The newest face among Birmingham City leadership is now its youngest. A majority of City Councilors voted to appoint 29-year-old Johnathan F. Austin to fill the vacant District 5 seat of William Bell.
Vickii Howell of Birmingham View describes it as “an Obama-like moment when the community organizer and relative political newcomer was chosen from among four other better-known candidates, sworn in and seated within an hour of Tuesday’s vote by Councilors Valerie Abbott, Carol Duncan, Joel Montgomery and President Carole Smitherman.”
She reported that Steven Hoyt and Miriam Witherspoon voted no and Roderick Royal abstained.
You can read more of Vickii’s account of this morning’s events on Birmingham’s View’s News Portal as well as the Birmingham News’ breaking news blog.
