County earns A Bond Rating; Patriots honored; gavel passed

Marengo County Commissioners heard good news at their meeting Tuesday when Bob Young with the investment firm Frazer Lanier gave an update on the county’s economic outlook.

The county went through two audits during the past year, which resulted in an attractive A rating for investors. Add to that a bond interest rate of about 1.6 percent, and the county is in great shape, Young said.

He told commissioners his firm would be going into the market on Wednesday to sell $3 million in bonds for county road work and would report back at the February meeting on the results of the sale.

Young highly complemented County Clerk Meredith Hammond for her efforts in providing all the information needed for the audits and said the county “should justly be proud” of the A rating.

The meeting started with Commissioner Freddie Armstead passing the chairmanship gavel to Jason Windham. As its first order of business, the Commission then passed a resolution honoring the Linden High School Patriots football team for winning the Class 1A State Championship with a 15-0 record. Coach Travis Lockett and three of his players accepted the honor.

In the only other action commissioners approved a special retail liquor license for Los Cedros LLC for an event on U.S. Hwy. 80 W.

Updates on current projects were made by County Engineer Ken Atkins on road projects, Sheriff Richard Bates on purchasing body cameras for deputies, MCEDA director Jo Ellen Martin about ongoing  business prospects and EMA director Kevin McKinney concerning disaster assistance resulting from Hurricane Zeta damage.