The Birmingham City Council today authorized Mayor William Bell to reset fire fighters’ pay to levels set before 2008. The decision rolls back an unauthorized pay increase for fire fighters under former Mayor Larry Langford.
Fire fighters and family protested in July outside City Hall.
Fire fighters have argued that the move will amount to a 20 percent pay cut, while city officials insist that fire fighters were given that money by mistake and were never entitled to it in the first place.
In 2008, Birmingham was implementing a new time clock and accounting systems. Sometime during the implementation of that system, the city increased fire fighter starting pay from about $13 per hour to $17 per hour. The error cost the city about $11 million a year for the last two years.
The mayor’s office made the change without the necessary approval from the city council and the Jefferson County Personnel Board, Bell told the council.
“This is one of the most difficult situations I’ve had to deal with because it was not one of my choosing,” Bell said, adding that he could face jail personally if the change is not made.
The city and personnel board are subject to a federal consent decree to fix the personnel system. U.S District Judge Lynnwood Smith has threatened the parties with contempt of court if they do not meet his deadlines for fixing the system.
Postponing the vote today would put the city in contempt of court, Bell told the council.
Despite the warning, Councilor Kim Rafferty proposed delaying the matter. The more senior council members, including Roderick Royal, Carole Smitherman and Valerie Abbott, reinforced the mayor’s argument against the delay.
“I will get the money together for you all’s bonds, but I’m not going to jail with you all,” Councilor Smitherman told her colleagues.
The council voted five-to-four in favor of the resolution. Councilors Lashunda Scales, Rafferty, Steven Hoyt and Johnathan Austin voted against the resolution. Councilors Jay Roberson, Smitherman, Abbott, Royal and Maxine Parker voted in favor of it.
The proposal will now move to the full council for approval. The developer, Connolly Net Lease, has promised to preserve the historic structure and relocate a restaurant there. A Walgreens will be built on the adjacent property.
In the proposal, Bell suggested the loan as a substitute for dipping further into the city’s reserves.
Birmingham is supposed to pay police and fire fighters the same. The question is whether they should be paid the same per hour or per year. The difference is $12 million per year.
Langford era accounting glitch triggered overtime early, city officials say. Fire department budget ballooned 30 percent in two years.
Politicians tell us they know how to make tough decisions. It’s campaign boilerplate. Governing is different, though, especially when reality gets as tough as the campaign talk — a lesson William Bell is learning the hard way and a lesson others should have learned already.
The proposed closures are part of Mayor William Bell’s plan to balance the 2011 fiscal year budget. Council President Roderick Royal said he doubts the cuts are necessary. Councilors were upset mayor didn’t share decision before telling employees.
The City of Birmingham must cut salaries 10 percent to balance the 2011 budget, Mayor William Bell told several thousand city employees meeting today at Boutwell Auditorium.
Birmingham can leverage its existing sports venues to climb out of the financial hole it’s in, Mayor William Bell told Fox Business today. Says city must push non-franchise sports such as tennis, golf and Indy car racing.
With litigation on appeal, the Public Safety Committee took no action againt Sensations, where two people were shot last Saturday, but councilors had a message: We hate to say we told you so.
Twice a day, Highway 280 turns into a parking lot, but seven Birmingham city councilors insist double-decking is not the best solution to traffic congestion. Councilors questions whether tolls would really pay for construction costs, and many argued the road would hurt businesses and home prices.
