Jefferson County, Birmingham City Council, salaries
Summary
SB335 would change how city council salaries are set in Alabama Class 1 municipalities, which in practice applies to Birmingham. Beginning with the next term, each city council member’s annual salary would be set equal to the municipality’s median household income, rounded up to the nearest thousand dollars, using the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data available on November 3, 2025, as determined by the city budget office. The bill also requires the municipality to publish council salaries on its official website in a publicly accessible format.
The bill further repeals several existing laws that currently govern council compensation in Class 1 municipalities and Birmingham, including provisions allowing expense allowances, setting salaries, and authorizing salary increases. By replacing those statutes with a single formula tied to local median household income, the bill would standardize council pay and remove local discretion and prior statutory compensation schemes for affected city councils.
Impact
SB335 would amend the compensation framework for city council members in Class 1 municipalities by superseding existing salary and expense-allowance statutes with a new income-based salary formula. It would repeal Act 87-797 and multiple sections of the Alabama Code relating to council compensation, including provisions specific to Birmingham, thereby changing the governing law for council pay in the affected municipality. The bill also imposes a transparency requirement by mandating publication of council salaries on the municipality’s official website.
Sentiment
The available record shows no committee transcript, vote tally, or recorded floor debate, so there is no direct evidence of support or opposition in the provided materials. Based on the bill’s structure, it appears designed as a reform measure focused on tying elected officials’ pay to local economic conditions and increasing transparency. However, because it would likely raise or lower council compensation depending on the municipality’s median income and would eliminate existing compensation provisions, it could draw mixed reactions from local officials and taxpayers.
Contention
The main points of contention are likely to be the salary formula itself and the repeal of existing compensation authority. Supporters may favor the automatic tie to median household income and the public posting requirement as a transparency and fairness measure. Opponents may object to removing local control over council compensation, the possibility of increasing salaries substantially, or the use of a single census-based metric to set pay for elected officials. The bill’s application to Class 1 municipalities, especially Birmingham, makes it a localized but potentially politically sensitive change.