The Birmingham City Council, on Wednesday, approved spending as much as $35,000 on its upcoming inauguration.

The inauguration is set for Tuesday, Oct. 24. The venue and others details of the event have yet to be determined.

"This is obviously taxpayer money. I think before we vote we need to know what we are spending it on," Councilor Valerie Abbott said, prior to Wednesday's council vote.

"To me, $25,000 was an outrageous amount of money to spend on our inauguration," she added.

The council, on Wednesday, first approved a resolution to approve spending an amount not to exceed $25,000 for the "valuable and worthy event." The resolution was amended on the dais for an amount not to exceed $35,000 based on information from the council administrator, Councilor Lashunda Scales said.

Abbott voted against the measure. Councilor Jay Roberson abstained from voting on amending the resolution.

As Birmingham City Hall was closed on Tuesday due to the threat of inclement weather, the City Council's regular meeting was rescheduled for Wednesday.

Council staff said the inauguration is estimated to cost as much as $35,000 because 1,500 residents are expected to attend, which equates to about $20 for each person.

The event will be free to the public.

Scales said that just because the resolution says $35,000, it doesn't mean that $35,000 will be spent on the inauguration.

"We have never said it is $35,000," she said. "We are capping it as $35,000."

Six Birmingham City Councilors were re-elected on Aug. 22: Scales (District 1), Abbot (District 3), William Parker (District 4), Sheila Tyson (District 6), Roberson (District 7) and Steven Hoyt (District 8).

Council President Johnathan Austin is headed to a runoff with Darrell O'Quinn for the District 5 seat. Councilor Kim Rafferty, District 2, will face Hunter Williams in a runoff.

Former Birmingham City Council President Roderick Royal will go head-to-head with John Hillard, a former state representative, in a runoff for the District 9 seat. District 9 Councilor Marcus Lundy didn't seek re-election.

Council President Pro Tem Steven Hoyt said Abbott's concerns were "really much ado about nothing."

He said" $35,000 is nothing out of a $428 million budget."

"This is about the citizens," Hoyt said, of the inauguration. "Folks like it - I think it is a good start for the council and mayor to be celebrated. Its sends a good a message that we will be working together."

On Wednesday, Austin said the inauguration budget was on the council agenda so preparations for the event can be made ahead of time.

"What we are trying to do is not wait until the last minute because it takes so long for us to write checks, pay the vendors ....," he said, adding that the event could include food, music and venue decorations.

The inauguration could include the mayor and a separate swearing-in ceremony.

Austin said the funding source would be from the council's consulting budget. He said the city council, central staff and council administrator are responsible for planning the event.

Scales said preparations for the event are being made now.

The 2013 City Council inauguration was held at Boutwell Auditorium.