FY 2019 Budget At-A-Glance
City of Birmingham’s FY2019 Budget
FY 2019 Capital Budget
Memo and Performance Assessment
Neighborhood Balances as of 4.23.18
Summary
Mayor Randall L. Woodfin has proposed a $436 million budget that falls in line with “our core values and commitment to neighborhood revitalization.”
The budget represents “difficult and responsible” decisions that must be made to support the Woodfin Administration’s priorities of neighborhood revitalization and the core values of customer service, efficiency, effectiveness, transparency and accountability.
City department’s were instructed to prioritize needs over wants during the budget process. The positions taken demand accountability from those departments as well as non-city agencies.
Each department must prioritize needs over wants.
Five areas were identified in the budget.
- Personnel.
- Operations.
- Overtime.
- New standards for the funding of boards and agencies.
- Neighborhood revitalization.
PERSONNEL
More than 133 vacant, surplus positions are proposed to be cut from the budget. The positions have gone unfilled for many years, serving as a line item that offers no real service to the people of the city in previous budgets.Let’s begin with personnel.
Of those vacant, surplus positions, more than $800,000 was cut from the Mayor’s Office alone.
The citywide savings is estimated to be $4.7 million.
Mayor Woodfin’s proposed budget also includes a 1% cost of living adjustment and the continuation of longevity pay.
The city must keep its promises to its employees, so the budget proposes an increase in the contribution to the pension fund by $2.9 million dollars. The increased contribution is the first step in efforts to meet the city’s unfunded pension liability.
OPERATIONS
The city’s aging infrastructure lacks the investment to support the efficient performance of basic services.
Based on recommendations both from Mayor Woodfin’s citizen-led transition team and an independent performance assessment, a Preventive Maintenance Program will be established in the budget with a plan to address the needs of the city infrastructure. The initial investment to the program is proposed to be $500,000.
OVERTIME
Far too often the current city structure has put an emphasis on overtime rather than efficiency of service.
The Woodfin Administration has identified opportunities to reduce overtime costs through efficiency and accountability.
A process will be put in place in each department to monitor and hold department heads accountable for overtime.
BOARDS AND AGENCIES
The city is committed to many strategic partners like the Birmingham City Schools.
Still, the city puts millions into organizations that are not part of this government.
The Woodfin Administration will increase the emphasis on transparency and accountability.
Under this budgeting process, non-departments must submit budgets that focus more on programs and services for the residents of Birmingham and not primarily to support salaries.
In addition, an internal audit process of contracts will be put in place.
This budget will reflect those priorities and the core value of accountability.
NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION
Birmingham is only as strong as our most needful neighborhoods.
This budget creates new standards to support the absolute priority of neighborhood revitalization.
This budget will reflect demands to increase funding for neighborhood based services like demolition and weed abatement.
It will focus on enhanced technology and lighting to support public safety for the neighborhoods.
Police presence on the streets has been stepped up and expanding responsibility within the Department of Public Works will lead to cleaner streets in accordance with Mayor Woodfin’s Operation Step Up program for public safety.
With the establishment of the Department of Innovation and Economic Opportunity, a priority will be set for an increase and support in small business growth in the 99 neighborhoods.
The mayor’s proposed budget also includes the establishment of a first-time neighborhood revitalization fund supported by increased revenue through Birmingham’s investment in the regional effort to expand the BJCC.
