By Barnett Wright | The Birmingham Times
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin on Tuesday unveiled a proposed $591 million budget for Fiscal 2026 that includes money for street resurfacing, public safety, and for the first-time $500,000 for Park and Recreation youth sports.
Earlier this year the Birmingham Crime Commission delivered a report for reducing homicides and gun violence in the city that recommended “expanding after-school programs and recreational opportunities to divert youth from criminal behavior” by reimplementing Police Athletic Teams/League (P.A.T.).
Woodfin said a detailed plan for youth sports league “… a holistic approach that touches multiple sports,” could come as soon as next week, he said.
The city’s fiscal year begins July 1.
While the $500,000 for youth sports is a small amount of the budget, which is up from the $582 million last year, it’s part of nearly $10 million in youth investments that include $2 million Birmingham Promise for City School students: $1 million for financial literacy in schools and $1 million for conflict resolution for students.
“This budget represents our shared priorities,” Woodfin said. “We will continue to invest in our neighborhoods to resurface streets, invest in sidewalks and traffic calming, and remove blight. These are common requests from our residents that we are committed to providing.”
Here are budget priorities as outlined by the city:
NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION
-
- Street Paving: $15 million
- Weed Abatement: $3 million (up $250,000)
- Demolition: $2 million (up $500,000)
- Sidewalks: $1 million
- Traffic Calming: $500,000
- Recycling: $300,000
PUBLIC SAFETY AND VIOLENCE REDUCTION
-
- Police vehicles: $1 million (part of $6 million rolling stock investment)
- Common Ground Conflict Resolution in BCS: $1 million
- Park and Recreation Safe Haven Initiative: $625,000 (up $125,000)
- RESTORE Youth Re-entry Initiative: $450,000 (up $225,000)
- Additional Community Violence Intervention: $1.5 million
HOMELESSNESS
-
- Services for the Unhoused: $1.5 million (new funding)
- Community Development Block Grants: $800,000 (estimated, annually)
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
-
- Birmingham Jefferson County Transit Authority: $11 million
- Birmingham Xpress Bus Rapid Transit: $3 million
- Birmingham on Demand Powered by VIA: $2.5 million
CITY EMPLOYEES
-
- 1 percent Cost of Living Adjustment for All Employees: $4.225 million
- 5 percent Merit Pay for Eligible Employees: $3.9 million
- Longevity Pay for Eligible Employees: $1 million
- The City Covers All Healthcare Benefit Increases for City Employees: $3.6 million
- City Contribution to Pension Fund: $40 million (estimated pending actuary’s report)
Meanwhile, the Birmingham City Council has set a public hearing for Wednesday, June 4 at 5:30 pm to discuss the proposed FY 2026 budget. That meeting will be held in the Council Chambers on the third floor of City Hall.
The budget proposal can be viewed at www.birminghamal.gov/2026budget.
