Compiled by Erica Wright
The City of Birmingham began its 2020-2021 budget process this week, which had been delayed because of COVID-19. We asked Birmingham residents, What should be the city’s spending priorities for 2021?
Hallie Ringle: “I think they should prioritize education. I think it’s an essential need for the city and it also has the potential to build so many [next generation] leaders and lay the groundwork for the future . . . it’s really important to support learning in all of the ways including schools and museums…”
Cedrick Howard: “Paving streets definitely. The roads are bad, there’s potholes and other problems and it messes up people’s cars… especially where I live in North Birmingham. . . there is not enough work being done in certain areas, in my neighborhood and others and I think they need to pay special attention to those areas and fix those roads and other public infrastructure.”
April Jones: “I definitely think they should prioritize giving monies to public schools and education especially with this pandemic going around, teachers need to be able to have more supplies and more training and resources as it relates to technology… to be able to handle this properly and I think the city can really help with that.”
Ashley Pate: “They should prioritize . . . replacing streetlights, sidewalks…our roads are not that great . . . there are neighborhoods I’ve been too behind the airport with no houses or abandoned houses and there are working street lights but neighborhoods with houses and people living there and zero street lights.”
