Birmingham AL Approves $31.8M Budget Surplus Plan 2024

Birmingham leaders approved a $31.8 million spending plan drawn from the prior fiscal year surplus on March 31, 2026. The measure directs funds to infrastructure repairs, youth programs and several Civil Rights sites. It follows an earlier release of $3.6 million that covered end-of-year bonuses for city employees.

The surplus originated in the city budget for fiscal year 2024, which closed on Sept. 30, 2024. Officials described the new allocations as a way to finish projects that had stalled. Each of the nine council districts will receive $500,000 for local use.

Infrastructure Allocations

Major infrastructure items include $2 million for sidewalk repairs and $5 million for work at the Birmingham Jail. Another $1.5 million will address repairs at city pools, while $1.5 million will replace an air handler at the Birmingham CrossPlex. The plan also sets aside $5 million for drainage improvements along Messer Airport Highway near the railroad underpass between 33rd and 31st streets north. A separate $1 million will support development of a citywide stormwater, drainage and watershed master plan.

Additional infrastructure funds cover a $2 million pilot project with the Alabama Department of Transportation to share maintenance costs for lighting on selected interstate sections. Once projects are chosen and bids are received, officials expect the work to require 10 to 18 months. The city also allocated $2 million for the Urban Villages Initiative and $1.1 million to install 217 automated external defibrillators at parks and recreation sites, including Legion Field and Birmingham Botanical Gardens.

Other Major Uses

The mayor’s Cradle to Career initiative receives $3.5 million. Funds will support early literacy instruction, technical assistance for child care providers and expansion of the Birmingham Talks program. KultureCity’s redevelopment of the former Powell Steam Plant site is allocated $2 million to create a national center focused on sensory disabilities, with plans that include training facilities, retail spaces and an exhibit hall on disability rights.

Civil Rights projects receive $250,000 for the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument, $500,000 for the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and $250,000 for a visitors and education center at 16th Street Baptist Church. The Birmingham Zoo is set to receive $500,000. Council President Wardine Alexander stated that the funding carries a responsibility to complete long-stalled projects at the neighborhood level. Mayor Randall Woodfin said in a press release that the plan invests in youth, neighborhoods and a human rights legacy.

City officials noted that the allocations supplement earlier surplus spending and that work on the approved projects will advance after selection and bidding steps are complete.