Welcome!
Here at the Birmingham City Council, we believe that it shouldn't take being elected to a public office to understand how the City's budget comes together and how it's implemented every year.
Whereas the fiscal year begins on July 1st, the Council is constantly working towards maintaining a balanced budget.
Last year, our offices received roughly 16,000 calls, upwards of 12,000 emails, and we attended over 1,000 Neighborhood Association meetings. This is where the rubber meets the road and we hear from our residents about what priorities they would like to see reflected in the annual budget.
Download a copy of the Budget Handbook
Check back often! There will be more updates coming soon...
Did you Know?
The Mayor Council Act is the governing legislation that guides the way our municipal government is structured. Much like on the federal level, our municipal government is comprised of three main branches – Legislative (the City Council), Executive (the Mayor) and Judicial, (the Municipal Court).
How it was
In 2016, the Alabama Legislature made changes to the Mayor Council Act, which impacted the way the annual process unfolds. Prior to the changes, the Council could make changes to the proposed budget unilaterally; now, any alteration needs written approval from the mayor’s office.
Changes to the Mayor-Council Act after the 2016 legislative session granted Birmingham mayors autonomy when it comes to budgetary decisions, and limited the Council’s ability to make changes.
How it is
By statute, the Council is still required to hold a public hearing on the budget (date and time TBD), even though the legislative body’s ability to make changes was overturned by the Alabama State Legislature in 2016. (Act No. 2013-376(HB 523), § 2(5.08)) That hearing typically happens soon after the Budget is formally submitted to the Council by May 20th every year. This year, the City Council and the Mayor held an additional budget town hall meeting on March 18th to hear our residents’ thoughts and opinions on the budget.