Birmingham City Councilor Valerie Abbott retiring

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - Longtime Birmingham City Councilor Valerie Abbott has announced she will retire from her position at the end of her current term.

At the time of her retirement, she will have served as a Birmingham City Councilor for 24 years.

Abbott says it’s time for someone younger to start learning the ropes in order to best represent District 3. She also says family obligations are another reason she’s decided to not run for council again.

“I really think probably another person with a little bit more energy and no bad knees would do a good job and carry on,” Abbott told media Wednesday. “I’m still going to live here, so I’m still going to be just as much of a squeaky wheel as I’ve ever been, I’ll just be squeaking at someone else instead of them squeaking at me.”

Abbott says since the election is still a year out, it’s still too early for her to publicly endorse anyone.

“I think that it’d be good for me to wait and watch, I think I know who I like, but somebody new might pop up,” Abbott said.

She says both the people she served and the people she worked with are what kept her going all these years.

In addition to representing Birmingham’s District 3, Abbott is on several city council committees, including serving as chair of the Planning and Zoning Committee.

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