The City of Hoover was founded in 1968 as a suburban bedroom community of the Over the
Mountain area. In 57 years, it has grown into one of the most prominent and prosperous cities in
the Jefferson/Shelby metro area.
It is now the fifth largest city in Alabama in real population following only Huntsville, Mobile,
Montgomery and its neighbor, Birmingham.

About two decades ago, Hoover’s population had
grown so significantly that the census bureau changed the label of Alabama’s largest
metropolitan area from the Birmingham metro area to the Birmingham/Hoover metropolitan
area. If current trends continue, Hoover will surpass Birmingham in population within 20 years.
At that time, the census bureau will probably refer to the state’s largest metro center as the
Hoover/Birmingham metropolitan area.

Hoover, with its large available sprawling land mass, will continue to grow and prosper as the
center and heart of the state. Hoover’s per capita residential income among the Top 10 cities is
surpassed by only Huntsville.
Hoover has been led by Mayor Frank Brocato since 2016. He is running for his third term this
August.

Brocato is Hoover through and through. He has a long history of service with the
city of Hoover. Brocato began his career with the Hoover Fire Department in 1973, only five
years after the city’s incorporation. He was the city’s first paramedic and rose to be the fire
marshal for Hoover in 1979. After 42 years of service with the fire department, he retired in
2015 as the chief of operations and the fire marshal.

The next year, in 2016, he was elected
mayor of Hoover.
Frank Brocato and his wife Frances have been married for 50 years. They have three children
and nine grandchildren. Frank and Frances are both natives of Jefferson County and have called
Hoover home for five decades. He loves his city, and it is obvious when he talks about Hoover’s
amazing growth and success.

Brocato realized that the key to success for a prosperous and robust city are good
schools, a good police department and a good fire department. From his first year in office,
he demonstrated a deep commitment to the Hoover City Schools. Recognizing the
critical role education plays in the community’s success, he took bold actions to support students,
teachers and administrators. He doubled the city’s annual contribution to the Hoover City
Schools. He made sure that school resource officers were assigned to all 17 schools. Brocato is a frequent visitor to all of the city schools. He looks forward to these visits.
Under Brocato’s leadership, Hoover schools remain among the top school systems in the state
with two of the premier high schools — Hoover High School and Spain Park High School.

Hoover has long been considered one of the safest cities in the state. The city has consistently
been rated as the No. 1 police/public safety department in the state, as well as the highest
paid. The Hoover Police Department has achieved CALEA accreditation, a distinction held by
only 5% of police departments nationwide. Under Brocato’s leadership, the city of Hoover
opened a $4 million state-of-the-art training facility that trains not only their officers, but other
departments throughout the state.

The Hoover Fire Department is also considered the best in the
state. Hoover’s Fire Department maintains an ISO Class 1 rating, the highest possible ranking.

Hoover, under Brocato, continues to be a mecca for sports tourism. The Hoover Met Complex
hosts numerous events, including the SEC Baseball Tournament. This event, alone, drew
180,000 fans in 2023 and 200,000 in 2024 to the Hoover Met.

Under Brocato’s leadership, Hoover remains one of Alabama’s most vibrant and thriving
communities. It is celebrated for its excellent schools, premier and robust public safety, and
family friendly amenities. The city has seen substantial but measured and well-planned growth.
Under Brocato’s mayorship, the city has grown in population from 85,000 in 2016 to
93,000 today.

Steve Flowers served 16 years in the state legislature. He may be reached at
steve@steveflowers.us.