Council Proposes Changes to Birmingham Mayor’s Budget
The Birmingham City Council wants to restore funding to neighborhood associations and several nonprofits in its proposed changes for Mayor Randall Woodfin’s 2019 budget. The council submitted its budget counterproposal to the mayor on Tuesday.
Neighborhood leaders and non-profits have been lobbying council members for support since the mayor presented his first proposed budget of $436 million earlier this month.
“The mayor creates the budget, and we get the heat,” Council President Valerie Abbott says. “We’re not planning on a food fight. We don’t have any personality conflicts, just differences in opinions. We have to reach a consensus and come up with a budget we all can support.”
Last year, former Mayor William Bell and the council couldn’t agree on a budget. The city didn’t pass a spending plan until December, after Woodfin was elected mayor. The failure to pass a budget on time was an issue throughout last year’s contentious municipal election.
Abbott says she hopes to avoid delays this time around. The fiscal year begins July 1.
Now that the council has agreed on its requests, Abbott hopes the full council and the mayor can meet soon to resolve any differences in budget priorities,
The mayor eliminated funds for economic development organizations like REV Birmingham and the Birmingham Business Alliance. HIs proposal also excludes new funding for the city’s 99 neighborhood associations. Neighborhoods have $3.7 million in their accounts, Woodfin says. He’s encouraging them to use their available funds.
The council proposed $2,000 for each of the city’s 99 neighborhood associations. It also increased or restored funds for youth initiatives, such as community centers in public housing and the Youth Games.
There were more cuts to agencies this year than in years past, Abbott says. “We don’t know the reasoning. We don’t understand the logic,” she says.
The full council worked to develop the list of proposed changes.
Councilwoman Lashunda Scales, for example pushed to allocate money for workforce development programs at Jefferson State Community College and several other projects in her east Birmingham district.
“We want him (Mayor Woodfin) to honor his commitment to neighborhood needs and keeping the focus on all 99 neighborhoods,” Scales says. “I’m hoping that the mayor will do what’s in the best interest of the constituents that we both serve.”
A ban on feeding pigeons ruffles lots of feathers in Mumbai
The pigeon population has exploded — a result of people feeding the birds. For some it's a holy duty and a way to connect to nature. Critics point to health risks tied to exposure to pigeon droppings.
‘Rosemead’ tells a tragic — and true — story
The new movie stars Lucy Liu as an ailing mother to Joe, played by Lawrence Shou as a teenager facing mental illness in his feature debut role.
From 400-year-old globes to cosmic shrouds: A Maine library brings maps to life
From 400-year-old globes to cosmic funeral shrouds, how the Osher Map Library in Maine shows people that maps aren't just for navigation — but windows into history, culture, and how we see the world.
Benin’s interior minister says a coup announced earlier has been foiled
Earlier, a group of soldiers had appeared on Benin 's state TV Sunday to announce the dissolution of the government in an apparent coup, the latest of many in West Africa.
A fire at a popular nightclub in India’s Goa state kills at least 25, officials say
At least 25 people, including tourists, were killed in a fire at a popular nightclub in India's Goa state, the state's chief minister said Sunday.
National parks fee-free calendar drops MLK Day, Juneteenth and adds Trump’s birthday
The Trump administration, which has railed against what it describes as "woke" policies, removed MLK Day and Juneteenth from next year's list of fare-exempt days for visitors at dozens of national parks.
