What is Birmingham to Do Now?
Now that the election of Birmingham, Alabama's fourth Mayor in three months is over, I have to now question, What is Birmingham to Do Now?
The local government in Birmingham is in bad need of leadership. I don't mean to be pessimistic, but with the corruption, conviction and complacency of the last three years, how else can I be? I was born and raised in Birmingham, and I have a lived a majority of my life here, but my disappointment in the City's electorate goes deep, and for the most part, I throw up my hands. I don't really know what we can do to get rid of the three "C's" as I see it. My only thoughts are of a City with so much potential and trying to find reasons why we will always be a city with so much potential.
The bright sides of the Birmingham region are there and they are key, but the universal perception is that all those regions make up Birmingham, well at least to the national news media that's the way it is seen. It's hard for me to understand why people can't grasp the concept of what happens in the city center proper does have affect on all of the cities surrounding the center.
I attended the State of the City Address in the City of Fultondale this morning. Fultondale is a City just north of the city center. As I listened to all of the accomplishments of 2009 and the plans for 2010 that the Mayor, City Council and Chamber outlined, a thoughts occurred to me: how can a city just outside of Birmingham be so organized and prepared for growth? What if anything can be done to replicate the same positive growth in the City Center?
The solution in my opinion could just be the formation of a Council of Mayors.
Birmingham, Jefferson County, the cities in Jefferson County and the surrounding counties (Blount, St. Clair, Walker and Shelby) could come together and form a North Central Alabama Council of Mayors to operate as one body for the betterment of the area. The City and County governments could all maintain their independence as governments, but they would come together to work on big projects, make regional decisions and to solve bigger problems in the region as a whole. I envision the Council would take on any project or problem no matter where the project or problem originated from. The Council would elect an Executive Committee to include a Chair and Vice Chair to oversee the council as a whole. In my opinion a Council like this would be a guarantee that the Birmingham region would grow and prosper. The Council may also ensure the transparency that is desperately needed in government today. Funding of the organization, I am sure, would be the first topic of conversation in the formation of the Council. As I see it, the way to fund this type of Council is through grants, private donations, corporate donations and membership fees from each of the governments. A nonprofit corporation status, bylaws and the executive committee, could be assurances to preventing power struggles.
But of course the formation of a Council of Mayors takes a huge commitment and it requires buy-in from all of the governments in and around Birmingham.
The questions now is: Would the governments in and around Birmingham be willing to make a commitment to a concept like this? Oh how I wish they would.
Posted by Kara's Blog at 1/21/2010 6:46 PM 
Categories: Politics
Tags: Birmingham Politics Regional Government Alabama
Categories: Politics
Tags: Birmingham Politics Regional Government Alabama
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