Call and Email Script:
“Hello, my name is ______. I’m a constituent from District _____. I’m asking City Council members to vote against the currently proposed FY2021 budget as it does not align with the budget priorities highlighted by the People’s Budget Survey. The top five community priorities from respondents are: (1) child and youth development, (2) food security, (3) alternative criminal justice models, (4) routine mental healthcare and wellness, and (5) environmental justice and sustainable living. I call on the Mayor and Birmingham City Council to take action to support a participatory budgeting process and adopt a budget that aligns with the priorities of the people whom they have been elected to represent.”
Contact Information for Councilors and Mayor:
District 1: Clinton Woods
Email: clinton.woods@birminghamal.gov, Office number: 205-254-2349
District 2: Hunter Williams (Chair of Public Safety)
Email: hunter.williams@birminghamal.gov, Office number: 205-254-2038
District 3: Valerie Abbott (Chair of Budget and Finance)
Email: valerie.abbott@birminghamal.gov, Office number: 205-254-2355
District 4: William Parker (Council President)
Email: william.parker@birminghamal.gov, Office number: 205-254-2464
District 5: Darrell O’Quinn
Email: darrell.oquinn@birminghamal.gov, Officer number: 205-254-2679
District 6: Crystal Smitherman
Email: crystal.smitherman@birminghamal.gov, Office number: 205-254-2358
District 7: Wardine Alexander (President Pro-Tem)
Email: wardine.alexander@birminghamal.gov, Office number: 205-254-2498
District 8: Steven Hoyt
Email: steven.hoyt@birminghamal.gov, Office number: 205-254-2304
District 9: John Hillard
Email: john.hilliard@birminghamal.gov, Office number: 205-254-2302
Mayor: Randall Woodfin
randall.woodfin@birminghamal.gov, Office number: 205-254-2283
Additional Information from People’s Priority Report:
Areas of Investment:
Respondents clarity on the top 5 ranked budget priorities for FY2021:
- Child and Youth Development (e.g., public schools, after school programs, child care support, neighborhood youth programs, youth centers, etc.)
- Food security (e.g. access to healthy and affordable foods, food distribution, funding for community owned grocery stores, community owned farms)
- Alternative criminal justice models (e.g., job training and employment programs to reduce recidivism, community groups trained in early intervention for gang membership and violence, reparations to victims, etc.)
- Routine Mental healthcare and wellness (e.g. family and individual counseling, access to mental health care professionals, mental health care crisis intervention, substance addiction support programs, etc.)
- Environmental justice and sustainable living (e.g., neighborhood clean-ups, addressing illegal dumping, air quality and toxic chemical monitoring and correction programs, recycling programs, cleaning our drinking water sources, renewable energy, etc.)
Areas of Divestment:
Respondents clarity on what they are absolutely deprioritizing for the FY2021:
- 45.8% designated that they would give minimum investment into Parking & Traffic enforcement
- 41.6 % decided to provide minimum investment into Police Department & Law enforcement
- The City Attorney’s Office and the Municipal Court were also identified as two significant areas where divestment or minimal funding were preferred
