Members of Ruffner Board and Staff with Mayor James Stewart of the City of Irondale at the Jefferson County Mayors Association Meeting.
We had the honor of hosting the Jefferson County Mayors Association for their August meeting and were thrilled to receive operating support from the City of Irondale. This support is a great example of regional cooperation. Thank you to Mayor James Stewart and the Irondale City Council!
Regional cooperation is a term that gets tossed around a good bit, but what does it mean and why does it matter?
According to the 2017 report “Together We Can” prepared by the Public Affairs Council of Alabama (PARCA) for the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, our central city of Birmingham is surrounded by more independent cities than any other southern city. This pattern of fragmentation within Jefferson County has consequences. It leads to duplication, creates intra-regional competition, concentrates economic advantage and disadvantage, and diffuses resources and leadership. It makes it difficult to arrive at a consensus, pursue priorities of regional importance, or deliver services that transcend municipal boundaries. In sum, it puts the whole of Jefferson County at a disadvantage.
For example, Ruffner Mountain manages land owned by the City of Birmingham, Jefferson County Commission, and State of Alabama (Forever Wild Land Trust), and the 501c3 nonprofit, but people from across Jefferson County, from each of its 35 cities, multiple towns, and unincorporated areas visit. Our fractured regional government has left it up to individual cities to provide operating and maintenance funding for regional assets like connected trail systems, preserves, and parks.
The cities of Irondale and Birmingham support a place enjoyed by residents of their cities and visitors from across Jefferson County.
Want to learn even more read the full Together We Can report here (be sure to check out the maps on pages 28 and 29)!
More to come on this topic…