Alabama’s Big 5 Mayors Gather in Huntsville
Published on January 9, 2017
Mayors discuss new federal agenda, infrastructure, blight, education
Huntsville played host to the Big 5 Mayors quarterly meeting on Jan. 8-9 for the leaders of Alabama’s largest cities to talk about shared challenges and opportunities. Attendees included Birmingham Mayor William Bell , Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle , Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson, Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange , and Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox .
The mayors discussed local strategies to improve education, new legislation to combat blight, funding for roads, rising health care costs, public safety, municipal revenues, and what to expect from a new federal agenda. They shared best practices on programs and policies working well in their respective communities and sought advice from each other on challenges.
“Each of us have many of the same challenges, and when we put five heads together we come up with a stronger resolution,” said Mayor Battle. “Anytime we can work collectively and collaboratively, we become better cities and Alabama becomes a better state.”
Foremost on the minds of the mayors is what’s happening on Capitol Hill. Mayor Battle asked Ralph Garboushian and Joy Grewatz, with Capital Edge consultants in Washington, D.C., to present a preview on what to expect from the new Congress and administration.
“It is a cliché to say it is a different day, but it is a different day,” said Garboushian.
“We are looking at the first session of the 115 th Congress that has an ambitious agenda including repeal of the Affordable Care Act, comprehensive tax reform, and major changes to entitlement spending – not the kind of agenda that doesn’t impact local government.”
Garboushian says cuts to entitlement spending could impact funding for local housing programs (CDBG and HOME) and public safety. Tax reform could challenge the tax exemption for municipal bonds, deduction of state and local property taxes, low income housing tax credits and historic preservation tax credits. “All of these deductions and exemptions serve real policy goals for communities,” he said.
Infrastructure needs remain a top priority for the mayors, and their hopes for the much-discussed $1 trillion, 10-year federal infrastructure package were tempered by Garboushian, “There is not a level of enthusiasm in Congress for an infrastructure stimulus plan,” he said.
The Big 5 mayors remain optimistic about looking for new opportunities to work with the incoming administration on issues of importance of cities. They noted the new roles Senator Jeff Sessions and key Alabama staff have in the White House could provide tremendous influence for the state.
“We learned with the Obama administration that we benefited by working closely with them to receive grants and the same will be true of building relationships with this administration,” said Mayor Stimpson.
The mayors present at today’s meeting represent roughly 60 percent of Alabama’s citizens living in urban centers. They held a news conference following their meeting to answer questions from media .
