Birmingham Finance Director Sayler Resigns

BRADENTON, Fla. — Birmingham, Ala., finance director Steve Sayler resigned late Monday, a city official confirmed.

The City Council is expected to receive a report on Sayler’s resignation at Tuesday’s regular meeting, said April Odom, who is the communications director for acting Birmingham Mayor Carole Smitherman.

Smitherman, who became acting city mayor after Larry Langford’s conviction in a pay-to-play corruption trial last week, accepted Sayler’s resignation, Odom said.

Sayler, who could not be reached for comment, testified for the prosecution in Langford’s federal trial, which ended last Wednesday after eight days. After being found guilty on 60 felony charges, Langford was stripped of his title as mayor of Birmingham.

Many of the charges against Langford stemmed from his tenure as president of the Jefferson County Commission, when he orchestrated the refinancing of the county’s $3.2 billion of sewer debt, which is now in default. Langford, who became mayor of Birmingham in 2007, was accused of using his position as president of the Jefferson County commission to steer business to Montgomery bond dealer Bill Blount in return for pay-offs.

Sayler was Jefferson County’s finance director from 1989 until he resigned in September 2007. About a month later, he went to work for Birmingham at Langford’s request.

Although he was Jefferson County’s finance director when the sewer debt was refinanced, Sayler was never charged with any crime.

In her first press conference as acting mayor last Thursday, Smitherman said she requested a detailed financial report from Sayler. On Monday, Smitherman indicated that she had received the report from Sayler and felt that the City Council had been misled about its finances.

The Birmingham City Council had been at odds with Langford over the city’s finances. Langford spearheaded many new projects and often argued publicly with the council over funding.

Meanwhile, the city’s election commission met Monday and set Dec. 8 as the date for the election of Birmingham’s new mayor.

Candidates seeking the mayor’s office must qualify to run 20 days before the election.

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Alabama
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