The Montgomery City Council will decide in a couple of weeks whether to proceed with a resolution to incur a $375 million debt for capital investment by issuing municipal bonds. It seems the citizens of Montgomery will be given a front row seat to how the Council views the age-old question about poultry inception.
Unfortunately, the Council won’t be solving the hypothetical equation, but rather choosing the path they feel will most likely move our city forward. On the one hand, there is a proposal for a $375 million capital investment for a new downtown civic center, arena, sports venue, and infrastructure. On the other hand is the city’s glaring crime problem and understaffed police department, which was even specifically called out in the city’s own Market and Economic Impact Study (prepared conveniently by the former employer of the city’s new economic development director) as a potential “development limitation.”
There are clearly different theories when it comes to urban policy, and many cities wrestle with these same questions. Interestingly, the Market and Economic Impact Study compares Montgomery to competing cities like Mobile, Huntsville and Birmingham, and I would love to take those comparisons just a few steps farther.
Reputationally, Birmingham probably has the most similar story to Montgomery relative to their respective crime problems. Birmingham also recently hired approximately 200 officers to address this issue.
What about Huntsville and Mobile? Well, Huntsville was recently compared to Montgomery through State Sen. Will Barfoot’s Senate Bill 298 for police staffing and the city was very clear about how the legislation wouldn’t affect them because they already met the staffing requirements contemplated by the bill.
Mobile? You guessed it … nearly fully staffed police department. If Montgomery is competing with these cities for tourism dollars, it would seem advantageous to meet one of the core needs of the tourists choosing their destination: safety.
So, now to the issue of paying debt. A bond issue in the amount of $375 million is going to cost the city $20-$25 million annually just to service the debt. The city recently reported its current annual long-term debt to be around $25 million per year, so adding a $375 million bond issue would nearly DOUBLE the city’s annual debt service obligations. Said another way, and given a population of approximately 200,000 residents in Montgomery, the City Council is considering saddling every man, woman and child in the city with an additional $115 per year in debt service. I wonder if the members of the council have consulted their constituents on where the money is best spent. No matter how you look at it, $375 million is a lot of money.
Now, back to the poultry conundrum. One theory of urban policy is to invest in the destination first. Perhaps a new civic center attracts conventions, concerts, visitors, hotels, restaurants, and additional private investment. As the tax base grows, the city gains additional revenue which can then be used to improve public safety and other services.
Another theory is to fix public safety first. This theory would assume public safety is foundational, and if residents and visitors perceive the city as unsafe, they are less likely to attend events, patronize restaurants, stay overnight in hotels, or invest in downtown. Under this view, reducing crime first increases the likelihood that a major capital project will succeed.
The most interesting thing about this whole debate, relative to the city of Montgomery and which theory of urban policy we choose, is the nearly identical cost of either choice. How much would an additional 200 police officers cost the city? Somewhere between $20-$25 million. Funny how that math works out, isn’t it?
Could it be the city has downsized the police department by the amount of funding it would require to cover the debt on a new $375 million capital project? Is that why we continue to hear from city hall that crime is down in Montgomery? Is that why left-leaning rags continue to publish stories about how every city is facing police shortages or that Montgomery crime statistics aren’t that bad?
The Montgomery City Council has a choice to make in the coming weeks. They must decide whether now is the right time to double the city’s long-term debt service for a capital investment project on the “if you build it, they will come” theory without adequately addressing the elephant in the room of police staffing and crime problems.
I am all for capital improvement projects and investing in our city’s future by providing more options for our citizens and attracting tourism dollars. Personally, I think we need the type of civic center contemplated by the plans I have read, and I would love to see several new hotels and restaurants pop up as a result of a significant investment. As the capital city, it is vitally important that Montgomery provides venues for visitors to come and enjoy themselves in this incredibly historic location.
Foundationally though, Montgomery must prioritize public safety to ensure the success of such an undertaking. The gravity of the decision before the city shouldn’t be understated. There have been legitimate questions raised about the proposed bond issue and subsequent project, and many of these questions remain unanswered. If the City Council believes Montgomery somehow has the funds to accomplish both goals simultaneously, I encourage them to share the details of how this will be done before they vote on the debt resolution.
I believe solving our officer shortage and public safety crisis is equivalent to laying and incubating the egg from which tourism and a flourishing city emerges. However, if the City Council believes it should spend $375 million on hopes of future revenues before adequately addressing public safety, then they will be guilty of violating another age-old proverb: counting their chickens before they hatch.
Barrett Gilbreath is a graduate of Jeff Davis High School and Auburn University. He is a husband, father, businessman, and conservative voice in Montgomery, Ala. A former mayoral candidate, he has a passion and love for Montgomery and wants to see it become a safe place where all its citizens are proud to call home.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to [email protected].
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