Maddox Gives Preview Of Priorities Ahead Of Aug. 25 Budget Presentation

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Ahead of his Aug. 25 presentation of the City of Tuscaloosa's proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year, Mayor Walt Maddox briefly outlined his main priorities before the daunting work of passing the budget truly begins.

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On Tuesday, during the Pre-Council Briefing for the Tuscaloosa City Council, Maddox said the proposed budget for fiscal year 2023 was currently being reviewed and will soon be off to the printers before it is formally presented to the full Council and public later this month.

City officials will then have the month of September to finalize and pass the budget before the new fiscal year begins in October.

"When you put this all together, between capital and operations, it's half a billion dollars —thousands upon thousands of moving parts," Maddox said of the proposed budget. "The good news is, I don’t think it will be as intense as it was last year ... with as many big issues."

Here's a quick breakdown of the mayor's seven main priorities for the FY23 budget, along with what he had to say ahead of the Aug. 25 presentation:

1. Code enforcement

Maddox said the top priority in forming the new budget will be efforts to expand, consolidate and enhance the city's code enforcement capabilities.

"Clearly that's something our neighborhoods continue to need and I think we’re in a position to do that," the mayor said on Tuesday.

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2. Invest in Information Technology (IT)

In mentioning the city's need to further invest taxpayer dollars to improve its digital infrastructure, Maddox praised the work of the city's Chief Information Officer Jason Foster, who has been in his role since May.

"I can’t tell you enough about Jason Foster and what he’s brought to our IT department and the very thoughtful, strategic way he is moving forward and I look forward to sharing the recommendations from him in our budget."

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3. Invest in water & sewer infrastructure

As with the city's Information Technology division, Maddox also had high praise for the work of Deputy Director of Water & Sewer Infrastructure Ron Smith and Associate Director of Logistics and Asset Management Kimberly Michael ahead of their budget recommendations going before the Council.

"Kimberly and Ron and the entire water and sewer team to me has been impressive," he said. "I know they have had some individual meeting with you, as well."

Many will remember back to last summer when intense rainfall from Tropical Storm Claudette brought issues with the city's aging water and sewer infrastructure to the forefront of conversation. Thankfully, a major crisis was averted during the severe weather event, but not before ginning up renewed debate for the city about how to address the longstanding issues.

4. Addressing inflation

Municipalities across the country are faced with levels of inflation not seen in a generation, which has prompted the mayor and the city's finance department to focus on a fiscally-conservative budget capable of weathering a time of uncertainty.

"We’re realistic about inflation and we’re realistic about what’s coming," Maddox said. "You will see that we are going to be far more conservative than probably the other nine major cities in Alabama. We’ve been discussing their budgets with them and I think that’s a wise course of action."

Maddox went on to speak to the uncertainty himself, saying it's not just the growth of revenue that should be a point of focus, but also the direct impact inflation has had on the city's finances and how that affects the way the city does business.

"Inflation has impacted us greatly, especially water and sewer and especially with our fuel costs and you will see that," he said.

5. Migration to Retirement Systems of Alabama (RSA)

Despite looming economic uncertainty, inflation and the other external factors have done little to deter City of Tuscaloosa officials in their mission to have the fire and police pension fund retirement eventually covered by the Retirement Systems of Alabama — a major selling point for prospective employees as the city hopes to improve its recruitment and retention of quality talent.

"You’ll see we’ll begin taking steps toward RSA," Maddox said on Tuesday. "That's a matter that's going to take a lot more discussion among the City Council. But I know there’s a want-to, so if there’s a want-to, this is the budget year to begin thinking about how you get there in '26 or '27."

6. Aligning Elevate Tuscaloosa for the next 8-10 years

In the city's history, few — if any — initiatives by City Hall have rivaled the impact of Elevate Tuscaloosa. The ambitious effort, which Maddox hopes to see built upon and evolve over the next decade, will touch countless lives in the city through a range of initiatives.

Among these projects under the Elevate Tuscaloosa banner are the proposed Saban Discovery Center on the current site of the Tuscaloosa News building, in addition to a master plan for Lake Nicol and Lake Harris — just to name a few of the more-recent projects.

As the city plans to maintain an ambitious pace with projects despite economic headwinds, this will be one of the more interesting and tangible pieces of the city's proposed budget going into a new fiscal year.

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7. Return to fundamentals

Lastly, Maddox said he plans to propose a "return to fundamentals" that would see a renewed focus placed on addressing paving and neighborhood drainage issues.

"I’ve tried to incorporate the things y'all have discussed with me in your monthly meetings," Maddox said at the conclusion of his quick preview of budget priorities. "Depending upon where our revenue stands you may have more resources to work with.

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