New Powers for President

The Birmingham City Council Tuesday approved a resolution to give signing authority on federal grant proposals and contracts to council president Carole Smitherman.

The council took the action because the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency suspended Mayor Larry Langford from signing federal contracts as a result of his indictment on federal criminal charges related to the issuance of bonds when he was a Jefferson County commissioner.

Langford had asked the City Council to pass a resolution authorizing "appropriate city department heads to execute, in place of the mayor and behalf of the city," contracts, appointments, grant applications, and other documents relating to federally funded projects.

The council disagreed that non-elected officials should have the power to sign documents and authorized Smitherman to sign them. She pledged to inform council members about all federal contracts she executed.

Last year, Langford, Montgomery investment banker William Blount, and lobbyist Albert LaPierre were named in a 101-count indictment that included charges of conspiracy, bribery, fraud, money laundering, and filing false tax returns over the years in which Jefferson County refinanced its troubled sewer-related debt. The men are scheduled to stand trial Aug. 13.

Langford in March was placed on the EPA's excluded parties list of people and organizations preventing him from transacting business with the agency. He is appealing the decision.

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