The Birmingham City Council quietly restructured its committee system Tuesday, voting without discussion to institute several leadership changes and to split the Administration and Education Committee in two.

The changes were spearheaded by William Parker, who took over as council president in October. Parker added the new lineup to Tuesday’s meeting agenda as a last-minute addendum, handing out paper copies of the assignments just before the vote was called. “Just make sure we pass that,” he said to the council. Councilors appeared to be studying the list intently up until the moment of the vote.

Parker’s biggest change is to split the Administration and Education Committee into two separate committees. The new Administration Committee will retain the lineup of the original, with Abbott as chair and Parker and Council President Pro Tempore Wardine Alexander as members. The new Education Committee, meanwhile, will be headed by District 5 Councilor Darrell O’Quinn and feature District 8 Councilor Steven Hoyt and District 1 Councilor Clinton Woods as members.

O’Quinn was perhaps the councilor most affected by the committee changes, though he wasn’t present at Tuesday’s meeting. O’Quinn was removed from the Budget and Finance Committee and the Planning and Zoning Committee and added to the Economic Development Committee.

Most significantly, O’Quinn was removed as chair of the council’s Transportation Committee, a position he’d held since 2018. He’ll remain a member of the committee, but Hoyt will take over as chair.

Speaking via email after the meeting, O’Quinn thanked Parker “for granting me the opportunity to expand the scope of my work on the council.”

“Education is top of mind for every constituent,” he said. “I look forward to bringing new energy, perspective, and innovative ideas as the newly appointed chair of the Education Committee.”

Parker, Alexander, Hilliard and Hoyt all voted in favor of the changes, with Abbott voting no and Woods abstaining. Parker and Abbott did not immediately respond to BirminghamWatch’s requests for comment.

Administration

• Valerie Abbott, Chair
• Wardine Alexander
• William Parker

Budget and Finance

• Valerie Abbott, Chair
• Wardine Alexander
• Crystal Smitherman

Economic Development

• John Hilliard, Chair
• Darrell O’Quinn
• Clinton Woods

Education

• Darrell O’Quinn, Chair
• Clinton Woods
• Steven Hoyt

Governmental Affairs and Public Information

• Clinton Woods, Chair
• Valerie Abbott
• John Hilliard

Parks, Recreation, Cultural Arts & Tourism

• William Parker, Chair
• Steven Hoyt
• Crystal Smitherman

Planning & Zoning

• William Parker, Chair
• Valerie Abbott
• John Hilliard

Public Improvements

• Crystal Smitherman, Chair
• William Parker
• Hunter Williams

Public Safety

• Hunter Williams, Chair
• Crystal Smitherman
• Clinton Woods

Transportation

• Steven Hoyt, Chair
• John Hilliard
• Darrell O’Quinn

Utilities/Technology

• Wardine Alexander, Chair
• Hunter Williams
• William Parker

Census 2020 Redistricting

• William Parker, Chair
• Crystal Smitherman
• Hunter Williams