RIP Jefferson County, 1819-2009
By Wade Kwon
Here lies Jefferson County, the biggest county in Alabama, once home to the once biggest city in the state.
What killed Jefferson County? Poor leadership? Not enough civic engagement? Bad financial management? The recession?
Let us start with the budget, a gaping black hole of billions of dollars of debt from the sewer crisis debacle. [More stories on the Jefferson County sewer system problem.] Add to that the demise of the county’s bizarre occupational tax and its $75 million in annual revenue. Rainy day fund? Emergency action plan? What’s Jefferson County’s Plan B? Heck, it doesn’t seem like it has a Plan A …
Kyle Whitmire of Birmingham Weekly does an exceptional job in “Politician-Assisted Suicide” of breaking down the tangled politics and morass of mistakes that have led us to today, the end of the budget.
With no money left, the county has yet to declare bankruptcy. It has however …
- Placed 900 employees on administrative leave with no return date. (The county employs 3,000 workers.)
- Shut down its satellite courthouses where citizens can renew drivers’ licenses and auto tags.
- Revamped its Web site.
- Battled with Sheriff Mike Hale over budget cuts to his department.
- Left Cooper Green Mercy Hospital untouched.
- Fled town: Commission president Bettye Fine Collins was in San Diego at a Republican National Committee meeting (checked into a hotel under her maiden name), and Shelia Smoot was in Nashville at a National Association of Counties convention.
So what’s left? The Legislature could reinstate a revised occupational tax or force the commission to hire a county manager. Jefferson County’s legislators will meet again Tuesday to look for a solution via Montgomery.
Update: The commission must also fend off a lawsuit from within. County tax assessor Dan Weinrib filed suit today to prevent any budget cuts to his department. (Hat tip Kerry Sanders.)
Meanwhile, the debt grows, the commission is out, and workers and citizens are left to wonder how much worse can it get.
Friday, July 31, 2009, 4:11 pm
I thought we voted Weinrib out of office in 08. Oh we did but he doesn’t leave until October of 09 under a quirky Alabama law where there is this crazy expired term thing going on.
Friday, July 31, 2009, 5:06 pm
These things take time. Let’s all sue the county and see what happens.
Friday, July 31, 2009, 6:04 pm
Revamp is a strong word.