2017-2021 Birmingham City Council

Members of the Birmingham City Council in 2017: Back (L-R): John Hilliard, Darrell O'Quinn, Sheila Tyson, William Parker, Hunter Williams. Front (L-R): Steven Hoyt, Valerie Abbott, Jay Roberson, Lashunda Scales

The 2017-2021 Birmingham City Council served as the Birmingham City Council from 2017 to 2021. The nine members were elected by district to concurrent four-year terms in the 2017 Birmingham municipal election on August 22, 2017.

• District 1: Lashunda Scales (third term), resigned November 2018. Clinton Woods was appointed to fill the vacancy on December 18.
• District 2: Hunter Williams (first term)
• District 3: Valerie Abbott (fifth term), President (2017–2019)
• District 4: William Parker (first full term), President Pro Tempore (2018–2019), President (2019–2021)
• District 5: Darrell O'Quinn (first term)
• District 6: Sheila Tyson (second term), resigned November 2018. Crystal Smitherman was appointed to fill the vacancy on December 18.
• District 7: Jay Roberson (third term), President Pro Tempore, resigned September 2018. Wardine Alexander was appointed to fill the vacancy on October 30. President Pro Tempore 2019–2021
• District 8: Steven Hoyt (fourth term)
• District 9: John Hilliard (first term)

Officers

After the council members were sworn in on October 24, 2017, Valerie Abbott was elected President, with Jay Roberson as President Pro Tempore. After Roberson stepped down, William Parker was elected to serve the remainder of his term as Pro Tem.

On October 22, 2019, the council elected William Parker as its new president, with Wardine Alexander as the council's president pro tempore.

On October 24, 2023 the council held an election for new officers. In the first ballot Carol Clarke abstained and Alexander and Clinton Woods each got four votes. Clarke then nominated Darrell O'Quinn and in the second ballot he got four votes, Alexander got three, and Woods got one. City Clerk Lee Frazier declared O'Quinn the victor and swore him in as Council President. Alexander was elected President Pro Tem, succeeding [{Crystal Smitherman]].

The following day, however, after consulting the Mayor-Council Act and the Birmingham City Attorney, Frazier notified O'Quinn and the council that since no candidate received a majority of votes, that the voting would have to continue. A special meeting was called for Friday October 27. In the third ballot O'Quinn got five votes and Alexander got the remaining three.

Committees

Council members are assigned to one or more committees, and also meet with the "Committee of the Whole". Prior to restructuring by President William Parker in March 2020, those assignments were:

• Administrative/Education Committee: Abbott (chair), Roberson, Parker
• Budget & Finance Committee: Abbott (chair), Roberson, O'Quinn
• Community Education/Government Relations Committee: Scales (chair), Abbott, Tyson
• Economic Development Committee: Hilliard (chair), Scales, Roberson
• Parks & Recreation Committee: Parker (chair), Tyson, Hoyt
• Planning & Zoning Committee: Hoyt (chair), O'Quinn, Abbott
• Public Improvement Committee: Tyson (chair), Parker, Williams
• Public Safety Committee: Williams (chair), Hilliard, Hoyt
• Transportation Committee: O'Quinn (chair), Scales, Hilliard
• Utilities/Technology Committee: Roberson (chair), Williams, Parker

Parker altered the committee structure and assignments in March 2020. His changes were voted on without discussion on March 10 and passed by a 4-1 vote with one abstention and 3 not present. The new committees are:

• Administration Committee: Abbott (chair), Alexander, Parker
• Budget & Finance Committee: Abbott (chair), Alexander, Smitherman
• Economic Development Committee: Hilliard (chair), O'Quinn, Woods
• Education Committee: O'Quinn (chair), Woods, Hoyt
• Governmental Affairs & Public Information Committee: Woods (chair), Abbott, Hilliard
• Parks, Recreation, Cultural Arts & Tourism Committee: Parker (chair), Hoyt, Smitherman
• Planning & Zoning Committee: Parker (chair), Abbott, Hilliard
• Public Improvements Committee: Smitherman (chair), Parker, Williams
• Public Safety Committee: Williams (chair), Smitherman, Woods
• Transportation Committee: Hoyt (chair), Hilliard, O'Quinn
• Utilities & Technology Committee: Alexander (chair), Williams, Parker
• Census 2020 Redistricting Committee: Parker (chair), Smitherman, Williams

Resignations and special elections

Council member Jay Roberson stepped down in September 2018 to move to Alabaster after his wife accepted a job with Alabaster City Schools. Sheila Tyson and LaShunda Scales were elected to the Jefferson County Commission in the 2018 general election and therefore resigned their seats that November.

Thirteen applied for District 7 open seat in September: Gwendolyn Calhoun, Gibril Davies Jr, Wardine Alexander, Marcus King, Charles Crockrom, Gertrudis Hunter, Lonnie Malone, Raymond Brooks, Walter Wilson, Theodore L. Smith, Jameania Ravizee and Jeffrey Rowser.

In their October 16 meeting the Council deadlocked 4-4 on whether to appoint Wardine Alexander or Lonnie Malone to Roberson's former District 7 seat. On October 30 Stephen Hoyt changed his vote and Alexander was appointed on by a 5-3 majority.

Fourteen people applied for the District 1 vacancy: Michael Milner, Terrika Shaw, Clinton Woods, Sherman Collins Jr, Brandon McCray, William Harden Jr, John Norman, Sims Smith, Michael Todd, Kintisha Matthews, Alberto Reid, Michael Bell, Cedric Small, and Gwendolyn Welch. Woods, a contractor and the son of Chris Woods, was appointed by a 4-3 vote on December 18, with McCray receiving the other votes. After the vote was taken, the council passed a unanimous resolution supporting his appointment.

Sixteen applied for the open seat in District 6: Keith Williams, Abigail Gambles, Carlos Chaverst Jr, Barry Bearden, Onoyemi Williams, Tony Christon-Walker, Richard Rice, Clarence Muhammad, Keinijel Davis, Carla English, Crystal Smitherman, E. Philemon Hill, LaTanya Millhouse, Willie Maye Jr, Willine Body, Andre McShan, Brandon Cleveland, and Steve Small Jr. Smitherman, a law student and the daughter of Roger and Carole Smitherman, was appointed to the Council by unanimous vote on December 18.

The 2019 Birmingham special election, held on October 18, 2019, resulted in all three appointees— Woods, Smitherman, and Alexander— holding their seats until the 2021 Birmingham municipal election.

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Preceded by: 2013-2017 Birmingham City Council

Birmingham City Council 2017-2021

Succeeded by: 2021-2025 Birmingham City Council

References

• Edgemon, Erin (October 30, 2018) "Birmingham City Council makes appointment to empty seat." The Birmingham News
• Edgemon, Erin (September 11, 2018) "13 apply to fill District 7 seat on Birmingham City Council." The Birmingham News
• Prickett, Sam (November 20, 2018) "Applicants for Vacant Council Seats Include Former BoE VP, Former Mayor’s Brother." BirminghamWatch
• Prickett, Sam (December 18, 2018) "Birmingham Council Appoints Two New Members With Familiar Names." BirminghamWatch
• Rebman, Stephanie (October 23, 2019) "Birmingham City Council names new president." Birmingham Business Journal
• Wright, Erica (December 31, 2019) "Birmingham faces these concerns in 2020, according to the city council." The Birmingham Times
• Prickett, Sam (March 10, 2020) "Changes Shake up Birmingham City Council Committees." BirminghamWatch
• Garrison, Greg (October 24, 2023) "Birmingham City Council elects new president." AL.com
• Bryant, Joseph D. (October 25, 2023) "Birmingham city clerk declares council president vote invalid, new vote must be taken for leadership." AL.com
• Garrison, Greg (October 27, 2023) "Birmingham City Council elects president again after error; Woods calls for investigation." AL.com