Controversy Over Birmingham City Council Pay Increase

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2015/08/16083873-standard.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:620;s:6:"height";i:410;s:4:"file";s:29:"2015/08/16083873-standard.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:10:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:29:"16083873-standard-336x222.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:222;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:29:"16083873-standard-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:27:"16083873-standard-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:29:"16083873-standard-600x338.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:29:"16083873-standard-600x410.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:410;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:29:"16083873-standard-470x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:470;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:29:"16083873-standard-401x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:401;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:28:"ab-block-post-grid-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:29:"16083873-standard-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:29:"16083873-standard-600x410.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:410;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:29:"16083873-standard-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:{}}}
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => Frank Couch
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] => AL.com FILE
        )

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

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

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:184657;s:14:"optimized_size";i:122254;s:7:"percent";d:33.789999999999999;}s:5:"sizes";a:9:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:57:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/08/16083873-standard.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:37774;s:14:"optimized_size";i:23483;s:7:"percent";d:37.829999999999998;}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:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:65:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/08/16083873-standard-336x222.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:20066;s:14:"optimized_size";i:14841;s:7:"percent";d:26.039999999999999;}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:63:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/08/16083873-standard-80x80.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:3613;s:14:"optimized_size";i:3598;s:7:"percent";d:0.41999999999999998;}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:65:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/08/16083873-standard-600x338.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:40937;s:14:"optimized_size";i:25590;s:7:"percent";d:37.490000000000002;}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:65:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/08/16083873-standard-300x300.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:23200;s:14:"optimized_size";i:15440;s:7:"percent";d:33.450000000000003;}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:65:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/08/16083873-standard-470x311.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:32791;s:14:"optimized_size";i:21751;s:7:"percent";d:33.670000000000002;}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:65:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/08/16083873-standard-401x265.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:26276;s:14:"optimized_size";i:17551;s:7:"percent";d:33.210000000000001;}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
        )

)
1619747594 
1439457471

Birmingham’s City Council is taking some heat after approving a city council pay raise. Last week the nine-member council voted 8-1 to approve a raise for council members from $15,000 to $55,000, a more than 200 percent increase. Council members say it’ll help attract top talent to city leadership. Birmingham News & Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald tells WBHM’s Rachel Osier Lindley why he’s skeptical.

“According to the National League of Cities, only 7 percent of medium sized cities – or those up to 200,000 in population – pay their city councils salaries above $20,000,” explains Archibald. He joins WBHM most Thursdays during Morning Edition.

 

Alabama coal mine keeps digging after hundreds of fines and a fatal explosion

Following the death of a grandfather, Crimson Oak Grove Resources has left a community afraid for their homes and lives. An expert warns one resident may need to evacuate her home while she still can.

Florida’s 6-week abortion ban will have a ‘snowball effect’ on residents across the South

Abortion rights advocates say the ban will likely force many to travel farther for abortion care and endure pregnancy and childbirth against their will.

Attitudes among Alabama lawmakers softening on Medicaid expansion

Alabama is one of ten states which has not expanded Medicaid. Republican leaders have pushed back against the idea for years.

Birmingham is 3rd worst in the Southeast for ozone pollution, new report says

The American Lung Association's "State of the Air" report shows some metro areas in the Gulf States continue to have poor air quality.

Why haven’t Kansas and Alabama — among other holdouts — expanded access to Medicaid?

Only 10 states have not joined the federal program that expands Medicaid to people who are still in the "coverage gap" for health care

Once praised, settlement to help sickened BP oil spill workers leaves most with nearly nothing

Thousands of ordinary people who helped clean up after the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico say they got sick. A court settlement was supposed to help compensate them, but it hasn’t turned out as expected.

More Front Page Coverage