Reviewed by: Nathan Watson
Mayor Woodfin presents $554M proposed 2024 budget – street paving, police and fire receive increases
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin proposed a $554-million operating budget for 2024 at the city council meeting today.
Focus on Neighborhoods
According to Woodfin, his administration’s proposed budget focuses on continuing the city’s commitment to neighborhoods, the community’s youth and The Magic City’s public transportation programs.
Addressing the Council, the mayor outlined a number of his priorities. They include:
- $15 million for street paving (the administration has budgeted $63 million over the 5 years)
- $2 million for Birmingham Promise
- $1 million toward mental health programs at the city’s schools (here is a Bham Now story about schools address mental health issues in the region)
- $16.5 million for public transportation including
- $11 million for fixed routes
- $3 million for Birmingham Xpress
- $2.5 million for Via
Birmingham’s police and fire employees will receive a 5% cost of living raise. The city will also continue to beef up both the employee pension ($39.6M) and fire & police pension ($13.3) plans.
Supporting Non-profits
Other notable programs:
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute is receiving an additional $1 million for capital improvements, while Vulcan Park, Ruffner Mountain and Red Mountain Park are receiving approximately 10% more than in the FY 2023 allocation.
“The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute has existed at this point for almost 31 years, ” said Woodfin. Shout out to Dejuana Thompson, the President/CEO, as well as her staff and the volunteers that do an amazing job of welcoming people from across the world seven days a week. It is on us to make the necessary investments. What we’re doing is a start.”
Below are the proposed budgets:
Read the Proposed FY 2024 Operating Budget here.
Read the Proposed FY 2024 Capital Projects Budget here.
Get Involved
Woodfin summed up the his administration’s 2024 budget this way:
“I think the things people want are literally in this budget. I want to encourage the public to go to birminghamal.com/2024budget. At this link, you will see all the details in this budget and there is something in here literally for everybody.
If you are a resident, if you are a small business owner, if you have any concerns in the city of Birmingham about public safety, public infrastructure, investments in our youth, investment in our employees and investment in our growth—this is all in this budget.”
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