Birmingham’s mayor on Tuesday presented to the City Council his $591 million budget proposal, with significant increases in neighborhood revitalization, public safety, youth services and employee pay. 

The council members said they agree with the mayor’s major spending priorities — they just want more details. 

Councilor Valeria Abbott said she would like to see a list of department budget requests that shows which were denied and approved. 

Mayor Randall Woodfin said he would be able to address that question for the most part, though it might take about two weeks to get that data. 

“Thank you. And I don’t mind waiting two weeks, because I’ve waited 23 years, and we’ve never received the information from any mayor that we’ve had. So you will be number one,” she said.

Birmingham’s mayor holds the budget power since passage of the 2016 Mayor-Council Act, which critics say shifted that balance of power too heavily toward the executive.

Councilor Carol Clarke said it was music to her ears to hear the mayor will provide the council more granular details on the budget. She added that she would like to see a breakdown of street paving, not just in the dollar amount spent, but in terms of the amount of roads paved. 

“I don’t have a sense of what we’re getting when we just talk about dollars,” Clarke said. 

Woodfin said his office had already requested that information from city staff, and once he gets it, he will relay it to the council. 

APPROPRIATIONS

Category	FY 2024 Actual	FY2025 Amended	FY 2026 Proposed
General Government	$102,821,497	$140,551,055	$146,743,493
Public Safety	$272,796,986	$310,717,206	$317,245,786
Culture & Recreation	$44,931,349	$52,609,000	$56,270,528
Total City Departments	$420,549,831	$503,877,261	$520,259,807

 

REVENUE

Category	FY 2024 Actual	FY2025 Amended	FY2026 Proposed
Property Taxes	$39,389, 194	$39,389,194	$39,389,194
Business Taxes	$450,212,340	$447,449,394	$448,100,715
Permits	$14,204,266	$13,917,739	$13,917,739
Fines & Fees	$920,446	$921,753	$921,753
Intergovernmental	$19,856,053	$16,895,951	$16,895,951
Charges for Services	$18,477,425	$19,808,111	$19,807,611
Other Operating Revenue	$37,415,365	$45,578,080	$52,245,828
Total Revenue	$580,475,090	$581,960,221	$591,278,791

According to handouts from the mayor’s office, key points of the budget proposal include: 

• $21.8 million for neighborhood revitalization, an increase of $750,000. This includes $3 million for weed abatement (up $250,000) and $2 million for demolition (up $500,000). 
• Several youth service programs received increases, including the Restore Youth Reentry Initiative, which saw its funding jump by $225,000 to $450,000. The budget also provides a half million dollars in new money for the Parks and Recreation Department’s Youth Sports League and $625,000 for the Safe Haven Initiative, an increase of $125,000.  
• $1.5 million in additional funding for community violence intervention programs that were initially supported by federal grants. 
• $1.5 million in new money going toward services for people experiencing homelessness. 
• A 1% across-the-board adjustment for employees ($4.2 million) as well as 5% merit pay increase for eligible staff ($3.9 million) and $1 million for longevity pay for eligible workers. 
• The city will also cover the cost of health care benefits for employees, at $3.6 million. 

The council set a public budget hearing for 5:30 p.m. June 4, in the Council Chambers on the third floor of City Hall. 

“The council is constantly working toward maintaining a balanced budget, even when it’s not ‘budget season.’ Communicating with our residents about how the budget process works and how they can be involved has been a major focus,” said Smitherman, who chairs the council’s budget committee. “Last year, collectively, our offices received roughly 15,000 calls, over 10,000 emails, and we attended over 500 Neighborhood Association meetings. We’re looking forward to hearing what residents think about the priorities reflected in the budget.”

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Read the full budget proposal.

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City Walk Upkeep

In other business, the council approved a $250,000 grant to go toward City Walk maintenance. The grant was awarded by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs. 

Councilor Hunter Williams, chair of the economic development and tourism committee, said it costs just a bit less than $2 million annually to maintain the state-owned property; this accounts for insurance, security, repairs, staffing and lighting. 

“This property spans the entire width of our downtown corridor. We’re really appreciative to ADECA and the state for this grant to help fund this effort on our end,” Williams said. “We do hope there is a long-term solution from the state to fund this asset. We can see the car count and foot count that City Walk brings to Birmingham, and it’s one of the most utilized public spaces in Jefferson County.”