Loch Ridge resident Mike Shaw to run for Hoover City Council

Mike Shaw, a resident of the Loch Ridge subdivision, plans to run for a seat on the Hoover City Council.

Shaw, a 15-year-resident of Hoover, said there are a lot of good things happening in Hoover but there also seems to be a lot of things happening by accident. He thinks the city greatly needs a comprehensive city plan.

Hoover is the only one of the 10 largest cities in Alabama that doesn’t have a comprehensive plan or is in the process of developing one, Shaw said.

He also believes the City Council in recent years has not been very cooperative with the school system and at times has been somewhat hostile. He thinks it’s time to re-evaluate the school funding cuts the City Council made in the mid-2000s, he said.

“This shortsighted action has created problems that we are just starting to realize, especially in light of the large demand city growth places on the system,” Shaw said on his campaign website. “Funding may not happen in the same ways that it did before, but I’m confident we can come up with a solution to address this critical area.”

Shaw, 44, has more than 20 years experience in information technology and has spent the past 10 years as chief technology officer for Mutual Savings Credit Union, where he also is a senior vice president. He received a bachelors’ degree in public administration from Auburn University in 1995.

He is originally from Iowa, but his family moved to Vestavia Hills when he was in the fifth grade. Since getting married, he and his wife, Shelley, have lived brief stints in Vestavia Hills, Homewood and Pelham, but have been in Hoover since 2001.

They have a daughter who will be a senior at Spain Park High School in the next school year and a son who will be in the sixth grade at Berry Middle School.

Shaw is a founding member of A2 Church in Hoover, where he has served in the music ministry and co-led a small group Bible study. He also served as a member of the Hoover school superintendent’s rezoning advisory board.

Hoover’s election for mayor and the seven City Council seats is set for Aug. 23. Shaw is running for Council Place 4, currently held by Jack Natter. Natter qualified to run for re-election but withdrew his name from the race on July 15. Russet Woods resident Michael Holt also is seeking Council Place 4. Qualifying is set for July 5-19.

For more information about Shaw, see his campaign website,  Facebook page or Twitter page.

This article was updated on July 1 after Shaw announced which council seat he would pursue and on July 15 after Natter withdrew from the race.