BirminghamWatch10%
Tyson Says JeffCo Getting Its Pocket Picked in UAB Deal To Buy Old Cooper Green Mercy Property 8%
By Virginia Martin30%
8/6/2026, 1:35:09 PM
BS Summary: This article contains 14 faulty reasoning types, including Framing Effect, Confirmation Bias, and Appeal to Emotion, with Sunk Cost Effect as the most egregious example at 7.3% saturation with 56 hits. Analysis detected 398 faulty-reasoning hits from 768 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 17.4% and a BS Rank of 8% (26,729 of 28,781 articles). This article is better (less manipulative) than 92.90% of the article peer group.
The old Cooper Green Mercy Hospital building stands vacant.
(Photo by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.)
Sheila Tyson voiced last-ditch opposition to Jefferson County’s sale of the old Cooper Green Mercy Hospital property Thursday.
“I think that the county’s pocket is being picked,” Tyson said before the County Commission approved a memo of understanding on UAB’s purchase of the former hospital.
“The property is worth way more than what they are paying for it.
I feel like we’re doubling back by paying to tear it down.
We already gave them the parking deck.
They have majority seats on the (healthcare authority) board.
Then we’re going to turn around and pay to tear down something that they want to buy.
“We still want to turn around and give UAB something else,” the commissioner continued.
“That’s all we do is give them … I just think it’s unfair to the taxpayers.”
Jefferson County Commissioner Sheila Tyson questioned details of the deal to sell the old Cooper Green Mercy Hospital property to UAB during a meeting Aug.
6, 2026.
(Photo by Solomon Crenshaw)
Commission President Jimmie Stephens said the deal was a compromise to address differing value assessments from appraisers hired by the county and UAB.
He said the county’s relationship with UAB has been one of joint effort to offer a workable solution to indigent care in Jefferson County.
The county had appraised the property at $11.197 million, and UAB’s appraisal came in at $9.6 million, County Manager Cal Markert explained during the commission’s committee meeting Tuesday .
They settled on an appraisal of $10.7 million and accepted an estimate of $2.9 million to demolish the building, for a net of $7.8 million.
UAB was given the right of first refusal to buy the old hospital building when the county approved the creation of the Cooper Green Mercy Health Services Authority in April 2019.
The authority — with four members appointed by UAB and three by the county — provides patient care at the new Cooper Green Mercy medical building next door to the former site.
“We want to be a good partner with UAB,” Stephens said during Thursday’s meeting.
“We want to expand the indigent care as much as we can and we need for UAB to meet us halfway in the things that we do.
We’ve given hundreds of millions of dollars to UAB over the years to make sure that they complete their mission.
We need them to step up with Jefferson County as we move forward to be able to improve the quality of life for our indigent population.
We need them to remove the profit motive — especially for our taxpayer dollars — and we don’t need to be banking dollars.
We need to be spending dollars on our indigents.”
The measure passed with commissioners Joe Knight and Mike Bolin voting in favor, Tyson voting no and Stephens abstaining.
Commissioner Lashunda Scales was absent.
Miss Alabama 2026 Ruby Tilgham poses with Jefferson County Commission members after receiving a proclamation during the Aug. 6, 2026, meeting.
(Photo by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.)
Tax Abatement Approved for US Steel Expansion at Fairfield Works
The 50 resolutions that passed during Thursday’s meeting included a tax abatement for U.S.
Steel to expand its operations at Fairfield Works .
The resolution calls for a 10-year abatement of U.S.
Steel’s noneducational portion of sales and use tax, noneducational portion of the real and personal property ad valorem tax, and the mortgage and recording tax.
Stephens had Paul Vercher, U.S.
Steel’s senior director of state governmental affairs, stand as the commission president acknowledged U.S.
Steel’s nearly $500 million investment in Jefferson County.
“Thank you for the confidence that U.S.
Steel has exhibited over the years in Jefferson County and the renewed commitment to further your growth and become a more vital part of the western side of Jefferson County,” he said.
“We appreciate you.
We want you to understand that this commission will always work to improve the ability of U.S.
Steel to invest in Jefferson County.
We’re going to do our part.
We expect you to do yours and continue the great growth that you have.”
The requested tax abatement would cost the county an estimated $12.8 million over 10 years and the state $4.9 million, Traywick told the commission during a meeting Tuesday.
The project is expected to create 152 jobs and generate about $18.5 million for the county’s general fund over 20 years, $42.5 million for schools and more than $20 million for the state.
Speakers
2speakers42%attributed speech449writer words
Selected voice
100%flagged-word coverageSheila Tyson
115 attributed words36% of attributed speech11% writer coverage
Attribution is sentence-level. Pattern percentages are calculated only from words assigned to that voice.
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