Larry Langford
Larry Paul Langford (born March 17, 1948 in Birmingham) is currently the Mayor of the City of Birmingham.
Langford had previously gained notice as a Birmingham City Councilor (1977 - 1979) and as a three-term mayor of Fairfield (1988 to 2000). From 2002 until 2007, he served on the Jefferson County Commission. Until 2006, he was the Commission President and served as Commissioner of Finance and General Services. From 2006 until he became mayor, he was the Commission's Commisioner of Health and Human Services.
Before politics
Langford grew up in the Loveman Village housing project in Titusville and was raised by his mother, Lillian Nance. Once caught stealing change to buy cookies, she whipped him with the cord from an electric iron. He was treated at University Hospital and then given a tour of juvenile hall by his stepfather.
Langford attended Parker High School, graduating in January 1965. In February he enlisted in the U. S. Air Force, lying about his age and serving five years. After his 1971 discharge he returned to Birmingham and enrolled at UAB on the G.I. Bill. He completed a bachelor of arts degree in social and behavioral sciences in 1972. While still in school he was hired by WBRC 6's Joe Langston to be one of the region's first black television reporters, and went on to receive several awards for his investigative reports. While working as a reporter with annual earnings of $7,500 he ran up debts of $41,124 and filed for personal bankruptcy.
Birmingham City Council
He was elected to the Birmingham City Council in 1977 and quickly earned notice as the "liveliest and most outspoken" of the council members, as well as the most media-savvy. He routinely briefed reporters before meetings, and then provided the most memorable or controversial quotes, packaged in sound bites for television coverage.1..
Langford frequently and publicly criticized mayor David Vann for moving slowly on projects. While on the council he worked as a radio news director and contributed to the Birmingham Times.
In the 1979 Birmingham mayoral election he challenged incumbent Vann and fellow councilmen Richard Arrington, Jr and John Katopodis for the office. During the campaign, Langford called for industrial redevelopment to provide jobs in the city and bashed the city's support for museums such as the Red Mountain Museum and Sloss Furnaces, saying, "at the rate things are going, we are going to be the most culturally-enlightened group of unemployed people you ever laid eyes on.” 2. Arrington cautioned voters that Langford would spend the public's money the way he spent his own.
After losing the race to Arrington, Langford found a job at KAR Products, working from his apartment on Green Springs Avenue. After the Birmingham Post-Herald revealed that Langford had arranged no-bid deals with the Birmingham Parks and Recreation Board, sometimes even duplicating purchase orders, KAR terminated him. By 1982 he had moved to Fairfield, married the former Melva Ferguson, and been hired as a community relations director for Birmingham Budweiser.
Fairfield mayor
In 1988 Langford became the first African American Mayor of Fairfield. He began an aggressive campaign to revitalize the city. He successfully lobbied the legislature to grant his office more power over the Fairfield City Council and won an increase in the city's sales tax, which he used to bail-out Fairfield City Schools. In return he also exercised influence over the supposedly-independent school board.
Langford involved himself in the details of brushing up the city's image, hoping to foster the perception of a "Black Hoover"3.. He leveraged tax revenues to issue bonds for capital projects. He initiated a massive project of street and sidewalk improvements (including painting many sidewalks in Miles College's purple and gold). He railed against intemperence, banning bikinis and Speedos from city-owned pools and firing city employees who failed drug tests. He created a Mayor's Commission on Literacy to improve student performance at Fairfield High School through after-school tutoring and parent education. He also won a lot of support by attacking the Jefferson County Committee for Economic Opportunity for its practice of holding closed meetings. And one day he personally chased down two purse snatchers in his truck near Fairfield City Hall. His public crusades for social conservatism and open government won him support outside of Fairfield and gave him a foothold to envision bigger regional projects.
From his time in Fairfield, Langford is most known for initiating cooperation between 11 Jefferson County municipalities which formed the West Jefferson Amusement Authority to finance construction and operate the $60 million Visionland amusement park, built in Bessemer in 1998. Langford took a personal stake in the management of the park, insisting on well-groomed, courteous employees and installing a sculpture of himself near the entrance. He pushed through the installation of a costly animatronic dinosaur exhibit which was left exposed to the weather in an inconvenient location, flopping miserably. Without consulting the park's board of directors (which rarely met) he replaced general manager Frank Thompson with former security director Rob Langford (no relation).
A year after the park opened, Langford had the authority return to the bond market for a $90 million refinance that was supposed to provide $25 million for new construction. Instead much of the money was used to cover operational costs. This fact was concealed as Langford delayed the release of audits. The park continually struggled to draw crowds and, with over $100 million in unpaid debts to lenders, vendors and suppliers, it declared Chapter 9 bankruptcy in 2002. It was sold for $5.25 million and reopened under private management as "Alabama Adventure". Despite the financial failures of the park when it was publicly owned and the losses suffered by its public and private investors, Langford continues to claim credit for its existence.
Langford served three terms as mayor of Fairfield, leaving office in 2000. Fairfield's own investments in the park, in school construction and programs, and in the Fairfield Civic Center, along with drops in sales tax revenues from stores relocating outside the city, brought the city close to bankruptcy after Langford left office. The city escaped by selling the high school back to the school board (using capital funds made available through Jefferson County's 1-cent sales tax, proposed by Langford after he joined the Commission).
Jefferson County Commission
Langford was elected to the Jefferson County Commission by defeating incumbent Jeff Germany in 2002. He was elected President of the Commission by its members shortly thereafter. He proposed his 1-cent sales tax for school construction plan in 2005, relying on consensus he had built with fellow commissioner Mary Buckelew.
As Commissioner of Finance, Langford led the Commission through a series of complex bond swaps aimed at reducing the County's debt service through lower interest rates. Critics have noted that the advisors hired to execute the swaps have been paid as much or more in fees as they proposed to save the county in payments. Some of Langford's activities regarding those deals are the subject of an investigation by the United States Security and Exchange Commission (SEC). Specifically two loans made to Langford from lobbyist Al LaPierre. At the same time, LaPierre was invoicing Bill Blount for "services rendered regarding Jefferson County" and Blount's investment firm was awarded several bond contracts from the Jefferson County Commission. Langford has refused to answer questions regarding those transactions during questioning in a Miami federal court.
Following the 2006 general election the Republican majority in the Commission installed Bettye Fine Collins as Commission President, leaving Langford and fellow Democrat Shelia Smoot as a voting minority.
After Langford was sworn in as the Mayor of Birmingham, the Commission set a special election for February 2008 to fill his unexpired term. On November 21, 2007 Governor Bob Riley appointed George F. Bowman to the seat. Meanwhile the Jefferson County Board of Elections scheduled a special election on February 5 which was won, unofficially, by William Bell. Certification of the election results was halted by the Alabama Supreme Court pending legal resolution of the issues involved in replacing Langford.
2007 Birmingham mayoral campaign
In June 2007 he announced that he would run for Mayor of Birmingham in the October election with the slogan "Let's Do Something." During the campaign Langford touted his long record of initiatives and promised action to move the city forward.
In order to qualify for the election, he signed a 6-month lease for a loft apartment in the Blach's building on 20th Street North on June 4. He registered as a Birmingham voter on June 7.
He dismissed reports about ongoing investigations of his role in Jefferson County's financial crisis, saying that the reports were political ploys staged by his enemies. He also dismissed scrutiny into the operations of Computer Help for Kids, a charity he helped to found which received large contributions from Fairfield and Jefferson County.
Results from the October 9 election gave Langford 26,230 of 52,120 votes cast, 171 more than he needed to avoid a run-off with challenger Patrick Cooper. After the election was certified, Cooper filed suit claiming that Langford failed to establish residency in Birmingham as required by state law. Judge Allwin Horn dismissed the suit on November 26, saying that legal residence was a matter of intent. Cooper dropped his appeal and conceded the election on December 17.
Meanwhile, Langford tapped former Alabama Supreme Court justice Ralph Cook, Jr and Alabama Power CEO Charles McCrary to lead his transition team and hired Deborah Vance to serve as his chief of staff. He began meeting immediately with various regional leaders and with Governor Bob Riley, specifically to outline his plans for mass transit and a domed stadium in Birmingham. He also announced a plan to provide 15,000 laptop computers to 1st through 8th graders at Birmingham City Schools with help from John Katopodis and the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) foundation.
Mayor of Birmingham
Langford was sworn in as mayor by Judge U. W. Clemon in an afternoon ceremony at Boutwell Auditorium on Tuesday November 13, 2007. He made several changes to his staff on the same day. In addition to new Birmingham Chief of Police A. C. Roper, Langford dismissed Fire Chief Carl Harper, city attorney Tamara Johnson, spokesman Ed Davis, city auditor Etta Dunning, public works director Stephen Fancher, and Birmingham Board of Education liaison Gwen Welch. Newly-appointed administrators include Ivor Brooks as fire chief, and Rickey Kennedy as director of public works.
Prior to his first City Council meeting, Langford distributed sealed copies to the council members of a proposed Birmingham Economic and Community Revitalization Ordinance to raise sales taxes and business license fees in order to finance a $500 bond issue. The borrowed money would pay for public transit, a domed stadium, laptops for school children, and $1 million in discretionary funds for each council district. The copies were marked "confidential", with Langford asking the councilors to return their comments privately before the plan was made public. A copy of the 1-page summary was provided to the News after legal advisor J. Richmond Pearson responded that the document was a public record.
On January 9, 2007 Langford underwent a medical procedure to correct lost blood flow in his right hip caused by avascular necrosis. Larry Lemak performed the surgery at Brookwood Medical Center.
On April 22, 2008 Langford issued a proclamation on city letterhead proclaiming April 25, 2008 to be "It's Time to Pray" in the City of Birmingham. He called upon "all Bishops, Priests, Pastors, Ministers and all of our citizens of various denominations and creeds" to join him in donning burlap sacks and having their heads smeared with ashes during a prayer rally at Boutwell Auditorium. The display, part of his Plan 10/30 series of anti-crime rallies, was intended to show humility and restore God's favor to a city wracked with violence. Anticipating complaints from defenders of the 1st amendment's establishment clause, Langford stated that "the Constitution of the United States calls for a separation of church and state - it never said anything about a separation of church from state.” (Underwood - Apr. 22, 2008)
Langford's involvement, enthusiasm and persistence were seen as important toward the successful competition to host the 2009 Davis Cup first round tie at the BJCC.
In early 2009 the City Council placed a moratorium on approving funds for new projects until the city's revenue statements were available. Langford's impatience with what he saw as needless delays reached a peak on March 10, when he distributed flyers and signs illustrating a "Cycle of Stupidity" which was holding the city back from progress as he envisioned it.
Federal corruption trial
On April 30, 2008 attorneys working for the United States Securities and Exchange Commission filed a civil suit in federal court accusing Langford of violating United States securities laws in his dealings with Al LaPierre and William Blount while on the County Commission. The suit claims that Langford accepted more than $150,000 in money and benefits from the two in exchange for steering the county's bond business to Blount's firm.
On December 1 Langford was arrested at his office at Birmingham Budweiser by FBI agents. The 101-count indictment accused him of accepting bribes from Al LaPierre and William Blount in June 2003, while serving as president of the County Commission. He is also accused of engaging in a conspiracy with the other defendants to enable and conceal the alleged bribes. Additional counts allege that mail and wire fraud were committed in the furtherance of the conspiracy and that Langford falsified his income tax returns.
Langford pleaded not guilty and was released on a $50,000 bond and required to stay within the Northern Judicial District of Alabama. His trial was postponed to August 25, 2009 to give his attorneys enough time to review evidence. In March 2009 an official with the Environmental Protection Agency placed Langford's name on the "Excluded Parties List", meaning that he is barred from conducting official business with federal agencies. The City Council is considering his request to allow department heads to sign contracts with federal agencies on behalf of the city. The trial was postponed again to October 19 and moved to Tuscaloosa after both LaPierre and Blount made plea deals with prosecutors.
Personal finances
Langford's personal finances have come under scrutiny several times as questions arose about deals that he initiated while holding public office, personal loans made to him by figures involved in those deals, contributions to charities controlled by him or his associates, and the nature of his employment outside of office.
Some of the most serious allegations are outlined in the civil suit filed by the SEC. They claim that he received over $150,000 in personal loans from a lobbyist involved in advising Jefferson County on bond-swap deals. The loans were poorly documented and have not been repaid. A 2.1-acre parcel in Hoover that Langford claimed to have used as collateral for the loans is actually held by CMNLL Inc, a group in which Langford was involved, though he has not himself made payments toward the purchase or property tax.
Local journalists have also questioned the nature of his work as a public relations director for Birmingham Budweiser, and whether he has used his political influence to attract donations to a number of charities he controls and to drive sales for 5Linx, a marketer of telephone systems for which he acts as an independent agent.
In September and October 2009 three women filed lawsuits alleging that Milton McGregor's VictoryLand bingo parlor in Shorter (Macon County) and Greenetrack bingo parlor in Eutaw (Greene County) committed fraud by steering Langford to specific machines that were rigged to pay out large jackpots. An earlier suit, filed in 2007 made similar claims. Though unresolved, that suit did produce an affadavit from a VictoryLand employee attesting to manipulation of machines to pay out for Langford and others.
Langford and his second wife, Melva, have one son and two grandsons.
| Preceded by: Bernard Kincaid |
Mayor of Birmingham 2007 - |
Succeeded by: current |
| Preceded by: Gary White |
Jefferson County Commission president 2002 - 2006 |
Succeeded by: Bettye Fine Collins |
See also
Notes
- Friedman-1979
- Whitmire-2009
- ibid.
References
- Friedman, Richard (February __, 1979) "Larry Langford and the media massage" Birmingham News - via Birmingham Rewound
- 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]
- Wright, Barnett. (April 23, 2006) "Langford's full of ideas, both big and small." Birmingham News
- Wright, Barnett (June 3, 2007) "Langford launches run for mayor." Birmingham News
- Bryant, Joseph D. (September 21, 2007) "Idea man Langford a champion for change." Birmingham News.
- Whitmire, Kyle (October 4, 2007) "Larry Langford's Greatest Hits." Birmingham Weekly
- Blackledge, Victor (November 6, 2007) "SEC eyes possible link in work, loans to Langford." Birmingham News
- Bryant, Joseph D. (November 15, 2007) "Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford assembles team, keeps many Kincaid staffers." Birmingham News
- Velasco, Eric (November 15, 2007) "Details emerge in hearing on Larry Langford's residence." Birmingham News
- Bryant, Joseph D. (November 19, 2007) "Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford retains more department heads from Bernard Kincaid's administration." Birmingham News
- Wright, Barnett (December 18, 2007) "SEC wants to force Larry Langford, Bill Blount to testify in Jefferson County bond swap deals." Birmingham News
- Wolfson, Hannah (December 19, 2007) "Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford believes he's the target of a federal criminal investigation." Birmingham News
- Archibald, John (January 6, 2008) "Smoke or worse wafts from SEC." Birmingham News
- Underwood, M. (April 22, 2008) "Leapin' Larry's Prayer Proclamation" Birmingham Weekly
- Blackledge, Brett (April 30, 2008) "SEC files civil complaint against Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford, banker and lobbyist." Birmingham News
- Blackledge, Brett J. (May 29, 2008) "Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford received interest in property without investing money, later used land for collateral." Birmingham News
- Reeves, Jay (August 10, 2008) "Visions of Birmingham's mayor: Idea guy or 'LaLa'?". The Telegraph (Macon, Georgia) - AP.
- Bryant, Joseph D. (November 9, 2008) "A year later, Langford puts `my record against anybody'." Birmingham News
- Whitmire, Kyle (November 20, 2008) "Larry Langford: The Year in Review." Birmingham Weekly
- Walton, Val (December 1, 2008) "Feds unseal 101-count indictment charging Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford, William Blount and Al LaPierre." Birmingham News
- Spencer, Tom (December 2, 2008) "Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford full of contrasts." Birmingham News
- Bryant, Joseph D. (April 5, 2009) "Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford banned from signing federal documents, claims unfair treatment." Birmingham News
- Gordon, Robert K. (August 21, 2009) "Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford's trial moved to Tuscaloosa, delayed." Birmingham News
- Tomberlin, Michael (September 30, 2009) "Lawsuit claims Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford walked out of bingo operation with a rigged jackpot." Birmingham News
- Tomberlin, Michael (October 8, 2009) "Another lawsuit alleges rigged jackpot for Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford." Birmingham News
- Morton, Jason (October 9, 2009) "Lawsuit claims Greenetrack rigged machines." Tuscaloosa News
- Whitmire, Kyle (October 14, 2009) "The Life and Crimes of Larry Langford" Birmingham Weekly
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External links
- Mayor Larry P. Langford at birminghamal.gov
- Langford for Mayor website
- Langford's responses to a Birmingham News questionnaire for the 2007 mayoral election
- The Langford files: A collection of reports on the Birmingham mayor at al.com