Editing Bessemer, Alabama (section)

==Government==
Bessemer uses the [[mayor]]–[[city council]] form of government. The council has seven members, elected from [[single-member districts]]. As of 2016, Kenneth Gulley is mayor, a position elected [[at-large]].<ref>Jesse Chambers, "Bessemer Mayor Kenneth Gulley talks about the state of his city", Al.com, February 8, 2013, updated February 15, 2013</ref> He was first elected in 2010 and reelected to a second term in 2014.<ref>[http://www.bessemeral.org/city-government/mayor-s-office "Mayor's Office"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160206211158/http://www.bessemeral.org/city-government/mayor-s-office |date=February 6, 2016 }}, Bessemer, Alabama</ref>

A satellite [[Jefferson County, Alabama|Jefferson County]] [[Courthouse]] is located in downtown Bessemer. There is a special county government district, known as the "Bessemer Cutoff", which was established in the middle of the 20th century when Bessemer was a major city in its own right. A separate county government was considered a possibility, but there was not sufficient land area to meet legislative requirements for a county. The "Cutoff" had a separate series of Alabama [[license plate]]s, with a different numeric prefix than the rest of the county.

Bessemer has since been surpassed in size by Birmingham suburbs such as [[Hoover, Alabama|Hoover]], [[Vestavia Hills, Alabama|Vestavia Hills]], and [[Homewood, Alabama|Homewood]]. But Bessemer retains the branch county courthouse to this day. The term "Bessemer Cutoff" continues to be used regularly by area residents.

The [[United States Postal Service]] operates the Bessemer Post Office.<ref>"[http://usps.whitepages.com/service/post_office/bessemer-1112-4th-ave-n-bessemer-al-1354793 Post Office Location – Bessemer] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101201211211/http://usps.whitepages.com/service/post_office/bessemer-1112-4th-ave-n-bessemer-al-1354793 |date=December 1, 2010}}." [[United States Postal Service]]. Retrieved on October 8, 2010.</ref>

The state [[Alabama Department of Corrections]] operates the [[William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility]], a prison for men, in [[unincorporated area|unincorporated]] [[Jefferson County, Alabama|Jefferson County]], [[Alabama]], near Bessemer. The prison includes one of the two Alabama death rows for men.<ref name="DonaldProf">"[http://www.doc.state.al.us/facility.asp?id=4 Donaldson Correctional Facility] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100318162908/http://www.doc.state.al.us/facility.asp?id=4 |date=March 18, 2010}}." [[Alabama Department of Corrections]]. Retrieved on October 8, 2010.</ref>