Mayor Woodfin says his city budget represents "a new day"

Mayor Randall Woodfin told the members of the Birmingham City Council on Tuesday, May 1, that his proposed $436 million budget for Fiscal Year 2019 represents “a new day of transparency and accountability in Birmingham.”

“The budget we have created falls in line with our core value and commitment to neighborhood revitalization,” Woodfin said.

He called neighborhood revitalization the “number one priority” in the budget.

The proposed budget is $8 million more than the budget for Fiscal Year 2018 -- the last budget presented by former Mayor William Bell.

It proposes $149 million in capital spending, which will include such items as street and sidewalk improvements, parks and recreation, and improvements to libraries, fire stations and other public facilities.

After Woodfin’s presentation, the council voted 7-0 to set a public hearing regarding the budget on Monday, May 14, at 5:30 p.m., in the Council Chambers at City Hall.

Woodfin said that the budget reflects a commitment to cost savings, as well as an increase in revenue, particularly from use and occupational taxes.

Woodfin’s budget “represents some difficult and responsible decisions,” he said.

And the budget process was governed by two important ideas, according to Woodfin.

“Each department must prioritize needs over wants,” he said. “Second, nothing is viewed as untouchable.”

In the neighborhoods, the city will emphasize cleaner streets, better lighting, weed abatement, demolition of abandoned houses and a stronger police presence, according to Woodfin.

The city will also establish a first-ever neighborhood revitalization fund, to be funded by the extra revenue the city expects from its investment in a expanded BJCC.

Woodfin also challenged the leaders of the various neighborhood associations in the community to take greater advantage of the funding available to them.

He said that over the last few years, more than $3.7 million has accumulated in association accounts that has not been used.

The budget also offers some good news to city employees, who will receive a 1 percent cost of living raise and continued longevity pay.

Woodfin also proposed a $2.9 million increase in the city’s contribution to the pension fund, which faces a shortfall.

To save money, the mayor said his administration will eliminate 133 long-time vacant positions citywide, including some in the mayor's office, and also seek to reduce overtime costs “through greater efficiency and accountability.”

On the operations side, Woodfin proposes establishing a preventive maintenance program, with an initial investment of $500,000, to help fix the city's aging infrastructure.

And Woodfin announced that he wants to start a Department for Innovation and Economic Opportunity, which is intended to do a better job of managing and directing the money the city doles out each year to various external entities to promote or stimulate the local economy.

The new department will establish a RFP process to “ensure that our partners are coordinated in executing a shared vision of building a more inclusive economy,” Woodfin said. 

That RFP process will have performance metrics in order to provide accountability and help the city determine “the return of investment of taxpayer dollars,” Woodfin said.