Tuscaloosa County is now home to a brand new city.
Brookwood, classified as a “city” since its founding in 1977, passed the 2,000 population threshold in the 2020 U.S. Census and, under state law, is now officially a city.
The Alabama Code states that “(m)municipal corporations … containing 2,000 or more inhabitants shall be called cities. All incorporated municipalities with less than 2,000 inhabitants are called cities.
The gauge for that determination is the most recent census, and first-term mayor Joe Barger said 2,515 people called Brookwood their home in 2020.
“We just cleared it,” he said, “but we’re happy to be cleared.”
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The designation does not mean a greater reduction in state sales taxes or other financial benefits allocated by the Alabama Legislature – these are still based on population – but it did mean more local revenue for Brookwood, since the new town’s sales tax revenue has increased on average. of $50,000 a month since January, Barger said.
It also makes Brookwood more attractive for outside investment, Barger said.
“It gives us more bargaining power and makes us more attractive when recruiting things for our citizens and developing our city,” Barger said. “The way you get people to come to your community to develop something like a grocery store is on the rooftops, and that just means our town is growing.”
It also calls for celebration, and on Saturday the city will host a community-wide event to do just that.
Beginning at 5 p.m. at Town Park, 15689 Alabama Highway 216 in Brookwood, the four-hour “City Celebration” will feature musical guests, a children’s area, food trucks and concessions.
Radio personality Tony Kurre will host the evening, which will see musical performances from Stone Harbor, Tab and the Mojo and 2006 “American Idol” winner Taylor Hicks.
Admission is free, but the organizers invite participants to bring their own chairs.
The celebration, however, is a sign of what Barger has maintained since being elected in 2020.
“It means we have great things to do at Brookwood,” Barger said. “We are moving in a positive direction for our citizens.”
Contact Jason Morton at jason.morton@tuscaloosanews.com.