Birmingham City Council Holds Public Hearing on 2026-2027 Budget (June 3, 2026)

On June 3, 2026, the Birmingham City Council held a special adjourned meeting with a public hearing on the proposed 2026-2027 fiscal year city budget. Council President Alexander called the meeting to order at 11:45 AM UTC. The hearing was advertised in the Alabama Messenger on May 27, 2026. Council members received oral and written comments from residents, neighborhood officers, and community representatives. No formal votes were taken; the council recorded requests and feedback for consideration as the budget process continues.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Ono Yemi Williams (West Side Legacy Protection Fund, Westside United, Legacy Homeowners of Greymont, Eden Ridge, and East Thomas): Expressed strong opposition to the proposed $650 million city budget, arguing it leaves a "glaring systematic hole" in the historic West Side. He stated that while the city celebrates a $50 million HUD Choice Neighborhood Grant, federal rules exclude surrounding blocks from home repair funding. He claimed that private developers could capture up to $38 million in corporate fees, and that UAB is using the community for data collection without addressing infrastructure needs. He asked for a $7.5 million line item for legacy homeowners, including $5 million from a loan returned by Birmingham Southern and $2.5 million from CBD flexible grant dollars, to combat gentrification.
• Rob Burton (South Side Community President, CAB Budget Committee member): Thanked the council for past conversations but expressed concern about insufficient publicity for the public hearing, noting that the city's community resource service department did not include hearing information in recent budget-related emails. He highlighted the council's limited ability to make line-item budget changes due to the mayor-council act and lack of access to budget request packets. He suggested the Community Advisory Board (CAB) could act as a go-between to improve information flow and advocated for continued collaboration.
• Tremaine Macintosh (Wyattham Neighborhood President, Human Rights Commissioner for District 9): Supported restoring neighborhood funding from $2,000 to $10,000, citing the need for funds for pocket parks, benches, school donations, and other projects. He argued that $2,000 is insufficient and that Birmingham is one of the few cities with a neighborhood fund that empowers residents.
• Councilmember Smithman (responding to Macintosh): Thanked Macintosh for his service but noted that some neighborhoods have nearly $50,000 in unused funds, which contributed to the decrease. She suggested exploring other funding avenues, such as state representatives.
• Dora Sims (West Community and Bushills Neighborhood, NUSA Board Member): Advocated for a line item in the budget to support Neighborhoods USA (NUSA) representation, stating that she has personally funded her own expenses for six to seven years to represent Birmingham's 99 neighborhoods. She noted that Birmingham provides the largest number of delegates to NUSA and that a successor is needed as she will roll off the board after nine consecutive years.
• Donald Smith (resident): Disagreed with the reasoning that unused funds justify lowering neighborhood funding, arguing that active neighborhoods need more money, not less. He suggested encouraging neighborhoods with large balances to utilize their funds rather than penalizing those that do.
• President Harding (CAB Vice President, East Pennsylvania Community President, Echo Hollands Neighborhood President): Requested that the council consider the difficulty of arriving before the 5:30 PM speaker sign-up deadline. He noted that the CAB passed a resolution on neighborhood funding and invited the council to discuss with the CAB. He also raised concerns about the capital projects budget not being available on the city website, citing specific ARPA-funded projects on Lawson Road that remain incomplete, and suggested reallocating funds from dedicated park line items (e.g., Railroad Park) to rec centers needing capital improvements.
• Online speaker (from Rome): Expressed concern about a significant decrease in revenue, particularly from business taxes, and asked for advocacy at the federal level to address economic impacts. He noted increases in the budget for unhoused services but no increase for mental health services, and requested an increase in the parks line item, specifically for Grace Park pool and east-side pools. He also called for the capital budget to be posted on the city website.
• Jericho Maybory (online): Requested funding for environmental initiatives, particularly for the west side of Birmingham, and for street pavement improvements.
• Johnny Gunn (Bell Neighborhood Association President, Five Points West Community President): Supported the CAB resolution and reiterated the need for increased neighborhood funding and a line item for NUSA delegates, noting that rising costs justify the increase.
• Madeline Green (Oxmoor Valley neighborhood): Pointed out that some neighborhoods with large budgets lack officers to spend the money, and suggested the city help those neighborhoods utilize funds. She noted that Oxmoor Valley has $11,000 but cannot use it effectively under the current system.
• Tori Brown (Winona and Oxmoor Valley neighborhood): Called for transparency, project approval processes, accountability assessments for stewardship, and quarterly budget reviews to redistribute unused funds. She also suggested that investors receiving large city subsidies (e.g., at Legion Fields) should be required to give back to the community.
• Cynthia Morton (Rising West Princeton neighborhood): Noted her neighborhood has only $11,000 in its budget but owns a community center needing repairs (floors, fencing). She asked for additional funding, noting that the city's motto "the people are the city" should translate to support.
• Robert Walker (Wahouma Neighborhood President, East Lake Millennium President): Supported restoring $10,000 neighborhood funding, stating that his small neighborhood wants to build an accessible playground for handicapped children but cannot do so with $2,000 per year. He noted that potential grants require matching funds, which are unavailable with the current allocation.

Discussion Items

• Council President Alexander and Budget and Finance Chair Councilor Woods acknowledged all comments and requests. Councilor Woods stated that feedback would be communicated to the administration and used in the council's budget review.
• Councilor Woods also noted that residents can email additional thoughts to him at clinton.woods@birminghamal.gov.

Key Outcomes

• No votes were taken; the public hearing was solely for receiving input.
• The council recorded all requests, including:
  • $7.5 million line item for legacy homeowners in Greymont, Eden Ridge, and East Thomas.
  • Restoration of neighborhood funding from $2,000 to $10,000.
  • A line item for NUSA representation expenses.
  • Improved transparency and posting of the capital budget online.
  • Increased funding for mental health services, parks (especially pools on the east side), and street pavement.
• The meeting was adjourned with a motion and second.