What To Know About Mayor Maddox's Policy Vision For Coming Year

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox met with the City Council Friday at the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater for a work session where he presented his policy plans for the coming year, while pitching a proposed funding model for Tuscaloosa County Parks & Recreation Authority (PARA).

The proposals are in their earliest stages and the scope of the initiatives will still have much left to be discussed, but here is a breakdown of both pitches made by the mayor on Friday, which provide a detailed glimpse of what Maddox looks to accomplish in his fifth term.

First, here's some context ...

• The updates come as Tuscaloosa officials work to address a wave of violence in the city. Many of Maddox's policy goals can be seen in the initiatives spearheaded by Project Unity, which was rolled out in late 2020.
• Discussion over PARA's funding date back to 2014, with debate over funding and oversight ramping up in the last year.
• Several aspects of Maddox's plans have an eye toward a world after the coronavirus pandemic, which remains ongoing. The looming uncertainty in terms of federal and state aid, along with other changing dynamics in the return to normalcy could certainly have their effects.

Mayor's Policy Agenda (May 17, 2021 - May 16, 2020)

- Establish a sustained funding model for the city's Police and Fire Pension Fund or convert to Retirement Systems of Alabama.

- Update public safety pay plan.

- Establish a Mental Health Court in the city's Municipal Court.

- Present consolidated operating and capital budgets.

- Freeze the use of lodging taxes for hotel incentives.

- Reduce positions and realign roles and responsibilities.

- Adopt a new funding model for Tuscaloosa County Parks & Recreation Authority (PARA) that provides additional funding, accountability and services.

- Adopt a new economic development model that facilitates the transition into knowledge and technology-based jobs and the creation of innovation districts in the city.

- Leverage American Rescue Plan funding and American Jobs Plan infrastructure funding.

- Implement consolidated code enforcement.

- Implement a 10-year water/sewer capital investment plan.

- Expand housing and workforce housing through sewer investments.

- Establish partnerships with the Tuscaloosa County Commission and rural water authorities for sewer services in appropriate areas and explore amending the city's sewer policy as it relates to water service and annexation.

- Adopt a Project Unity master plan.

- Realign Elevate Tuscaloosa's annual budget and 10-year budget projections to the post-coronavirus environment and Project Unit recommendations.

PARA proposal

Recommendations include:

- Directly funding Arts Council of Tuscaloosa and Ol' Colony Golf Course.

- Provide funding contingent on accountability and performance measures.

- Establish a funding model that encourages shared responsibility and effective management of the funding partners and PARA.

- Enhance PARA's governance to include an executive committee of funding partners.

- Establish a Parks and Recreation Committee on the Tuscaloosa City Council.

PARA funding fast facts

• 94% total increase in funding for PARA since 2005: Tuscaloosa (+49%), Northport (+17%), Tuscaloosa County (+227%).
• Under Maddox's proposed funding model, PARA would see an increase of $476,415 from the City of Tuscaloosa in FY 2022.
• Maddox also proposes that the City of Northport raise its funding of PARA by $548,855, while allowing Tuscaloosa County to cut its contributions by $383,360. Under this plan, Northport would increase its funding of PARA by a least a dollar annually until it is equal to both the City of Tuscaloosa and Tuscaloosa County.

Quotable: "We can’t be a metro parks system and not have metro funding. Everyone has to be a paying partner for this to work." - Mayor Walt Maddox.

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