District 7 Seat On Birmingham Council Has 13 Applicants

BIRMINGHAM, AL - The Birmingham City Council has three vacant seats now, the most at one time in the history of the council. At least one of those vacancies, in District 7, will not be empty long, as 13 applicants are interviewing for the spot.

When District 7 councilman Jay Roberson resigned, citing family obligations, that opened up the third seat after council members Lashunda Scales and Sheila Tyson each won Jefferson County Commission seats. Council President Valerie Abbot said the city does not have the budget for a special election, so the seats will be appointed.

According to a report by Alabama Media Group, the applicants for District 7 are:

• Gwendolyn Calhoun, president of Hillman Neighborhood Association
• Gibril H. Davies Jr.
• Wardine Alexander, former Birmingham Board of Education president
• Marcus King
• Charles Crockrom Sr., former assistant to former Mayor Richard Arrington. He is a member of Birmingham Racing Commission.
• Gertrudis A. Hunter, a former candidate for Birmingham mayor
• Robert H. Young
• Lonnie Malone, former city council candidate
• Raymond Brooks, former Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service chief
• Walter Wilson, former city council candidate
• Theodore Smith, board member of the Birmingham Jefferson County Transit Authority
• Jameania Ravizee
• Jeffrey Rowser, former city council candidate

Abbott said interviews with the applicants will take place as soon as possible. She didn't immediately know when those interviews would take place, though, saying it depended on when the majority of city councilors would be available. (For more updates on this story and free news alerts for your neighborhood, sign up for your local Patch morning newsletter.)

Photo via Birmingham City Council