Name: Karl Julian
Position sought: City Council Place 2
Age: 46
Residence: Cahaba Heights; lived in Vestavia Hills 40 years
Political experience: First run for public office
Professional experience: World Oyama Karate owner and full-time karate instructor (2006-present); Vestavia Hills City Schools substitute teacher (2004-05); JET Program — ESL teacher in Japan (2001-04)
Civic experience: Vestavia Hills Partners in Education (2018-19); Pathways women’s shelter volunteer instructor for self-defense classes; Vestavia Hills youth soccer U6 coach (2018-20); Football Club of Birmingham U13 team manager (2024-present); organized karate tournaments with portion of proceeds to Red Cross and Exceptional Foundation (2008-present)
Education: Bachelor’s degree in fine arts, Illinois Wesleyan University, 2001
Website/social media: electkarljulian.com; Campaign to elect Karl Julian — Vestavia Hills City Council on Facebook
Q: Why are you running for this office, and what qualifies you to serve your community?
Vestavia Hills is a fantastic city, and I believe we’re at our strongest and our governance most effective when we amplify the variety of perspectives helping to inform the decisions that impact our shared goal: keeping Vestavia great. I’ve entered the race to bring a fresh perspective to our City Council. I’m open-minded, and I listen to truly understand. I also strive to help people feel comfortable sharing ideas and opinions, even when the group’s perspectives differ. I’m skilled at building consensus and identifying common goals which can then inform building action plans to produce results. My passion for our incredible city, and ALL of its residents, is an essential cornerstone of my hopeful service. Let’s see how far we can go, together!
Q: What do you believe is the most important issue facing your city today, and why?
Infrastructure planning. Vestavia Hills’ growth trajectory climbs year over year — great job to us for being such a desirable place to live, but we have to realistically and proactively address multiple concerns to maintain the exceptional property values, safety/quality of life, educational standards and other community amenities that have made us great. I believe this holds true across our municipality, but especially so in the easternmost portions of Vestavia Hills.
Q: What is one specific initiative or policy you would champion if elected, and why is it a priority?
We’ve made tremendous improvements since my youth here in the ’80s and ’90s, but I’d love to see our city become even more walkable via connected, safe sidewalks. This is a key selling point for attracting residents and families. A strategic approach that increases walkability to Vestavia Hills’ many incredible amenities and retail offerings would also entice patrons to spend more time in our retail zones, hopefully boosting sales tax revenues benefiting other important city expenditures.
Q: Do you believe the city is adding homes too quickly, too slowly or at the right pace, and what would you want to do, if anything, to affect that pace?
I believe City Manager Jeff Downes has done a tremendous job balancing the pace of our city’s growth with our existing infrastructure capacity, and providing research and advice for our future. Recently, he generously accepted my request for an audience, where along with inputs from Assistant Manager Cinnamon McCulley, I gained valuable insights into their goals and priorities for Vestavia’s present and future growth. We will continue to face complex decisions, striving to protect and maintain what we’ve already built, while creating opportunities for what’s to come. I’m confident my service on the council will help bring the voices of all of our residents to the discussions among the experts making these important decisions.
Q: What responsibility does the city have regarding stormwater control, and would you do anything differently than has been done thus far?
How many times has the Vestavia Bowl been completely flooded? Perhaps the politic savvy candidate’s answer would be quoting the Disney film, Encanto, “We don’t talk about Bruno.” In all seriousness, anyone who’s lived in Vestavia for some time knows that we’ve faced ongoing challenges with stormwater runoff. I know a lot of analysis and work has been accomplished to date, and I don’t think I’d have approached things differently. However, we still have room for improvement and upgrading the older stormwater drainage systems installed years ago. My service on the council would continue elevating this issue as an ongoing, top priority.
Q: Current elected officials have identified at least $30 million worth of capital projects they say are needed to handle growth in eastern Vestavia Hills, including a police substation and training center, a library branch, park maintenance and public works facility and parks and recreation field improvements. Do you agree those projects are needed, and, if so, how would you propose funding them?
These types of capital projects are imperative to providing Vestavia’s residents both fundamentally necessary, and quality-of-life amenity services. This is especially true for the eastern portion of the city, given growth projections for that area. Adding first responder stations in that area would cut down on response time by about one minute, and a minute can make a life-or-death difference. My mother suffered a stroke in November and made a full recovery, in part because she got immediate care and intervention. All of our citizens deserve the very best we can provide. I would like to see these projects funded with minimal, if not zero, increase in debt. I’d like to take a look at seeing what partnerships could be achieved with sponsorships from local retailers that would possibly benefit from the proximity of the sidewalks.
Q: What is your vision for the city in five years?
Aside from continuing to flourish as it is now, I’d like to see the city make improvements on the southern U.S. 31 corridor. I would like to look at how to capitalize on that space to make it a go-to destination for shopping and/or family entertainment. I’d like us to give equal focus on supporting programs and activities for our seniors, as well as our youth and younger families.
Q: How did you vote on the property tax increase for Vestavia Hills City Schools in 2023, and why?
I wholeheartedly support our schools, teachers and students. I’m proud of the exceptional standards we continually achieve, and I believe adequate funding for our schools is pivotal to continued excellence. Adequate and transparent fiscal responsibility for the use of taxpayer funds is essential to garnering support for any tax referendum seeking to increase taxes. I voted “no” in the tax referendum because there was not a specific plan outlined for the use of the funds, not a timeline for the associated, intended uses. Further, the language of the proposal was such that once the tax rate was increased, it would stay at that level indefinitely, even after the school system’s funding needs had been met. I don’t believe it’s ethical to ask our citizens to write a blank check, indefinitely. I do support researching a revised proposal to bring to citizens if a tax increase is truly the only path forward for needed infrastructure and amenity implements.
Julian is facing Kimberly Cook for the Place 2 council seat, and elections are Aug. 26. To see Cook's views on key issues, click here.
