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Alabama's largest city has marked a new milestone with the passage of the largest operating budget ever proposed in the Magic City. Despite its size and scope, the Birmingham City Council approved the budget on Monday with a vote of 8 to 0.
The $455 million dollar plan focuses heavily on rebuilding the city's infrastructure, revitalizing neighborhoods, and increasing public safety. Under the budget, city employees will also receive a 1.5% pay raise, paid city holidays, and full funding of Birmingham's employee pension program.
Neighborhood revitalization, in particular, has been a hallmark of the incumbent mayor's campaign platform, and the city budget reflects that priority with $14 million allocated. Those funds include:
Street Resurfacing: $10 million
Demolition and Weed Abatement: $3.15 million
Land Bank Authority: $300,000
Recycling Pilot Program: $300,000
ADA Sidewalks: $275,000
“This is a moment of recovery and restoration for our city,” Woodfin said in a statement. “I want to thank the council for working alongside me to ensure our shared priorities of neighborhood revitalization and fiscal responsibility are supported in this budget.”
The mayor's budget also fulfilled the promise of restoring funding for city-related agencies and boards—both of which lost funding in the city's 2021 operating budget as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Additionally, Birmingham's full time employees received a pandemic related bonus of $5,000 and part-time employees received $2,500 in bonus pay.
The city’s new fiscal year begins July 1, 2021 and will run until June 30, 2022.
The budget is publicly available at the following link: www.birminghamal.gov/budget2022.