Randall Woodfin Wants to Revitalize Birmingham Communities – WBHM (press release) (blog)

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Posted 07-13-2017 by Sherrel Stewart.

Sherrel Wheeler Stewart,WBHM 90.3 FM

Randall Woodfin talks with campaign workers before going out to canvass in west Birmingham.

Birmingham lawyer Randall Woodfin grew up in different parts of Birmingham. The 36-year-old is now running for mayor. He says hes connected to communities from North Birmingham to Southtown. And if elected, he says he would revitalize those neighborhoods outside of downtown.

Who is Randall Woodfin?

I am a son of the city of Birmingham. Birmingham is home born and raised here. My family literally lives all over the city not just growing up but still today. With that I feel connected to the entire city.

You talk of a need for revitalization. Why is that needed?

Its good to see Birmingham as part of a national trend of people wanting to be in the city center. Theres growth in our downtown like a lot of other cities in the South. But what I like to tell people is that there is real life in people and resonance west of 65, north of Uptown, east of Carrigans and over the First Avenue bridge where there are real issues around people not feeling safe on their porch or in their front yard. Their property values are either going down or staying the same versus going up.

If we dont focus on neighborhood revitalization for all of the neighborhoods, what we see is only aesthetic, cosmetic. We really have to invest in and support all of our neighborhoods.

So is there a plan that you can share with us at this time?

There is much I can do as mayor. When youre over a budget thats close to a half a billion dollars 426 million in your general fund, $75 million in your capital you can do a lot to be intentional about improving peoples quality of life.

When it comes down to neighborhood revitalization, its going to start with basic services. Im defining that as street paving, walkable curbsand sidewalks, lights, parks. Is anything about that necessarily sexy? Absolutely not. That is the job of a city. A new mayor has to address that.

Youre saying that people dont feel safe on their porches. What can the mayor do about that?

I think there are a couple of things. Now I will say that we dont have enough beat officers actually in the field, in the street to respond to crime. Our response time is not where it needs to be. And I think theres too much of a criminal element that knows our response time is not where it needs to be. Is that the same as not having enough total number of police officers on the force? Maybe not. Many will tell you its not a matter of not having enough police. Its how the police are being used.

What Im finding out when Im in the criminal courtroom, looking at whos committing crime the 16, 17, 18 year olds that are picking up guns weve got to replace that with some form of employment.

We need to make sure young people actually finish high school. If they dont want to go to college, if they dont want to go to the military. They have the option to finish high school with some form of workforce certification.

Randall Woodfin

Sherrel Stewart,WBHM 90.3 FM

You talk about jobs and jobs are part of the economic development. How then do we develop our economy in a way thats equitable?

Birmingham is the largest in the state of Alabama, but its also the fourth largest populated city of blacks. There is an overwhelming amount of concentrated poverty in our city. Thats an issue.

My concern is industry, job placement, job recruitment and workforce training. There is no intentionality around any of the things Ive just named.

Some cities provide more funds from the city budget for schools than we do. What do you think?

I compare us to Huntsville in how we spend money. The current administration has zero priorities on how they spend money. They just burn through tax dollars. All you have to do is look at a neighboring city within our state, similar in size etc.

The city of Huntsville has 189,000 residents; we have 211,000. They have a $311 million budget. Our budget is $426 million. Size up those two cities. Huntsville gives its school system $20 million. Birmingham with the $426 million gives our school system $1.8 million.

Education is not a priority to this current administration. With all the issues in Birmingham, with poverty, crime, lack of jobs, its all rooted in making education a priority.

He is a child of the civil rights movement and came of age as his father and uncle battled racial injustice. But Woods, now running to unseat Birmingham Mayor William Bell, has had different struggles that have shaped his own vision for the city. Woods sat down with our Sherrel Wheeler Stewart.

The veteran Birmingham educator, who was interim school superintendent but passed over for the permanent job, is running for a seat on the Birmingham Board of Education. Contri qualified Friday to run in District 3. Mary Drennen Boehm, the former executive director of A+ College Ready Alabama, has also qualified for that race.