Shelia Smoot
Shelia Y. Smoot (born July 6, 1963 in Beecher, Michigan) is a current Jefferson County Commissioner for District 2. She serves as Commissioner of Roads & Transportation and of Community & Economic Development. She was first elected in November 2002 and is the first African American woman and youngest person to serve on the Commission.
Early life
Smoot was born in an unincorporated suburb just north of Flint, Michigan to Alabama natives who moved north when her father took a job with General Motors. She graduated from Beecher High School where she played drums and xylephone in the marching band, founded a nationally-recognized dance team, and was elected student council president.
She attended Michigan State University in Lansing and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in telecommunications with a minor in political science. She was active in college in several black campus organizations and on the college judicial board. After graduating she worked in the Beecher Community School District, then for WDZZ-FM in Flint and WILX-TV in Lansing. She moved to Alabama in 1992. She has one brother, Leonard, in Alabama and another, Marvin, in Beecher.
Journalism
Smoot has had a successful career as a journalist. She also hosted a weekly radio program, "Know Your Rights with Shelia Smoot," and spent time as both a reporter and anchor on local television news. She is most known for her award-winning investigative reports for "Six on Your Side" at WBRC 6. More recently, Smoot has hosted the program "Alabama Business" on ABC 33/40 and continues to host the "Smoot on Your Side" call in show on WAGG-AM.
She has served on the Board of the Alabama Associated Press, a Fellow of the Investigative Reporters and Editors, regional director of the National Association of Black Journalists, and president of the Birmingham Association of Black Journalists.
Commission
Smoot has spent time on the Commission advocating for affordable housing, public transportation, and economic development. She established a computerized "Performance Review Program" for the County's Roads and Transportation Department. She pushed to establish a demonstration passenger rail connection between Birmingham and Bessemer. She used resources from her discretionary accounts to repair and improve equipment at parks across her district. She split the former office of Community and Economic Development into separate directorships. She also spearheaded the clean-up and redevelopment of the Trinity Steel site in Titusville.
Smoot cast the deciding vote for a controversial 1¢ sales tax for school construction proposed in 2004 by Commission President Larry Langford and aligned herself with Langford in numerous bond swaps and other deals that were influenced by bribes and corruption. She was not, however, implicated in any criminal activity arising from those deals.
As Commissioner, Smoot held positions on the boards of the Metropolitan Planning Organization, and the Metropolitan Arts Council. She participated in the Class of 2000 for Leadership Birmingham and volunteers with the Boy Scouts of America, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the NAACP, the Urban League, the Alabama Democratic Caucus, and the Birmingham Jaycees. She is on the Executive Committee of the Alabama Democratic Party and on the legislative committee for the Alabama County Commission Association. She also traveled as a delegate to the 2004 Democratic National Convention.
Smoot was re-elected in 2006. Her power in the commission was reduced as Bettye Fine Collins took over as Commission President and she and Commissioner Larry Langford (later William Bell) formed a Democratic minority.
In the Spring of 2009 Smoot became embroiled in a controversy over her habit of parking in a "No Parking" zone at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex. The issue was taken up on Matt Murphy's radio program and elicited a response from Smoot in which she claimed to have been "doing business" that justified her use of the No Parking area.
A state audit of the county's finances showed that Smoot had been issued a county vehicle, but also received a vehicle allowance in 2005 and 2006, and that income taxes for the benefits were not deducted. Smoot contends that the auditors had incorrect information.
2010 election
Smoot announced her intent to run in 2010 for the 7th District Congressional seat being vacated by Artur Davis, who decided instead to run for Governor of Alabama. In her announcement, Smoot promised to work for the many people in the district affected by poverty and unemployment. She listed rural health care, technology and transportation infrastructure as priorities in her plans to "get things on the ground."
Smoot is divorced and has one daughter.
References
- Wright, Barnett (November 10, 2006) "Smoot may seek Davis' seat if lawmaker runs for Senate." Birmingham News.
- "A public official, a no parking sign, and Matt Murphy" (May 4, 2009) WAPI-1070 - accessed May 7, 2009
- Bryant, Joseph D. (June 13, 2009) "Shelia Smoot launches campaign for Congress." Birmingham News
- Velasco, Eric (June 20, 2009) "Alabama audit flags Jefferson County commissioner Smoot." Birmingham News
- Longley, Kristin (July 9, 2010) "Beecher native Shelia Smoot campaigns to be first black woman to represent Alabama in U.S. Congress." Flint Journal
External links
- Shelia Smoot bio at Jeffcointouch.com
- Shelia Smoot campaign website
- Shelia Smoot on Flickr.com