JEFFERSON COUNTY FINANCIAL CRISIS

News on Jefferson County, Alabama's financial crisis and repayment of sewer system debt

Lawyers for the county and creditors will begin this week crafting a definitive binding agreement with a goal of completing it by an Oct. 15 deadline.  Full story »

Largest US bankruptcy may be averted.  Full story »

But Rep. John Rogers, D-Birmingham, says the commission made a mistake today. "It's going to drive folks out of the county," Rogers said of the settlement. "First of all, sewer rates are going to be higher than their mortgage. Anybody who can move is going to move." Full story »

Without the help for fiscal 2012, commissioners said, they will again have to consider a Chapter 9 bankruptcy, which has been taken off the table with today's agreement with creditors to settle $3.14 billion in debt. Full story »

Gov. Robert Bentley said he will work with the County Commission and legislators to help Jefferson County with both the sewer debt settlement and its general fund troubles. Full story »

Commissioner George F. Bowman was the only one who voted no. Increased sewer rates for Jefferson County residents are among the terms. Full story »

Agreement on $3.14 billion debt would allow county to avoid bankruptcy. Full story »

Commissioner George Bowman said he's opposed to the settlement plan because he's against any sewer increases. Full story »

Jefferson County officials have proposed annual sewer rate increases of up to 8.2 percent for three years and 3.25 percent afterward in efforts to avoid the largest government bankruptcy in U.S. history, according to a term sheet that went to the county's creditors on Wednesday. Full story »

Commissioners are trying to craft a 2012 budget in the face of the lawsuits and with some department heads saying they are in dire need of some of their previously cut staff. Full story »

Inmates at the Jefferson County jail sleep three or four to a cell. They are allowed one clean uniform a week, which doesn't stay clean long. They are given fresh bed linens less often than that. They rinse out their underwear in the cell block toilets. Full story »

County budget hearings begin Monday and the county's 2012 budget, which starts Oct. 1, must be put together without about $66 million in annual revenue that was lost when the county's occupational tax was ruled unconstitutional this year.  Full story »

Several finance experts said they disagree with the analysts that concessions for cash-strapped Jefferson County would set a bad precedent. Full story »

Two Jefferson County Commissioners left for New York Tuesday afternoon saying they could do a better job representing the county in talks with sewer creditors than the court-appointed sewer system receiver did. Full story »