Mayor Bell has left Alabama more times than President Obama has traveled abroad
By Wade Kwon
Birmingham mayor William Bell speaks at the National Press
Club on Sept. 25 in Washington to campaign for the 2016
Democratic National Convention.
Birmingham mayor William Bell has not sat still for long. Since August 2011, he has traveled out of state on city business some 37Â times, including 17 trips to Washington.
AL.com received information on the trips from city spending forms, including the total cost, $65,000. He most recently visited Japan in September for the Southeast U.S./Japan Association meeting, at the request of Gov. Bentley, and spoke at the National Press Club later in the month in Washington.
Official trips for the City of Birmingham, August 2011-July 2014:
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*One trip combined with Baltimore, one with New York and one with New Orleans and Point Clear.
Al.com columnist John Archibald lists five other trips for Bell in that period. The City of Birmingham did not pay for these excursions:
- Ferguson, Mo.
- Geneva
- Liverpool
- Paris
- Saudi Arabia
Mayor Bell has traveled out of state 42 times in 3 years. For comparison, President Obama has traveled out of country 37 times in 6 years.
