Jefferson County, Alabama Files for Bankruptcy

The Takeaway

Jefferson County, Alabama filed the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history on Wednesday after the County Commissions found its billions of dollars in debts were unsustainable. The county, which includes Alabama’s largest city, Birmingham, is $4.2 billion in debt, $3.1 billion of which is owed for a out of control sewer project. The bankruptcy has been looming for years. The Takeaway first reported on the story in March. Andrew Yeager, reporter and host at WBHM Public Radio in Birmingham, talks about the latest developments.

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