Birmingham city councilor to retire after 24 years

This story is republished with permission from The Birmingham Times.

One of Birmingham’s longest-serving elected officials has announced his retirement.

City Councilwoman Valerie Abbott, who has represented Birmingham’s District 3 since 2001, said she plans to step down after her current term ends next year. She served 6 terms, each term lasting four years, and worked with six mayors, starting with Bernard Kincaid in 2001 through Randall Woodfin, the current mayor.

His 24 years on the council at the end of this term is second only to William Bell’s 25 years (1979–2001 and 2005–2008) in terms of longevity in the City of Birmingham.

“It’s time for me to step aside and let a younger person begin the public service journey,” she said. “It takes a few terms to really learn how the public sector works, because it’s not like the private sector. I’ve been looking for a successor for several years now, because I can’t leave in good conscience unless District 3 is in capable and honest hands.”

Abbott is currently chairman of the Planning and Zoning Committee and a member of the Administration, Budget and Finance, Government Affairs and Public Information, Public Improvement and Beautification committees.

She is a former board president who worked for AT&T Services for nearly 45 years before retiring in 2018. The Birmingham native, who grew up in Glen Iris, served as neighborhood officer for about 19 years.

She was first inspired to run for city council after seeing the work of former District 3 Councilman David Herring. “I just admired the way he handled it,” she said in an interview, recalling that Herring was professional and “very careful” about spending the city’s money.

Abbott has decided he will run for city council when Herring retires. He faced Jimmy Blake in the 1993 municipal election and lost. She lost again four years later.

“The next time I ran I thought, OK, third time’s either a charm or you’ll get the hint,” Abbott said. “And we won.”

Abbott has developed a reputation for rarely missing council or ward meetings or city events, and has regularly stayed in touch with her constituents. She said she is told all the time that she is the “voice of reason” on the board.

“I think that’s going to be on my tombstone — the voice of reason — because so many people are saying that,” she said.