As Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin and other city leaders push to name the CrossPlex after the late Larry Langford, the people of Jefferson County are still paying for the crimes he committed while in office.
ABC 33/40 reported last week on how county officials in the midst of what was then the worst municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history consolidated inmates from the Bessemer jail into the Birmingham jail. The decision was ultimately made as a desperate attempt at saving money, however county officials on Wednesday said this has now led to a fresh $2 million in repairs that the Bessemer jail requires.
This came the very day after Woodfin publicly declared his campaign to honor Langford’s legacy.
All sanitary plumbing inside the jail must be replaced, as the pipes are rusted and serious leaks have plagued the facility for years. Officials advised the rust was primarily caused by water and moisture left in the pipes when the jail went unused for nearly four years.
The county bankruptcy stemmed from the very debacle that landed Langford in prison with a 15-year sentence, having been convicted on 60 of the 101 federal counts on which he was indicted.
While Langford was head of the county commission, a federal investigation revealed that he received $235,000 in bribes to help influence bond deals to raise money for improvements on the county’s sewer system. Ultimately, the bonds resulted in a $3.2 billion sewer debt, contributing to the Jefferson County commissioners voting to declare bankruptcy in 2011.
Langford passed away in January shortly after receiving compassionate leave from a federal penitentiary in Kentucky.
Yet, the taxpayers of Jefferson County are apparently still paying a hefty price for his public corruption.
As ABC 33/40 detailed, this new repair project to the jail is coming out of the county’s general fund.
Additionally, a cost-increasing practice from the bankruptcy crisis days is forced to temporarily return, as the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office will have to transport inmates daily from Birmingham to the courthouse in Bessemer for their cases to be adjudicated.
Despite the mayor and some city councilors pushing to honor Langford by putting his name on the Birmingham CrossPlex, at least one member of the council is willing to stand up and speak out.
According to Alabama Media Group, District Two Councilman Hunter Williams said his constituents have been very vocal in opposing the plan to honor the convicted felon. He hand-delivered a letter to Woodfin’s office Thursday summarizing his position.
“I do not want to send the wrong message by renaming a facility … after a public servant who was convicted on felony bribery and corruption charges. Of course, those actions eventually led to what was the largest municipal bankruptcy in the history of our country,” Williams outlined.
He added, “Taxpayers are still feeling the aftershock of that and they deserve to know that their involuntary contributions to the city are being handled by good stewards.”
On the other hand, Woodfin last week said, “[Langford] made many contributions to our city and we feel … those contributions today where it has an amazing, positive ripple and benefit not just for our city but for all of our residents and our guests who come to our city.”
The mayor added that “it’s fitting for all the work [Langford] did” that he be honored with the renaming of the CrossPlex.
Woodfin’s proposal to do so is expected to be officially put before the city council in the near future.
Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
