Women will hold the majority on the Birmingham City Council over the next four years
The Birmingham City Council's newest members: (left-right) Carol Clarke, Jonathan 'J.T.' Moore, and LaTonya Tate.
Starting this Tuesday, the Birmingham City Council will look a little different after swearing in three new members.
Last week, Mayor Randall Woodfin said goodbye to Council President William Parker and Councilors John Hilliard and Steven Hoyt.
“Truly, it’s been an honor to serve with you over these last four years. I know the citizens you represent are grateful for your service, and I just want to publicly state thank you for your service,” Woodfin said.
The new members joining the council are Jonathan J.T. Moore representing District 4, Carol Clarke for District 8, and LaTonya Tate in District 9. For the first time since 2013, the council will be mostly occupied by women, with five of the nine seats held by women.
Steven Hoyt, who decided not to run for reelection, said that he knows the women will get the work done.
“I think it’s wonderful. I think they’re going to do a great job if you want it done right in a way, you will get a woman right,” Hoyt said.
Council President Pro Tem Wardine Alexander said that she’s excited Birmingham voters kept inclusion and equity in mind when they went to the polls. She also mentioned that the councilors will vote for new leadership positions. Alexander said the field for president and pro tem is wide open.
“I think all nine of us are looking to what that leadership will be, and so we’ll just be able to see on Tuesday which direction the council takes,” she said.
The swearing in and election of new council officers will happen during Tuesday’s regular meeting at Birmingham City Hall.
The Assad regime’s fall has freed displaced Syrians stuck in a remote desert camp
More than 7,000 people had taken shelter in the Rukban camp, near the border with Jordan, many of whom fled the regime and ISIS attacks almost a decade ago.
Mariah Carey and K-pop group Stray Kids rule this week’s charts
Holiday music rules the pop charts once again this week, as Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" scores its 17th nonconsecutive week at No. 1 — the third longest run of all time.
Starbucks baristas’ ‘strike before Christmas’ has reached hundreds of U.S. stores
Starbucks' union says workers are walking off the job at some 300 — out of over 10,000 — stores across the U.S. as contract negotiations falter. The company urges it to return to the bargaining table.
American Airlines lifts ground stop that froze Christmas Eve travelers
American Airlines passengers across the U.S. endured a sudden disruption of service on Christmas Eve as a "technical issue" forced the airline to request a nationwide ground stop of its operations.
We needed comic relief in 2024. Here are 5 stand-up specials where we found it
Hasan Minhaj, Ronny Chieng, Mike Birbiglia, Hannah Einbinder and Michelle Buteau all delivered specials that cracked us up this year.
An Indian movie, loved abroad, is snubbed at home for Oscar submission
All We Imagine as Light explores the lives of working-class women in Mumbai and won the Grand Prix at Cannes. But it was deemed not Indian enough to submit to the Oscars.
