Two Birmingham Water Board Leaders Reappointed, Two New Members Named
The Birmingham City Council approved four appointments to the Birmingham Water Works Board on Tuesday, with terms set to stretch through 2024.
The council appoints six of the BWWB’s nine members; the other three seats are appointed by the Jefferson County Mayor’s Association, the Shelby County Commission and the Blount County Commission.
Two members — Ronald Mims and George Munchus — were reappointed to the BWWB. Mims, an area pastor and former BWWB employee appointed to the board in 2015, is currently the board’s chairman and president. Munchus, a UAB business professor appointed in 2012, currently serves as chair of the board’s business and economic development committee.
Tereshia Huffman was appointed to replace outgoing board member Brenda Dickerson. Huffman is a former executive administrator for REV Birmingham who also previously served as a government affairs project manager and community outreach specialist for the city of Atlanta.
Larry Ward, former head of the Birmingham Parking Authority, was appointed to replace William Muhammad on the board. Muhammad’s appointment in 2016 was described as a “shot heard ‘round the political world” by AL.com columnist John Archibald, who cited Muhammad’s outspoken activism and desire to fight the Alabama Legislature for control of BWWB assets.
Ward was head of the public finance division at brokerage firm Morgan Keegan & Co. before it was absorbed by Raymond James in 2012. In 2007, Ward was the subject of an ethics complaint alleging that he’d used his position to improperly benefit Morgan Keegan, which had received $1.38 million in fees for handling a city bond deal that paid for downtown parking decks. An investigation by the state Ethics Commission cleared Ward, stating that “it did not appear there had been a violation of the law.”
All four terms will expire Dec. 31, 2024.
The head of one of the groups calling on the city to appoint BWWB members who would halt water shutoffs for customers behind on their bills during the COVID-19 pandemic, said his organization was “disappointed” by the appointments.
Rob Burton, executive director of Sweet Alabama, noted that Dickerson and Muhammad had been the two board members most receptive to extending the moratorium on cutoffs, enacting a moratorium on reconnection fees and instating 12-month payment plans for struggling customers. The board halted shutoffs in March but resumed them in October; at that point, there were more than 12,000 overdue accounts.
“Unfortunately today the Birmingham City Council voted to reappoint two BWWB members who failed to work with community residents over the last few months to find solutions for those struggling in the midst of this global health and economic crisis, while voting to replace the only two BWWB members who actively worked with community leaders to support solutions,” Burton said.
Trump names former Florida AG Pam Bondi as his new pick for U.S. attorney general
After former Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew from consideration, President-elect Donald Trump named Pam Bondi, a former attorney general of Florida, as his next pick for U.S. attorney general.
Police report gives details, timeline of the sexual assault claim against Pete Hegseth
The woman who accused then-Fox News host of sexual assault in 2017 said that she "remembered saying 'no' a lot," according to a police report. Hegseth is President-elect Donald Trump's choice for Secretary of Defense.
Alabama Black Belt’s sewer crisis a tougher fix for residents in manufactured homes
Poor sanitation has long plagued residents in Alabama’s Black Belt. For people with manufactured houses, finding a solution has been more challenging.
In Birmingham, Black men’s groups work to save young men from the cycle of gun violence
As the city inches closer to its homicide record, community members are trying to address a sense of fatalism and lack of opportunity felt by some young men.
What is the ICC and can it really arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu?
The ICC also issued warrants for Yoav Gallant, former Israeli defense minister, and Hamas leader Muhammad Deif. But it doesn't have an enforcement mechanism and relies on states to make the arrests.
Former Brazilian president indicted over alleged coup plot
Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro and several others have been charged with attempting to overthrow incoming government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in 2022.
