What is BCRG?

Birmingham Citizens for Responsible Government (BCRG) was founded by Birmingham residents in May, 2014. Our first effort was opposition to a City of Birmingham bond proposal which would have funded the demolition and reconstruction of Baldwin Public Library. Our group determined the ballot proposal was irresponsible and then worked tirelessly to inform the public. The result was an overwhelming defeat of the proposal (4 to 1 margin) that saved taxpayers tens of millions. As of 2020, our library is in the midst of a multi-phase renovation that costs at a fraction of the original plan.

Following that election, our group recognized that there was an ongoing need to inform citizens in our community about issues that impact them directly. The group made the decision to transition from an issue-specific PAC to a general PAC that could fundraise and campaign on a full range of issues and candidates that are of importance to Birmingham homeowners.

Most recently, the city proposed a plan for a public-private partnership to demolish and replace the North Old Woodward parking structure and develop the “Bates Street Extension” property owned by the city. Our group identified a multitude of issues with the plan and campaigned against the bond. We did not anticipate that the developers behind the project would spend the unprecendented sum of $250,000 to push through this proposal. However, after countless hours of hard work, voters agreed with our position and rejected the proposal by a 2 to 1 margin.

Three provisions in the final draft must be revised or removed:

REZONING: The fundamental character of [four] single-family-home neighborhoods left adjacent to “seams” in the Plan is threatened by a recommendation to rezone them

COMMERCIALIZATION: The peace and tranquility of our open spaces is put at risk by a recommendation to, ”allow cafes, food trucks, and kiosks in parks.”

ADDED DENSITY: The proliferation of “Accessary Dwelling Units” – backyard rentals – is encouraged with a recommendation to “study ADU’s for additional locations within the city.