Birmingham May Help Neighboring Fairfield as Financial Troubles Continue

Rachel Osier Lindley | June 9, 2016

 ========= 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] => 
        )

)
1637802486 
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.

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.