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 (1977 - 1979) and as a three-term mayor of Fairfield (1988 to 2000). From 2002 until 2006, he was Jefferson County's Commission President and served as Commissioner of Finance and General Services.

Langford grew up in the Loveman Village housing project in Titusville. He received his bachelor of arts degree in social and behavioral sciences from UAB in 1972 and served in the U. S. Air Force. He joined WBRC 6 as one of the region's first black television reporters in the 1970s and won several awards for his investigative reports. He was elected to the Birmingham City Council in 1977 and challenged incumbent David Vann and fellow councilman Richard Arrington, Jr for the mayor's office two years later. After losing the race to Arrington, Langford moved to Fairfield and was hired as public relations director for Birmingham Budwesier in 1982.

In 1988 Langford was elected Mayor of Fairfield and began an aggressive campaign to revitalize the city. He took charge personally of the details of city operations, firing employees who failed drug tests and using a bail-out of Fairfield City Schools to exercise influence over the independent board. He created a Mayor's Commission on Literacy to improve student performance at Fairfield Preparatory High School through after-school tutoring and parent education. He is best known, however, for initiating cooperation between 11 Jefferson County municipalities to finance construction of the $90 million Visionland amusement park, which was built in Bessemer in 1998. The park struggled after a promising opening and declared Chapter 9 bankruptcy with $100 illion in depts in 2002. The park was later sold to a private operator for $5.25 million and has recently improved its standing.

Fairfield's 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, which was proposed by Langford after he joined the 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.

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.

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. He has also come under scrutiny for his role in the non-profit organization Computer Help for Kids, which has received large contributions from Fairfield and Jefferson County. Langford dismisses the investigations as political ploys.

Langford initiatives

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.

Some of Langford's initiatives:

• 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.
• Bryant, Joseph D. (September 21, 2007) "Idea man Langford a champion for change." Birmingham News.

External links

• Langford for Mayor website
• Langford's responses to a Birmingham News questionnaire for the 2007 mayoral election