Mayor Presents Balanced Budget to City Council, Voting Tomorrow

The Huntsville City Council is prepared to vote on Mayor Tommy Battle’s proposed Fiscal Year 2023 budget at its Thursday night regular meeting.

Battle presented the budget at the council’s last regular meeting on Sept. 8, and council members reviewed it further at a work session Sept. 15.

The mayor proposed a balanced budget, which includes $281 million in general fund operations and $104.5 million in capital projects. Public safety, road resurfacing, infrastructure and quality of life improvements are a priority.

“This budget addresses the needs of a growing city filled with opportunity, challenges, and promise,’’ Battle told the council. “We’ve added new businesses, jobs, housing and entertainment – for residents and for our tax base. There is opportunity – for a job and for a better job to earn more money. Opportunity offers the citizens of Huntsville the chance to be part of our prosperity.

“We’ve grown our road network. The City of Huntsville now has 3,451 miles of city roads to maintain, and this does not count the large number of local lane miles maintained by the State and Federal Government. We’ve added more people. The largest city in the State of Alabama by population, we now have approximately 227,000 citizens.’’

Battle emphasized that his administration has “planned for the growth our city is experiencing, and this budget reflects our preparedness to handle it.’’

This is the 14th budget Battle has brought to the council in his tenure.

“First and foremost is the challenge of a balanced budget,’’ he said. “This year is no different from the rest. We have always had excess demand for funding over our ability to pay. We, the government, should have to make tough choices in budgets and prioritize spending for what is essential for the city. Our administration has worked hard to do just that.”

Part of the budget dealing with infrastructure is Restore our Roads 2, a partnership between Madison, Madison County, the Alabama Department of Transportation and the governor’s office to build, widen and improve seven roadways in the Huntsville, Madison and Madison County area.

These include:

• Highway 72 East from I-565 to Shields
• Jordan Lane/Highway 53 widening from Taurus Drive to Old Railroad Bed
• I-565 six lane from Countyline Road to Wall-Triana Hwy
• I-565 and Memorial Parkway Interchange improvements
• Highway 72 West Providence Main to Countyline Road
• Resolute Way Interchange (just west of Research Park Blvd)
• East Arsenal Connector (Sparkman Drive Exit to Patton Road)

Additional infrastructure expenditures add over $19 million in street maintenance and repaving and $800,000 for sidewalks. Infrastructure also covers parks, greenways, utilities, bike paths, retail and recreational spaces.

Other budget highlights include:

• 19 new Huntsville Fire & Rescue positions
• 24 new Huntsville Police positions
• New fire station in western corridor
• $18.1 million for road resurfacing
• Funding to launch Restore Our Roads II: $800 million over 10 years
• 5 percent COLA for city employees
• $64 million for parks, recreation, and other quality of life projects
• $31.5 million for outside agency special appropriations
• $33.7 million for Huntsville City Schools

The budget represents a 7.1 percent increase over 2022. About 68 percent of this general fund budget is appropriated toward personnel expenses.

Battle said any alterations to the budget would require changes.

“If there are additions,’’ he said, “there must be deletions.’’ 

Featured image provided Marty Sellers of SellersPhoto.