SB409 Alabama 2016 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

J.T. WaggonerSenator

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2016

Title

Birmingham, city council, salary and expenses of the members, const. amend.

Summary

A constitutional amendment to set Birmingham City Council members' salaries and expenses, tying pay to city income and establishing fixed expense allowances and reimbursements.

What This Bill Does

If passed, it would change how Birmingham City Council members are paid: salaries would be set each four-year term by the State Personnel Board based on the city's median household income (rounded to the nearest thousand) and would take effect at the start of the new term. Each member would also receive a $10,000 annual expense allowance, and travel or other official costs outside the city could be reimbursed using the same rules as city employees. The total pay and allowances would be the full compensation, and the City Council could not increase them.

Who It Affects

• City of Birmingham City Council members — their salary and expenses would be determined by city income and fixed allowances, with travel reimbursements allowed under existing rules.
• City of Birmingham taxpayers/government budget — funding for these salaries and reimbursements would come from the city budget, and the Council would be prohibited from increasing the compensation beyond what this amendment sets.

Key Provisions

• Salary for each Birmingham City Council member shall be set and adjusted every regular four-year term by the State Personnel Board, based on the median household income of Birmingham (rounded up to the nearest thousand), effective January 1 of each new term.
• Each member shall receive $10,000 per year for expenses incurred in performing official duties; no additional reimbursements are allowed beyond what is specified for Class 1 municipalities outside this section.
• Members may be reimbursed for official travel or other official business outside the city at the same amounts/rates as city employees, with reimbursement rules mirroring those applicable to city employees.
• The President of the City Council must ensure timely reimbursement and may not discriminate among council members regarding expenses.
• The salary and expenses established by Sections 1 and 2 constitute the total pay for the presiding officers and council members, beginning with the term after the 2017 municipal election, and the City Council may not increase or enlarge these compensation/reimbursement levels.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Constitutional Amendments