Not fixedCity FinancesCONFIRMED

A forensic review found the city’s books off by $36 million

An outside firm hired after a new CFO found irregularities discovered Hoover had overstated its General Fund balance by more than $36 million and lost hundreds of files, while finding no evidence anyone stole money.

Where it stands

Not fixed

Hits residents

9/10

Years covered

2023–2025

Sources

5 linked

$36.6M
General Fund balance overstatement found in a 2023 disclosure filing: 219
Finance Department folders emptied from city servers in a single 50-minute window: 80%
Turnover in the Finance Department over four fiscal years, per Kroll: $250,738
Total cost of the Kroll engagement

What happened

In 2024 Hoover retained Kroll Associates to review its Finance Department after newly hired CFO Jennifer Cornett found irregularities in the city’s records. Kroll’s August 23, 2024 report found that a 2023 disclosure filing reported a General Fund balance overstated by $36,568,694 against the audited figure; that 219 Finance Department folders were emptied from city servers in a 50-minute window on the night of July 25, 2023; and that IRS payroll returns had been filed incorrectly or not at all for multiple quarters since 2020. Kroll attributed the failures largely to turnover and a troubled software rollout: 12 people left a department averaging 15 staff over four fiscal years, an 80 percent turnover rate, while the city’s new Munis system was being implemented. Kroll found no evidence of fraud. The city paid $250,738 for the review, and the new administration has asked the state Examiners of Public Accounts for a further audit; no outcome has been reported.

Timeline

Jul 25, 2023
219 Finance Department folders were emptied from city servers between 9:41 and 10:31 p.m.
Kroll Associates forensic report (hooveralabama.gov) ↗
Aug 23, 2024
Kroll delivers its report, finding no evidence of fraud but a $36.6 million misstatement and unreconciled accounts.
Kroll Associates forensic report (hooveralabama.gov) ↗
Aug 27, 2024
Coverage reports the review found no wrongdoing by city employees.
WBRC (wbrc.com) ↗
Nov 18, 2024
Council votes 6-0 to pay Kroll’s bill after briefly withholding payment.
Hoover Sun (hooversun.com) ↗
Mar 7, 2025
City posts Kroll’s answers to more than 100 resident questions and declares the engagement concluded.
City of Hoover press release (hooveralabama.gov) ↗
Nov 12, 2025
New City Attorney Charlie Waldrep reports contacting the state Chief Examiner about a further forensic audit.
1819 News (1819news.com) ↗

Who's involved

Kroll Associates
Forensic accounting firm retained by the city
Tina Bolt
Former CFO and Treasurer; retired October 1, 2023
Jennifer Cornett
CFO whose findings prompted the review; left for Mountain Brook in October 2025
Mayor Frank Brocato
Mayor through November 2025
Rachel Riddle
Alabama Chief Examiner of Public Accounts

The other side

Kroll’s own report is the clearest statement in the city’s favor: “although there are identified weaknesses in internal controls, we have not seen any evidence to date of financial fraud or asset misappropriation by any Hoover employees.” Kroll attributed the problems to staffing losses and complications in the Munis software rollout rather than to intent. Mayor Brocato said the auditors “found no evidence of fraud, malfeasance or misappropriation of funds.” The city says it added four finance positions, reported the deleted files to law enforcement before engaging Kroll, and instituted quarterly public CFO reports. Former CFO Tina Bolt has said the file deletions followed a citywide IT directive to free server space; Hoover’s IT department has said it issued no such directive that summer.

Open questions

Whether the state Examiners of Public Accounts accepted the request for a further audit, and any findings, are not documented in any source reviewed.
Whether the July 2023 file deletions were referred to a prosecutor, and what came of it, is not documented.

Sources (5)

Last checked July 29, 2026