Photo by Jon Anderson
Fields at the Liberty Park baseball/softball complex in Vestavia Hills, Alabama.
Vestavia Hills City Manager Jeff Downes on Monday proposed the city spend $146 million in fiscal 2027, which would be an 18.5% increase from planned expenditures this year.
Most of the proposed increased spending would be one-time spending of $34 million for capital projects, but there is debate about which capital projects should take priority.
Downes’ proposed plan would put $9 million toward replacing the natural turf baseball and softball fields at Liberty Park with artificial turf, $6 million toward fine arts and athletic facilities at Vestavia Hills High School and other money to begin construction of an addition to Fire Station No. 4 in Liberty Park and begin site work for a new police operations and training center next to the Sicard Hollow Athletic Complex.
But what was not included in the proposed 2027 budget was money for a new library branch/community center next to the SHAC — a project that had been a part of previous spending plans.
Councilwoman Kimberly Cook said she was surprised to see the $9 million for artificial turf on the fields at Liberty Park in the budget but no money for the library/community center facility. “Lots of people, including me, are probably wondering what happened to the library project,” Cook said.
The City Council in January voted to do the first phase of a feasibility study for the library facility but then agreed to hold off on the study to evaluate an alternative site that has since proven to be a bad option, Cook said.
“We need to complete the promised study before we commit to spend all of the funds that we have available on a different project, essentially ending the library project for the east side of the city,” Cook said. “I understand politics and that sometimes, I don’t have three votes, and I have to accept that. I’m fine with that, but I think that it is wrong to put a $9 million project in the budget without more discussion and without asking the public what they think. I don’t think the public would be very happy about this either.”
Cook said it would be a big mistake to move forward without asking the public what they think.
Previous spending plans included $7 million of city money (to be combined with private donations) for a library facility in eastern Vestavia. She encouraged the public to speak up at a City Council work session called for 3 p.m. on Sept. 9 to discuss the budget proposal.
Downes said his proposed budget is his recommendation, and the council now can take his recommendation and approve it or modify it however it wishes. The City Council is the deciding body when it comes to the budget.
April Jackson-Maclennan, vice chairwoman of the Vestavia Hills Library Board, asked the council to complete the feasibility study because it will provide city leaders the information needed to make a thoughtful, transparent decision about future quality-of-life investments on the east side of the city.
Kathleen Duquette, the newest member of the library board, said she sees the need for the ballfield improvements, too. Those ballfields help the city raise money because visitors come to Vestavia Hills to play in tournaments there, but “we can do both things,” Duquette said.
She thinks the residents of Vestavia Hills would support doing both, she said.
Ann Hamiter, president of the library board, said a library facility would be something to serve residents at all stages of their lives, not just a single season.
Mayor Ashley Curry, who is part of the City Council, said the library is still a priority, but the situation with the ballfields at Liberty Park is a crisis. The ballfields with natural turf currently get flooded, and the teams using them lose 80% of their practice time because of it, he said.
“The priority for the library is still there. We’ve just got to work around budgeting it to do it, and I’m going to push hard for it because I promised those ladies on the board that we’re going to have a library. We’re going to have 7,000 people in Liberty Park. It needs a library. As far as I’m concerned, we’ll get to it just as soon as we can.”
Curry said he doesn’t see the need for a feasibility study.
OTHER CAPITAL PROJECTS
Previous estimates for some of the other capital projects that are proposed include $14.7 million for the police operations and training center in Liberty Park, $5.7 million for an addition and renovation of Fire Station No. 4 in Liberty Park, $1.75 million for a new maintenance facility next to the SHAC and $1.17 million for the realignment of the entrance to the Liberty Park baseball/softball and soccer complexes.
The proposal in the past has been for the city to borrow about $34.5 million for capital projects, which likely would add $1.;5 million to the city’s annual debt service, Downes said.
OTHER BUDGET DETAILS
Downes’ proposed 2027 budget includes spending $83.5 million from the city’s general fund, which would be a 3.2% increase from the 2026 budget.
That would include money for:
- A 2% cost-of-living increase for city employees
- 5% merit raises for all eligible employees
- A full year of paying for 12 new firefighters
- Hiring an extra maintenance technician and after-hours/weekend information technology technician
- Completing the veterans memorial at Altadena Valley Park
- Repaving 9 miles of city streets
- Stormwater drainage improvements
- At least two sidewalk projects
Downes and Finance Director Zach Clifton are predicting a 2% increase in city sales tax revenues ($33 million), a 6% increase in property tax revenues ($26.4 million) and a 16% increase in business license revenue ($7.8 million)
A summary of the budget can be seen on the city’s website here.
