Hoover mayor outlines priorities after 80 days, pledges funding for police, fire and local schools

Host Nicole Alshaus interviewed Hoover Mayor Nick Dersis on 'Nick at Night' about his early actions in office, staffing decisions and budget priorities.

Mayor Nick Dersis said he has spent his first 80 days placing "the right people in the right place" as part of a broader effort to "restore excellence" in city government. He listed recent senior hires, including Ken Grimes in economic development, Bridal Munger as city administrator, Munoz Lopez as chief financial officer, Scott Promer as city engineer, Clay Bentley as fire chief and Clay Morse as police chief.

Dersis said the city "passed our budget in December" and has committed to "full funding" for police and fire. "Public safety is not an expense. It's the foundation of everything that we do," he said. On school funding, he said the city will return 100% of its front‑door fees to local schools, an amount he estimated at "about $850,000 a year." He also said the hotel bed fee will be used for tourism "just like we promised."

The mayor framed personnel moves and the budget as steps to address urgent operational issues, citing fixes to staffing at the Ross Bridge and Greystone fire stations after medical transport calls reduced coverage. He described the monthly 'Nick at Night' series as a public forum and invited viewers to submit questions through the show's comments.

Dersis characterized his approach as nontraditional: "I'm not a politician in a traditional sense... you're gonna have the same values, the same work ethic, the same excellence that I think I brought to law enforcement for 4 decades." The interview ended with a pledge to continue the series and keep residents informed about city priorities.