Birmingham May Help Neighboring Fairfield as Financial Troubles Continue

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2016/06/darnell-gardner-fairfield.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:512;s:4:"file";s:37:"2016/06/darnell-gardner-fairfield.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:10:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:37:"darnell-gardner-fairfield-336x224.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:224;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:37:"darnell-gardner-fairfield-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:35:"darnell-gardner-fairfield-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:37:"darnell-gardner-fairfield-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:37:"darnell-gardner-fairfield-600x512.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:512;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:37:"darnell-gardner-fairfield-467x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:467;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:37:"darnell-gardner-fairfield-398x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:398;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:37:"darnell-gardner-fairfield-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:37:"darnell-gardner-fairfield-600x512.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:512;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:37:"darnell-gardner-fairfield-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:{}}}
        )

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

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:124568;s:14:"optimized_size";i:66612;s:7:"percent";d:46.530000000000001;}s:5:"sizes";a:8:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:65:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/06/darnell-gardner-fairfield.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:29229;s:14:"optimized_size";i:14042;s:7:"percent";d:51.960000000000001;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:73:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/06/darnell-gardner-fairfield-140x140.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:4820;s:14:"optimized_size";i:3263;s:7:"percent";d:32.299999999999997;}s:6:"medium";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:73:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/06/darnell-gardner-fairfield-336x224.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:11679;s:14:"optimized_size";i:7217;s:7:"percent";d:38.210000000000001;}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:73:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/06/darnell-gardner-fairfield-600x338.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:25413;s:14:"optimized_size";i:10945;s:7:"percent";d:56.93;}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:73:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/06/darnell-gardner-fairfield-300x300.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:14283;s:14:"optimized_size";i:8629;s:7:"percent";d:39.590000000000003;}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:73:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/06/darnell-gardner-fairfield-467x311.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:19459;s:14:"optimized_size";i:10433;s:7:"percent";d:46.380000000000003;}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:73:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/06/darnell-gardner-fairfield-398x265.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:15487;s:14:"optimized_size";i:8939;s:7:"percent";d:42.280000000000001;}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:73:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/06/darnell-gardner-fairfield-125x125.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:4198;s:14:"optimized_size";i:3144;s:7:"percent";d:25.109999999999999;}}}
        )

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

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => Sam Prickett
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] => WELD
        )

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

)
1673995228 
1465470996

Financial troubles continue to plague Fairfield, Birmingham’s struggling neighbor. On Monday, the city council had another contentious meeting, with arguments over unpaid bills and late paychecks. Last month, the city learned they were in debt to the Birmingham Water Works for more than $128,000, on top of a more than $500,000 debt to the Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority for bus service. The authority voted to stop service to the area on July 5.

The Fairfield City Council and mayor are divided on how to solve these problems. Earlier this year, the city went so far as to vote to dissolve the Fairfield Police Department in order to save money. Currently, though, WELD reports no officers have been let go.

Nick Patterson, the editor of WELD, tells WBHM’s Rachel Osier Lindley about the city’s most recent financial issues, how infighting in the city council make resolutions unlikely, and how the City of Birmingham may step in to help.

Birmingham City Council members want to restore bus service to Fairfield following a vote last month by the Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority to stop service to the area on July 5.

Sam Prickett,WELD
Birmingham City Council members want to restore bus service to Fairfield following a vote last month by the Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority to stop service to the area on July 5.

 

NASA rolls out Artemis II craft ahead of crewed lunar orbit

Mission Artemis plans to send Americans to the moon for the first time since the Nixon administration.

Trump says 8 EU countries to be charged 10% tariff for opposing US control of Greenland

In a post on social media, Trump said a 10% tariff will take effect on Feb. 1, and will climb to 25% on June 1 if a deal is not in place for the United States to purchase Greenland.

‘Not for sale’: massive protest in Copenhagen against Trump’s desire to acquire Greenland

Thousands of people rallied in Copenhagen to push back on President Trump's rhetoric that the U.S. should acquire Greenland.

Uganda’s longtime leader declared winner in disputed vote

Museveni claims victory in Uganda's contested election as opposition leader Bobi Wine goes into hiding amid chaos, violence and accusations of fraud.

Opinion: Remembering Ai, a remarkably intelligent chimpanzee

We remember Ai, a highly intelligent chimpanzee who lived at the Primate Research Institute of Kyoto University for most of her life, except the time she escaped and walked around campus.

The near death — and last-minute reprieve — of a trial for an HIV vaccine

A trial was about to launch for a vaccine that would ward off the HIV virus. It would be an incredible breakthrough. Then it looked as if it would be over before it started.

More Front Page Coverage