One Birmingham PAC preps for ’17 vote

Between now and the municipal elections in August 2017, Eric Martin Scott and Richard Burton are visiting as many of Birmingham’s neighborhood association meetings as they can.

Scott, a Highland Park resident, and Burton, a Second Avenue North resident, are the creators of One Birmingham, a political action committee focused on the 2017 mayoral, city council and board of education elections. The PAC, which became active in April, was formed after Burton’s experience as president of his own neighborhood association. He said his role included taking residents’ requests and complaints, from crime to potholes, to Birmingham’s city government.

“The more you sort of see and the more you’re exposed to, the more you realize the system is in great need of change and improvement,” Burton said.

Since April, Burton and Scott have been traveling to neighborhood meetings to seek out what the community wants from their municipal representatives. 

While they won’t be able to attend meetings for all 99 neighborhoods, Scott said they plan to make sure all the geographic regions are covered.

The feedback they get from these meetings will be the foundation of what One Birmingham advocates for in this election cycle.

“People in Birmingham want the same things people everywhere want. They want their kids to be able to go to the playground, play in a safe space. They want to be able to drive on smooth roads, walk on smooth sidewalks. They want their kids to go to good schools, not failing schools, and they want their government to work for them, not against them,” Burton said.

Part of One Birmingham’s job is community education, from voter registration and participation to creating an online calendar where every neighborhood meeting in Birmingham is listed.

“For the most part, that simple thing right there did not exist within the city of Birmingham until we just created it,” Burton said.

He said they hope to drive up voter participation, typically low in local elections. He noted that electing a city council member or board of education member has more impact on a resident’s day-to-day life than a vote in a national election.

“Ultimately, this is all going to hinge on how many people get out of their house and show up and vote,” Burton said.

As with all PACs, though, One Birmingham will review and endorse candidates in the city elections whose platforms are aligned with the group’s interests. One Birmingham will provide advertisement opportunities and voter data to candidates it endorses.

Scott noted One Birmingham is not involved with any particular political party.

Burton said that while the board of education has improved since its last election, he believes the city council is “broken beyond repair” and is in need of a “clean sweep across the board.”

“We’re looking to support candidates who we feel will bring about change,” Burton said.

One Birmingham will be hosting events to talk more about the PAC’s purpose, and Burton and Scott will continue their neighborhood meeting visits. 

For more information, go to onebham.com.