An undecided voter’s look at the Birmingham mayoral race
I’ve lived in Birmingham for a little over four years. During that time I’ve seen my fair share of the good the city has to offer (kindness of strangers, a great business development environment, and a growing arts and entertainment scene), the bad (crime, crime, and more crime), and the ugly (cough “Brawl at City Hall” cough). One thing I can say for sure is that moving forward as I look at the 12 candidates for mayor in the upcoming municipal elections as an undecided voter is that those living and working in our city deserve more than they’re getting at the moment. Yes, the city has made notable improvements under Mayor William Bell’s leadership but improvements are still needed and they could be done faster and with more efficiency and transparency. Birmingham was recently ranked among the worst states in the nation for large cities. Beating out just 29 other cities in the overall ranking. The same report notes that of the 150 cities Birmingham is ranked 143rd in highest crime rates. You can see the full charts at the end of this post. This campaign cycle has opened my eyes to the fact that many others within our community feel the same way I do. 12 people wouldn’t be running for mayor if things were running smoothly and there wasn’t progress to be made. I join the resounding chorus of people who recognize that the one of the biggest, if not the biggest because it effects so many other issues, facing our town is crime. It is the nationally-known violent crime ranking that to this day still have out-of-state friends and family questioning why I live here. I can only imagine the impact that the violence is having on business development and how much better of a place we would be in if more investment went into crime prevention and deterrence. Bell has made economic development a large part of his time traveling throughout the nation and into other countries to business to move here. But for those on the outside looking in, if you were to see the statistics and the headlines that paint the picture of a city plagued with violent crime, poor education and poverty — why would you move? One has to wonder for every business that comes how many don’t because of problems that the mayor’s office could solve. Nearly every candidate interviewed by AL.Com mentioned crime and poverty (which usually go hand in hand) as a reason for running for office. With our embarrassing national ranking in crime and all that comes with that, from discouraging people to live here or invest in the city, it’s a topic that should easily be number one. Not merely an issue used as a political football as was just weeks ago between the mayor’s office and city council. Local elections are around the corner and the games of politics are strong. Buzz words are being thrown around but solutions themselves are still lacking. You can read the candidates Facebook and webpages and get the sense they all want a better Birmingham but it’s going to take more than want it’s going to take grit and effort and yes, even a little humility. What do I want to see as a resident? First, I want a fully staffed, fully funded police force that doesn’t pass the buck and do the bare minimum (oh and I want it located in the heart of the city, which is where it currently is). I want proactive policing but in ways that have been proven to work I want a police chief who can call an audible and recognize that his department isn’t where it needs to be and brings in help from experienced law enforcement trainers and experts who know how to turn things around. Ultimately, who does this responsibility fall to? The mayor. Beyond safety which is a very big concern. I want a city with a functional plan of community engagement that relies on local business and charities to provide support for those living in poverty or just above it to get out. This doesn’t mean pushing failed agendas such as minimum wage hikes but instead means enticing giving, promoting job training, volunteerism, charity of the kind that makes our nation great. We need local residents and local elected officials who do more than stand up when crisis come but shine a light in the deep crevices where crime starts and prevent it. Start with the youth of our city, show them a better way, give them someone to emulate that’s going to get their lives straight. To me, like so many others I know, Birmingham is a city of hope and promise. To me Birmingham is a place with heart. It’s past time for everyone regardless of where they live in and around Birmingham to look to our mayor and feel like we’re getting solutions not soundbites. Overall City Quality of City Services Total Budget per Capita 121 Birmingham, AL 140 87 City Ranking City Name Financial Stability Education Health Safety Economy Infrastructure & Pollution 140 (45.15) Birmingham, AL 120 53 124 148 141 109 *More information on these rankings can be found at Wallethub.com
Top 5 moments from Trussville’s mayoral forum
Like many municipalities in Alabama, the Birmingham suburb of Trussville is holding municipal elections Aug. 23. To help introduce citizens of Trussville to the multitude of candidates for both mayor and the city’s five council positions, local newspaper The Trussville Tribune partnered with the Trussville Chamber of Commerce to host a forum Tuesday evening in the community’s civic center. Challenging 20-year incumbent Eugene “Gene” Melton are current City Council President Anthony Montalto and fellow City Council member Buddy Choat. Trussville was no exception to the year’s exceptionally high political interest, with the civic center’s main hall packed with close to 300 people, requiring more chairs to be brought in to accommodate the crowd. While the format of the forum allowed time for mayoral and city council candidates in turn, most of the highlights came from the sometimes-aggressive answers of Choat and Montalto. The candidates were asked questions by Dr. Patty Neal, Trussville City Schools Superintendent; Gail Skipper, director of Parks and Recreation; attorney Bill Bright; and Jane Bailey, former city council president. Here are a few highlights: 1. “Pizza place to pizza place” A central theme of Anthony Montalto’s talking points was the dearth of locally owned and operated restaurants in the community, using the shorthand “family pizza joint” during his answers. But it was city council candidate Tommy Brewer who earned the loudest laughs of the night, quipping his support of improving the city’s sidewalks so people could walk from “Anthony’s pizza place to Anthony’s other pizza place.” While the line got a big laugh, it also highlighted a main theme of the night: the desire to turn Trussville’s downtown area into a walkable community with plenty of local restaurants and shops. 2. Aggressive critiques of Melton’s tenure Both Choat and Montalto explained how they’d run their administrations differently than the incumbent has. Choat focused on his management style, saying “I want to see you in the community and I want to hear from you.” “We’re on the cutting edge of having something magnificent,” he continued. “People choose to move to Trussville. Working with people is how you get things done.” Montalto was even more aggressive, critiquing the mayor’s alleged reputation for being unwilling to work with new businesses. “[Businesses I’ve talked to] have been surprised because they haven’t gotten attention. We need to use our chamber and local leaders to recruit. We need to show them our enthusiasm and our love for Trussville.” 3. Finishing downtown Trussville renovations A common theme among all the candidates on the slate, including those running for city council, was completion of renovations to the city’s downtown area. While a plan is in place, progress has been slow going according to the candidates, and they’d like to see it take place at a greater speed so more businesses will see they are serious about recruiting. 4. Completion of parks Another area of agreement among the candidates is the need to complete the multiple parks in the area currently under renovation. There are several parks, including one on U.S. Highway 11, the city’s main street, that have been under construction or renovation for several years. Melton, answering a question on what he’d like to get done in his fifth term that he hadn’t been able to do in the first four, made completing those projects and others already in motion a priority. While he said they should be done by Nov. 21 of this year, a common refrain from his opponents and prospective members of the council was the disbelief that the projects would be completed in a timely manner. 5. “A pivotal crossroads” Both Choat and Montalto, as well as the council candidates, made it clear they all believe Trussville is at a crossroads in its history. With more and more families relocating to the area, and its reputation for excellent public schools increasing, they believe the city needs leadership with a fresh perspective. The argument was made by Melton, however, that the city wouldn’t be where it is today without his tenure as mayor. But with Birmingham’s landlocked “Over the Mountain” communities of Hoover, Homewood, Vestavia Hills, and Mountain Brook quickly reaching capacity, Trussville is approaching its time to shine as a commuter city. The new residents of Trussville, many of whom moved to the community both for its top-tier public schools and its proximity to Birmingham, have much in common with those who have lived here for decades and have seen it be outpaced by the other suburbs. Progress is the obvious theme of this particular municipal election, but who will the people of Trussville choose to lead it?
