Larry Langford

Larry P. Langford, elected to the Jefferson County Commission in 2002, is currently the Commisioner of Health and Human Services. He had previously gained notice as a Birmingham City Councilor and as a three-term mayor of Fairfield from 1988 to 2000. From 2002 until 2006, he was Commissioner of Finance and General Services and Commission President.

Before his career in politics, Langford was a reporter for WBRC 6 for 10 years and later worked in public relations for a Birmingham beer distributor. He also served in the U. S. Air Force and is an active member of the Catholic church. He received a Bachelor of Arts in social and behavioral sciences in 1972 from UAB. He is married and has one son.

Since entering politics, Langford has earned a reputation as a fertile wellspring of bold ideas, though perhaps not for the discipline and patience to seek consensus and carry the ideas to fruition. Editor Tom Scarritt characterized him as "a Gatling gun of ideas." Since joining the commission, the Birmingham News has identified nearly 70 public initiatives that Langford has announced.

Langford is best known for two major bond issues. The first, undertaken in 1998 while he was mayor of Fairfield, funded the construction of the Visionland Theme Park (now known as Alabama Adventure), located near Bessemer. The park was built using a $90 million bond issues backed by a consortium of cities in the western part of the county, as well as the city of Birmingham and the County government. The park filed for bankruptucy in 2002 and was sold, for $5.25 million, to Southland Entertainment Group, which has invested millions of dollars in expanding and improving the attraction, drawing record attendance and fueling development nearby.

The second major bond issue, engineered while he was president of the County Commission, borrowed $1 billion toward school construction in the county, backed by a 1¢ increase in County sales tax. Langford's position on the Commission changed after the 2006 election when Bettye Fine Collins, a critic of Langford's financial policies, was elected president. Since then, Langford and fellow commissioner Shelia Smoot have found themselves consistently in the minority in Commission votes.

Langford has discussed plans to run for Governor of Alabama. In June 2007 he announced that he would run for Mayor of Birmingham in the October election with the slogan "Let's Do Something." In order to qualify for the election, he rented a loft apartment in the Blachs Building on 20th Street North. During the campaign Langford has touted his long record of initiatives and promised action to move the city forward.

Also during the campaign, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) subpoenaed some of Langford's financial records as part of an investigation into the legality of the bond deals he initiated as County Commission president. Langford dismisses the investigation as a political ploy.

Langford initiatives

Through his career in public office, Langford has proposed and enacted numerous initiatives, building on his reputation as a "man of vision". Some have been successful, while others either failed or never saw the light of day:

• 1 cent sales tax to support school construction
• Putting magician's top hats on downtown light poles
• Selling the county's sewer system to private investors
• Four day work week for county employees
• Board certification for teachers
• Bringing Giuseppe Moretti's "Bust of Christ" to Vulcan Park
• Reviving street trolleys
• Building a domed stadium on the Sears site in western downtown
• Hiring a public relations firm to promote Jefferson County in the state
• Engineering interest-saving bond swaps
• Starting a literacy center for public school students
• Funding college scholarships for C students and above

References

• Wright, Barnett (June 3, 2007) "Langford launches run for mayor." Birmingham News.
• Wright, Barnett. (April 23, 2006) "Langford's full of ideas, both big and small." Birmingham News.
• Westlake-Kenny, Barbara. (Fall 1997) "Alumni Spotlight: Larry P. Langford, B.A." UAB Magazine Vol. 17, No. 4
• "Larry Langford." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 27 Mar 2006, 19:19 UTC. 28 Mar 2006, 20:47 [1]
• Bryant, Joseph D. (September 2, 2007) "Hopefuls have just weeks to win votes." Birmingham News.