Birmingham City Budget

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2007/07/birminghamala.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:1920;s:6:"height";i:659;s:4:"file";s:25:"2007/07/birminghamala.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:13:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"birminghamala-336x115.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:115;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:5:"large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"birminghamala-771x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"birminghamala-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:12:"medium_large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"birminghamala-768x264.jpg";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:264;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"1536x1536";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:26:"birminghamala-1536x527.jpg";s:5:"width";i:1536;s:6:"height";i:527;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:23:"birminghamala-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"birminghamala-800x450.jpg";s:5:"width";i:800;s:6:"height";i:450;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"birminghamala-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"birminghamala-906x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:906;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"birminghamala-470x161.jpg";s:5:"width";i:470;s:6:"height";i:161;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:28:"ab-block-post-grid-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"birminghamala-600x400.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:400;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:25:"ab-block-post-grid-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"birminghamala-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"birminghamala-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_edit_lock] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1436808892:9
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:1333904;s:14:"optimized_size";i:244897;s:7:"percent";d:81.640000000000001;}s:5:"sizes";a:10:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:53:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2007/07/birminghamala.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:1333904;s:14:"optimized_size";i:244897;s:7:"percent";d:81.640000000000001;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:6:"medium";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:5:"large";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}}}
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => success
        )

)
1662359057 
1214265600
The Birmingham City Council is expected to look at – and possibly vote on – the city’s $428.5 million operating budget that Mayor Larry Langford proposed a few weeks ago. The council wants to approve the budget by July 1st, when the new fiscal year begins.

The budget includes $1 million in appropriations for a study into the feasibility of a streetcar system in downtown and another $1 million in funds to help restore Bethel Baptist Church, an instrumental civil rights meeting place.

Councilors have been critical of the mayor for not providing a formal capital projects budget. William Bell says the mayor is in violation of the Mayor-Council Act for not doing so. Royal says there could be fear of reprisal in the city’s legal department if something is said about it.

WBHM’s Steve Chiotakis spoke with Councilor Roderick Royal about the budget process, some of the things he approves or rejects and what to expect in the ultimate vote.

 

 

PBS cuts 15% of jobs in wake of federal funding cut

After Congress clawed back public media funding PBS cuts 15% of its staff. More than 100 jobs jobs are being lost.

President Trump plans to rename the Defense Department as the Department of War

The change would return the department to a name that it carried for much of its history, until it became the Department of Defense in the wake of World War II.

The U.S. is designating Ecuador’s largest gangs as terrorists

The U.S. is designating Ecuador's two largest gangs — Los Choneros and Los Lobos — as foreign terrorist organizations.

For mixed status families, deportation fears cast shadow over new academic year

As the new school year begins, mixed immigration status families face heightened fears about ICE enforcement near schools, creating anxiety that extends far beyond the classroom.

Senators from both parties grilled RFK Jr. on vaccines and more

In a blistering hearing, Senators from both parties challenged the health secretary to defend his actions, including on vaccines access and CDC leadership.

Why the medical community is thrilled by U.S. support for a ‘breakthrough’ HIV drug

Lenacapavir has the potential to end the HIV epidemic, researchers say. The Trump administration says backing this kind of effort will be a model for how it does global health work in the future.

More Government Coverage