Public Safety, General Services Won't Be Cut: Birmingham Mayor

BIRMINGHAM, AL — In a tele-town hall address, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin assured residents that the proposed budget for the coming fiscal year would not include cuts to public safety or general services. Woodfin said the city will need to address $63 million in lost business tax revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"As we continue to work through a $63 million shortfall for the budget currently before the City Council, we want to assure the public that basic city services such as public safety and general government will not be reduced," Woodfin said. "We have worked closely with the library board and parks and recreation board to identify enough funding for those boards to provide residents the current services that had previously been reduced due to the COVID-19 pandemic."

Woodfin will reduce his salary by 10 percent under the proposed budget. All employees appointed by the mayor will have salaries reduced by 3 to 10 percent. The city will also suspend nine paid holidays this fiscal year for all employees.

The proposed budget also defunds 447 vacant positions. Removing these vacant positions from the operating budget alone will save $15.8 million, Woodfin said.

Birmingham's Budget and Finance Committee will meet with the library, park, and school boards in the following weeks.