City Council fills District 7 seat, selects new President Pro Tem

The Birmingham City Council, at its regular meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 30, voted to appoint Wardine Alexander, former president of the Birmingham Board of Education, as the new representative for the city’s District 7.

The seat has been vacant since Sept. 10 when the resignation of former councilor Jay Roberson became effective. The Council also selected Councilor William Parker as its new president pro tempore.

Alexander was elected by a vote of 5-3.

Parker, City Council President Valerie Abbott and councilors Hunter Williams, Darrell O’Quinn and Steven Hoyt voted for Alexander.

Councilors Sheila Tyson, John Hilliard and Lashunda Scales voted for Lonnie Malone, who ran for the seat unsuccessfully in the 2017 city election. Roberson won re-election in that race.

Alexander was immediately sworn by Municipal Court Judge Andra Sparks and took her seat on the dais.

Members attempted to appoint the new member at last week’s meeting, on October 23, but deadlocked 4-4 after two ballots.

Parker was elected president pro tempore, after being nominated by Hoyt, on a voice vote by a margin of 5-1-1.

Voting for Parker were City Council President Valerie Abbott and councilors Hilliard, Williams, O’Quinn, Hoyt and Alexander. Tyson voted no, and Scales abstained.

The selection of a new pro tem was originally taken up by members on Sept. 11 but had been delayed three times.

There will be two new vacancies to fill on the council beginning Nov. 13, when Tyson and Scales take part in their final meeting. Both are to be sworn in as members of the Jefferson County Commission.

Scales asked Abbott what steps she has taken to begin the process of filling those two seats. Abbott said that she is announcing today — using the council website and all social media —that resumes are being accepted from prospective candidates.

Scales said she would prefer to see the constituents of those two districts be able to vote for their new leaders.

“We should have a election rather than politicians voting for politicians,” she said. She also told Abbott that she hoped the two districts would not be left without representatives for more than 30 days.

Scales warned Abbott that she would protest loudly, even after taking her seat on the commission, if the selection process is drug out longer.