New Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said the city will address crime differently under his leadership. He will start by getting more uniformed officers on the streets, he said.

"The way we will address crime will have an impact on decreasing crime in this city," he said in an interview prior to today's inauguration. "The reason we have to do that is because we have to declare it a state of emergency -- that gun violence in the city of Birmingham has become an epidemic and a crisis. And when you have an epidemic and a crisis in any situation, you do any and all things necessary to stop it."

Woodfin said more resources will be put on the table to fight crime. "We will do what is necessary to reduce crime in the city of Birmingham," he said.

Starting today, he said all of the city will receive the same attention from that police department that assets like Railroad Park and Uptown have always enjoyed.

Woodfin was sworn in to office by Judge Nakita Blocton during a noon ceremony at Linn Park. The ceremony featured performances by the W.E. Putnam Middle School Band, Parker High School Choir and singer Sebastian Kole. It included words from the Rev. John Cantelow from Sixth Avenue Baptist Church and City Council President Valerie Abbott.

During the ceremony, Woodfin recognized former mayors Richard Arrington, Bernard Kincaid, Larry Langford and William Bell. Arrington and Kincaid were on stage for the event.

"This ceremony marks a new beginning," he said today.

Woodfin addressed Birmingham's crime problem during his address.

"We all know that crime is a problem in our city," he said. "This year alone we have had a 2-year-old, a 4-year-old and a 15-year-old gunned down, murdered. Innocent victims. My heart is with every family who has lost a loved one to murder in our city, my prayers, my energy, my sympathy and my empathy."

Woodfin said the city has to do something to honor those victims of violent crime.

"We have to better police our city," he said. "In better policing our city, it is going to take this entire community to feel empowered where you live to make sure we are protecting our neighbors -- that we have had enough of violence in our city."

Woodfin said he and the nine-member city council will work together "to build a stronger city, a safer city, a more just city ... because the 10 of us think it is the right thing to do.

"The 10 of us collectively not only represent you, are not only committed to fighting for you, but wholeheartedly we believe in you, he said. "We believe in our city. We believe city hall has something to offer you."

City Hall

"This is a new day at city hall," Woodfin said, during a Monday interview with AL.com. "How we do business will be different, and how we hold adults accountable will be different. How we value and invest in our employees will be different and better too."



He said he will make city government more transparent. He will be a stickler for the rules, he said.

On Monday Woodfin alluded that some of the 100 city workers appointed by former William Bell would be let go or moved into other roles in the immediate future.

He said some personnel decisions, possibly on department heads and other appointees, could be made public within 24 to 48 hours. He said all personnel decisions "won't be made right away."

"We are going to make some tough decisions," he said. "Some of them will not be popular."

Woodfin declined to say whether current police Chief A.C. Roper fits into his plan for fighting violent crime in the Magic City.

He said he would reduce his security team, but he didn't know how that would be reflected in the city budget.

"I can tell you its not going to be a million dollars," Woodfin said, of the line item.

Bell was often criticized for his security detail that cost about $1 million a year.

Earlier this month, Woodfin announced his executive leadership team. This included two newly created positions, senior advisor and chief strategist and director of intergovernmental affairs. The latter's main duty will be to be liaise with the city council.

Woodfin said one of his first orders of business as mayor will be to speak to city employees and spend time listening and learning from them.

"There's a lot of work to be done," he said. He wants to put the focus on servant leadership and ask for more investment from city employees.

He said he wants to change the culture at city hall. "We want to make sure we are putting people first," Woodfin said.

Another key initiative will be to conduct a performance audit to determine if city departments are staffed at the right levels or has the right funding, Woodfin said.

He said he suspects some departments are top heavy.

Budget

Five months into the 2018 fiscal year, the city council hasn't passed a budget. Over the last several weeks, the council has delayed work on the budget until Woodfin was in office.

The council is expected to discuss the budget in early December.

"We will come to a compromise in a very expedient way," he said.

Woodfin said he didn't have any specific wants in the current year budget. He said he just doesn't want any "waste."

Stadiums

Woodfin said he supports a new downtown stadium, and he wants it to happen now through a public-private partnership.

"I don't want to spend the next four years talking about it," he said. "We have been talking about it for over 30 years. We need to either do it or not."

Woodfin said the city would be a partner in the stadium. "If we want to get this done, let's do it," he said.

At the same time, Woodfin said he supports a recent Councilor William Parker initiative of using Legion Field as a catalyst for redevelopment in the Graymont, College Hills and Smithfield neighborhoods.

Confederate Monument

Asked how he will address the Confederate monument at Linn Park, Woodfin said he will consult city attorneys on the status of the lawsuit "and move from there."

On Aug. 15, Bell ordered the Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Monument covered. That evening a wall was constructed around the monument obscuring much of it from view.

The Alabama Attorney General's Office filed a lawsuit against the city the next day, saying the wall violated state law.

The lawsuit is still pending.

Ramsay McCormack Building

A Bell plan to move police and fire headquarters and municipal court to Ensley is dead, Woodfin said.

He said he does want to help revitalize Ensley, but it needs to be facilitated in a different way. "Ensley will have my full attention and commitment," Woodfin said.

Due to the terms of a lawsuit, though, the 88-year-old Ramsay McCormack Building, which stands in the center of downtown Ensley, has to be restored or demolished.