Micheal K. Williams Age: 68 Occupation: Executive director of the Miles College Community Development Corporation. Political experience: Served as Virginia’s commissioner on education, welfare reform and citizen empowerment; former president of the Richmond, Va., NAACP. Main issue: Get some economic development into the city to clear up the financial situation.
Fredrick D. Scott Age: 66 Occupation: Pastor and funeral director. Political experience: Ran for mayor in 2012; served eight years on City Council. Main issue: Revitalization of the city by cleaning up the neighborhoods and strengthening the police department, possibly through a cooperative agreement with Miles College.
Jeffrey Rowser Age: 37 Occupation: Retired from USPS. Political experience: Ran in 2017 for Birmingham City Council. Main issue: Improve public safety (police and fire)
Eddie Penny Age: 67 Occupation: retired from education, teacher and administrator with Jefferson County Schools. Political experience: Mayor since 2017; two years as city council president; four years on Fairfield city school board. Main issue: Bring city’s finances out of bankruptcy through economic development.
Cynthia Turner McDowell Age: 62 Occupation: Teaches at Lawson Community College. Political experience: Four years on Fairfield City Council. Main issue: Renovate or remove abandoned houses to rebuild Fairfield one block at a time.
Edward E. May II Age: 42 Occupation: Lawyer Political experience: City attorney, 2013-2016; mayor, 2016-April 2019. Main issue: Re-create a sense of civic pride with strong economic initiative.
Jennifer Craig Information unavailable
None of the improprieties suggested in Wednesday’s Jefferson County Commission took place, former Jefferson County Chief Financial Officer John Henry told Birmingham Watch today. Henry said County Manager Tony Petelos and Commission Finance Chairman Joe Knight knew of his advice concerning a possible switch from Warren Averett to Banks Finley as the county’s primary auditor. Commissioners had a sometimes-heated discussion Wednesday about a resolution to extend for three years the county’s contract with Warrant Averett, a white-owned accounting firm. The discussion included the suggestion that a deal had been brokered to change to the Black-owned firm Banks Finley. Commissioner Lashunda Scales said during the meeting that extending the contract to the white-owned firm was a throwback to the days when the county did not consider racial and gender diversity in its hiring practices. Commissioners ultimately passed a substitute motion by Scales to reduce the extension to one year, at which point a change could be considered. Read more.
Residents of 27 cities and towns around Jefferson County are deciding today on leadership for the next four years. Mayors and city council members are on the ballots for most of the municipalities. Runoff elections will be held Oct. 6 for any races in which no candidate gets a majority of the ballots cast. Polls are open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. in each of the municipalities. Birmingham and Bessemer do not hold elections this month. Voters’ Toolbox for Aug. 25 Municipal Elections. For a list of cities and towns with elections and information about who is on the ballot, read more.
Roads and Transportation Department workers from Jefferson County have taken on the task of moving a “small mountain” in their efforts to battle an underground fire that has annoyed Forestdale neighbors with smoke for more than a month. Jefferson County deputy county manager Cal Markert said the steeply sloped terrain of the property off Timber Ridge Drive and Forestdale Bend Road makes battling the smoldering illegal dump site particularly tough. “We can't work at it from the top because it won't hold heavy equipment, and the slope is so steep on the backside you can't climb up on it with heavy equipment,” Markert said. “We're basically going to start at the bottom and just very slowly excavate out with our equipment and try to get it separated that way.” Read more.
