Jefferson County Cemetery Board

The Jefferson County Cemetery Board is a regulatory authority charged with hearing complaints of negligent management and neglect of for-profit cemeteries, and to impose fines or declare derelict properties to be public nuisances as warranted. The board can file lawsuits against negligent owners, and arrange for inmate labor from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office to improve nuisance properties. Church and family-owned cemeteries are exempt from the board's oversight.

A 2002 state law requires the owners of actively-used cemeteries and burial plots to register with the Alabama Department of Insurance and to establish an endowment care fund with a percentage of revenues generated from the sale of plots and mausoleum and columbarium spaces.

In 2016, Birmingham City Councilor William Parker reached out to state representatives Juandalynn Givan and Mary Moore to draft legislation that would give Birmingham and Jefferson County to authority to establish a cemetery board to oversee for-profit cemeteries. Governor Kay Ivey signed the legislation into law in June 2017. The first slate of board members was appointed by the Jefferson County Legislative Delegation in February 2018.

The board is independent and does not report to the Jefferson County Commission. The Cemetery Board's members serve as volunteers, but are eligible for reimbursement of actual expenses of attending quarterly meetings and conducting the board's work. Its activities are funded by an earmark from the sale of pistol permits in Jefferson County.

As of December 2020, board member Randy Matthews stated that the board had not met and had not fielded complaints, which were still going to the city council. Councilor Parker stated at the time he was working with state legislators and hoped to have the board fulfilling its assigned duties during 2021. Revisions to the method of appointing members, alternating the selection of chair between the House and Senate, were passed during the 2021 Alabama legislative session‎.

Members

• Connie Goldsby
• Loretta Knight
• Evelyn Boykin
• Korey Hameen
• Venus Smith
• Hannah Thompson
• Randy Matthews

References

• Edgemon, Erin (October 24, 2016) "Abandoned and neglected cemeteries a problem in Birmingham." The Birmingham News
• Edgemon, Erin (December 22, 2016) "The way Jefferson County cemeteries are regulated could change in 2017." The Birmingham News
• Edgemon, Erin (June 1, 2017) "Gov. Ivey signs bill creating Jefferson County Cemetery Board: What happens next?" The Birmingham News
• Edgemon, Erin (February 15, 2018) "Residents appointed to Jefferson County cemetery complaint board." The Birmingham News
• Gauntt, Joshua (December 7, 2020) "On Your Side: Three years later, Jefferson County cemetery board still hasn’t met." WBRC