election
• Councilor Jim Sharp: Retiring
• Councilor John Henley: Running for re-election

WHERE:

• Absentee balloting, Vestavia Hills City Hall, 1032 Montgomery Highway
• Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church, 2061 Kentucky Ave.
• Liberty Park Baptist Church, 12001 Liberty Parkway
• Horizon Church, 2345 Columbiana Road
• Mountaintop Community Church, 225 Centerview Drive
• Town Village Vestavia Hills, 2385 Dolly Ridge Road
• Cahaba Heights Community and Senior Citizens Center, 4401 Dolly Ridge Road

HOW: 

Registering to vote:

• First time:  Applicants who are registering to vote for the first time must complete a State of Alabama Voter Registration Form and submit it to the county where they live. The applicant must provide a physical address — not a P.O. box — as well as their date of birth and an original signature. A State of Alabama Voter Registration Card will be mailed to the voter, and that will show the voter’s polling location.
• Finding forms:  Voter registration forms can be found at the office of the Board of Registrars, satellite licensing offices and public libraries. 
• Verifying information:  Voters who are already registered to vote should make sure their information, including name and address if there has been a recent change, is up to date. Voter registration does not transfer between counties even within the same state, and any voters who have moved into Jefferson County will have to complete a new registration. Name changes and changes of address within the county must be made in writing and forwarded to the board of registrars. Voters can check that they are registered to vote by entering their last name, county and date of birth at alabamavotes.gov.
• Qualifications:  To vote in this municipal election, a voter must live in the city for 30 days before registering to vote and be registered to vote in your county precinct. Applications sent by mail should be postmarked before Aug. 10 and sent directly to the board of registrars.

THE ISSUES: 

City Hall made its move to its new home on a hill off of Montgomery Highway late in 2015. Just as the city itself has grown, so has involvement by residents in the municipal process. There are several Facebook forums for community discussion, and residents have even formed formal community action groups. 

As the August election approaches, some residents have suggested issues they hope to see candidates address.

1. Development: Development, both economic and residential, has been a hot topic over the last few years. Between growth in the U.S. 31 corridor, groundbreaking at Patchwork Farms and the opening of Grandview Medical Center, the city has added a significant number of businesses and commercial developments. 

City Manager Jeff Downes has reported increases of tax revenue that he and financial advisors attribute to this growth. However, some residents are concerned about the impact this increase in development will have on infrastructure and public safety, and how an increase in residential development will impact local schools. 

2. Council transparency and access: The city recently added features at the new City Hall that will allow council meetings to be video and audio recorded. The city also contracted with a communications firm to increase its social media presence, using Twitter and Facebook as a means to disseminate announcements such as road closings, public events and construction projects. Some residents feel this social media presence could be used to make the mayor and council members more accessible to residents’ concerns, and used as a means of dialogue.

Others think the council has more work to do in keeping the government process open, including moving meeting times — which are regularly scheduled on the second and fourth Mondays at 5 p.m. — to a time when professionals with traditional working hours can attend.

3. Education: Though not up for election in August, residents are interested in how the next council will be involved with the board of education. Some argue the board should be elected, and that the council should seek a path to making that possible. Others think the council, since it appoints board members, should be more accountable for board actions. 

In the last year, the board has been responsible for several highly discussed actions, such as the rebranding of Vestavia Hills High School and the purchase of the lot across from Vestavia Hills Elementary School Cahaba Heights.