William Bell now has the job he always wanted.

For his fourth and often bruising campaign for mayor of Birmingham, the Jefferson County Commissioner defeated  runoff opponent Patrick Cooper to  fill the remaining 22 months of Larry Langford’s term.

Today, Bell meets with police chief A.C. Roper at the mayor-elect’s home.

Bell tells me he is securing commitments from the private sector to gather the “best financial minds” to review and advise him about the state of the city’s finances.

“Our cash flow issue is something we need to address,” Bell told me this morning on FOX6 News Good Day Alabama.

“Birmingham is on sound financial ground,” Bell insists, “we have a surplus across the board.”

Bell faces concerns however about an estimated $20 million shortfall in the current budget. It is a concern first expressed by then-interim mayor Carole Smitherman following Langford’s conviction, then interim-mayor Roderick Royal. Royal addressed the issue, short-term and long-term, in a Plan of Action released last week. Bell tells me he will review the document, but will not be “bound” by it.

Bell expects answers concerning finances to come within the next two to three months. Then, he expects to launch efforts on “Big Ticket” projects, both old and new.

By this time next year, Bell hopes to have the city’s Fair Park revitalization project accomplished.

“That can bring economic progress to the western part of the city,” he says.

Bell has told reporters he supports the project to build a “multi-purpose facility”, or domed stadium, in downtown Birmingham. That has been an on-again-off-again proposition for the city.

Bell says city finances, education and job creation will be the foundation of his work. Watch the full interview here.

As for his commission seat, Bell plans to resign once votes in the mayor’s race are certified in about a week. The vacancy raises new questions about who will replace Bell on the commission. When Larry Langford was elected to the commission in 2007, Gov. Bob Riley appointed retired general George Bowman to the position. The county’s election commission challenged his authority and called a special election. Bell, then a Birmingham city councilman, defeated Bowman easily. A legal dispute between the appointment and the election created questions for much of 2008.

Bell tells me the governor can appoint a replacement to the commission to serve out the remainder of his term.

All five commission seats will be on November’s ballot.

Rick Journey

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