County Commission approves budget

September 11, 2019September 11, 2019 Jan McDonald Alabama, Aquanetta Daniels, budget, detention, election, hospital, jail, juvenile, Marengo County, tax, Tracy Walker, VFW

Proclamations and recognitions started off the Marengo County Commission meeting Tuesday before members got down to approving the budget for 2019-2020, opening bids, awarding contracts and making a new hire.

After going over last-minute items in executive session, the Commission approved the budget for the next fiscal year. Revenue is estimated at $16,966,919.28, and expenses should total $14,239,534.11.

Commissioners voted to obtain legal services from Stanley Gregory of Montgomery to position the county for the special 4-mill ad valorem tax election set for Dec 10.

Demopolis Mayor John Laney thanked the Commission for allowing the people of Marengo County to vote on the tax to benefit Whitfield Regional Hospital.

“I know a lot of you will probably catch flak for it, but it is one of the most important things Marengo County will vote on in a long time,” he told commissioners.

County Commissioners congratulate Aquanetta Daniels and Tracy Walker for their recognition from the National Institute for Jail Operations.

Jail Administrator Aquanetta Daniels and Corrections Officer Tracy Walker were congratulated for being recognized as the Detention Administrator of the Year and Rookie of the Year for the southern region respectively by the National Institute for Jail Operations.

The awards came at the national meeting of the group in New Orleans Aug. 5-8.

VFW representatives Phillip Spence and Chester Pugh received a proclamation passed by the Commission setting Friday, Sept. 20 as POW/MIA Recognition Day.

VFW members Chester Pugh, left, and Phillip Spence, right, receive a proclamation from County Commission Chairman Michael Thompson for POW/MIA Day Sept. 20.

Spence said some 82,000 men and women who served during wars still are missing, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. Work continues to identify and bring home the remains. He said six were returned this month who had died in North Korea and Pearl Harbor.

In other business the Commission approved:

The Grand Jury report.
Contract with the Department of Youth Services.
Hiring Mason Tucker as a new corrections officer.
Renewing County Engineer Ken Atkins contract for three years.

Marcus Hannah, director of the Dallas County Juvenile Detention Center, asked the Commission to consider helping the center financially.

The Dallas County facility houses juveniles from eight counties, including Marengo, but income doesn’t meet costs, Hannah said. Dallas County is picking up the difference at about $700,000 annually.

Hannah is asking each of the counties using the juvenile services to contribute at least $10,000 more to help with expenses.

Mack Nathan brought three issues before the Commission, but the most pressing one is the condition of County Road 39 which, he said, hasn’t been repaved in decades.

He also questioned whether Old Dayton Road, which he said was once a county road, now is considered private, but no deed was ever issued. Nathan also said beaver dams create a problem with water backing up and making roads impassable.

District 3 Commissioner Terry Hinton said he would get with Atkins and Nathan to look over the problems and consider solutions.

Atkins presided over several bid openings. The Commission voted to accept the lowest bidder for each one after the county engineer examines the bids ad gives his approval.

Apparent low bidders are Paul Bradford for gravel; Hunt Refining, liquid asphalt; Rush Enterprises, corrugated metal pipe; Fallin Farms, aluminized pipe; HD Waterworks, plastic pipe, and Vulcan Materials, rock.

The two bids for fuel had no difference and will be studied further.

Atkins said he had a list of surplus equipment that will be published for sale.

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