Mountain Brook election guide
This August, Mountain Brook residents will head to the polls to vote for a mayor and two city council members.
Here are a few things you need to know before election day.
WHAT:
The terms of three city leaders are set to expire this year, with elections coming up on Aug. 23. Elections will be held for council places two and four, currently held by Jack Carl and Virginia Smith, this summer. The office of the mayor is also up for election.
Smith will once again run for office, though Carl and Mayor Terry Oden will not seek re-election.
All members of the city’s governing body are elected at-large — as opposed to districts — and serve 4-year terms, receiving no compensation for their service. According to City Ordinance No. 1627, which was enacted in 2004, the terms of office of the mayor and members of the City Council are staggered. Elections are held every two years on the fourth Tuesday of August in all even years. While the members of the City Council are elected at large, each campaigns for and, if elected, holds a specific council place — one through five.
A runoff election, should it be required, will be held Oct. 4. Elected officials will take office Nov. 7.
Voters must register by Aug. 8 and regular absentee ballots must be applied for by Aug. 18. Contact the Jefferson County Board of Registrars at 325-5550 for voter registration information. Aug. 22 is the last day for a voter to apply for an emergency absentee ballot if they are required by their employer to be out of the county on election day. Absentee ballots must be hand-delivered by the close of business the day before the election. If mailed, absentee ballots must be postmarked by Aug. 22. Visit the Mountain Brook “City Information” section of the mtnbrook.org website for absentee ballot applications.
Visit the Municipal Election page under the City Information tab on the city of Mountain Brook website at mtnbrook.org for more information about the August election, as well as necessary packets and guidelines for interested candidates.
WHEN:
July 5- Candidates begin qualifying to run. While many candidates often announce their intention to run for election before this date, this is the day when the formal process of submitting qualifying forms begins.
July 19- The last day to qualify to run. All qualifying forms must be filed with the city clerk by 5 p.m.
Aug. 8- Last day to register to vote for the municipal election.
Aug. 18- Last day to apply for a regular absentee ballot, available from the city clerk.
Aug. 23- Election day
HOW:
First time: Applicants who are registering to vote for the first time must complete a State of Alabama Voter Registration Form and submit it to the county where they live. The applicant must provide a physical address — not a P.O. box — as well as their date of birth and an original signature. A State of Alabama Voter Registration Card will be mailed to the voter, and that will show the voter’s polling location.
Finding forms: Voter registration forms can be found at the office of the Board of Registrars, satellite licensing offices and public libraries.
Verifying information: Voters who are already registered to vote should make sure their information, including name and address if there has been a recent change, is up to date. Voter registration does not transfer between counties even within the same state, and any voters who have moved into Jefferson County will have to complete a new registration. Name changes and changes of address within the county must be made in writing and forwarded to the board of registrars.
Voters can check that they are registered to vote by entering their last name, county and date of birth at alabamavotes.gov.
Qualifications: To vote in a municipal election, a voter must live in the city for 30 days before registering to vote. Applications sent by mail should be postmarked before Aug. 8 and sent directly to the board of registrars.
WHERE:
► Cherokee Bend Elementary (Precinct 45, Box 2), 4400 Fair Oaks Drive, 35223
► Mountain Brook Elementary (Precinct 46, Box 7), 3020 Cambridge Road, 35223
► St. Luke’s Episcopal Church (Precinct 46, Box 8), 3736 Montrose Road, 35213
► City Hall (Precinct 46, Box 9), 56 Church Street, 35213
► Mountain Brook Community Church (Precinct 48, Box 4), 3001 U.S. Highway 280
► Brookwood Baptist Church (Precinct 48, Box 6), 3449 Overton Road, 35223
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. at the locations marked above.
Beginning with the Aug. 23 general city election, the Locksley Fire Station polling location will be reassigned to Mountain Brook Community Church located at the intersection of U.S. 280 and Cahaba River Road. The Locksley polling location, according to the city’s newsletter, was less than ideal due to access, parking and exposure to the elements. Voters assigned to this precinct will vote at Mountain Brook Community Church, 3001 U.S. 280.
All registered and qualified electors of the state, according to the city’s election notice, who reside within the corporate limits of Mountain Brook and who are qualified to vote in the county precinct, will be authorized to participate in the election.
WHO:
The governing body of the city of Mountain Brook consists of five council members and a mayor.
The terms of three city leaders are set to expire this year, should they choose to either not run again or are not re-elected in the upcoming Aug. 23 municipal election.
Elections will be held for council places two and four, currently held by Jack Carl and Virginia Smith, this summer. The office of the mayor is also up for election.
Smith will once again run for office, though Carl and Mayor Terry Oden will not seek reelection.
“After 24 years of elected office in Mountain Brook,” Oden said, “I have decided not to run again.”
In speaking about her decision to run again, Smith said she had spoken with her family and they all shared their support.
The other council members, as well as city leaders, she said, also showed their support. Smith said because the council members are selected to serve the whole city and are not paid for their service, everyone’s decisions are made for the good of the whole. Even when they vote differently, she said, the council has been able to move on and continue handling the city’s business.
“I’ve worked with great council members throughout the years,” she said. “I’ve met a lot of people and I think, made a lot of friends.”
Registering to run: As per municipal ordinance, Oden will give notice of the election July 5, opening up the qualifying period for interested candidates. Qualifying forms will be made available through the city clerk. Those wishing to apply as candidates will have until July 19 to turn in a statement of candidacy and the $50 qualifying fee to the city clerk no later than 5 p.m. Anyone wishing to run for office must file a Statement of Economic Interests directly with Ethics Commission before qualifying. Candidates must reside in the municipality and the district for a period of 90 days before the election and must be at least 18 years old.
According to information available on the city’s candidate for elected office information page, candidates must familiarize themselves with the various reporting and other requirements of the Alabama Ethics Commission and Fair Campaign Practices Act.
THE ISSUES:
With the completion of a major project this year — Lane Parke — and the planning of other major projects — the roundabout improvements to the intersections of Cahaba Road, U.S. Highway 280, Culver Road and Lane Parke Road — here are some of the major issues the city’s newest leaders will have to guide the city through.
Lane Parke: All tenants, with the exception of the restaurants and Western Market, said John Evans of Evson, Inc., are expected to open sometime in the late July to August timeline. All stores and restaurants should be up and running by mid-October.
The new influx of businesses will also bring an increase in traffic and people. Robert Jolly, president and CEO of Retail Specialists, said the new development will offer “plenty of parking,” including parking for visitors to the Grand Bohemian next door. In the evenings, restaurantgoers will be able to take advantage of valet services, Jolly said.
Plans for Phase 2, which will be more women’s fashion and boutique-heavy, should be underway sometime in 2020. First, the area will be demolished right up to the edge of the current Western, where a few retailers with non-expired leases will remain. The fully-functional Jemison Lane, which will connect Montevallo to Lane Park Road, will ease access into the area, Jolly said.
Roundabout in Mountain Brook Village: Plans are currently underway to bring roundabout improvements to the intersections of Cahaba Road, U.S. Highway 280, Culver Road and Lane Parke Road. The construction of the two roundabouts — a large roundabout at Cahaba Road, 280 and Lane Parke Road and a mini roundabout on Cahaba Road — will take about three to four years to complete.
Estimated costs put the total project at just under $3.5 million for the right of way acquisition, preliminary engineering, utilities and construction costs. The cost will be split among federal CMAQ funding, as well as the cities of Birmingham and Mountain Brook.
The majority of the project will be financed federally, for a total of approximately $2.79 million. Mountain Brook and Birmingham will split the remaining cost equally, paying about $349,100 each.
In May, the Birmingham City Council voted to reimburse Mountain Brook for up to $349,100 for its half of the remaining 20 percent. Mountain Brook voted to approve its end of the agreement in June.
Parking issues in neighborhoods: Residents from neighborhoods near Mountain Brook High School have recently approached the council asking for its help on solving parking issues involving students parking near their homes. On May 23, the council held a public hearing to consider making the cul-de-sac of Ridgecrest Road a no-parking zone.
Residents said the area is frequently filled with parked cars, which could prevent an emergency vehicle from accessing that road and is often where they find teenagers, beer cans, water bottles and food containers left behind. The council decided to table the discussion until they could talk with police and the city’s legal counsel.
Sidewalks: Work will soon begin on the city’s 5B sidewalk project. On May 23, the council approved a contract with Sain and Associates for construction engineering and inspection services for the project. Plans for Phase 9, from Mountain Brook Presbyterian to Crosshill Road, are also in the works.