County Commission requests State Attorney General’s opinion on Coroner’s salary and expense adjustments

The Greene County Commission met in regular session, Monday, March11 with all commissioners present. The body approved the previous minutes, agenda, financial report and payment of claims as presented by CSFO Mac Underwood in the work session held Wednesday, March 6, 2024.
The first item of new business, approved by the commission, (with an abstention by Commissioner Tennyson Smith) was a resolution requesting the State Attorney General’s opinion regarding the Coroner’s (Ronald Kent Smith) salary and expenses allowance as indicated in a Local Legislative Act approved and signed by Governor Kay Ivey in March 2020. This Act authorizes the Greene County Commission to provide for the compensation and expense allowance of the coroner including expenses for the operation of the office of coroner and to repeal Section 45-32-60.01 of the Code of Alabama 1975.
The Act passed in 2020 states: “The Greene County Commission may provide the Coroner of Greene County with additional expense allowance and compensation or salary. The county commission may provide for any expense allowance granted to the Coroner by this Act or otherwise to convert to salary effective beginning the next term of office of the coroner.”
Greene County Coroner, Ronald K. Smith, began a new term of office in 2022. Mr. Smith indicated his salary and expenses allowance should have been adjusted at that time. He said he has approached the commission numerous times regarding an adjustment in pay,
In other business the commission acted on the following:
* Approved ABC License for Greene County Entertainment, with four commissioners voting for and Commission Chairperson Corey Cockrell voting against.
* Approved Drug and Alcohol Abuse Policy.
Approved travel for Board of Registrars and Assistant Engineer
The financial report for February 2024 was as follows: Accounts Payable -$725,439.09; Payroll Transfer – $289,883.73; Fiduciary – $721,162.61; Total $1,736,485.43. Electronic Claims paid January, 2024 totaled $52,678.19. Unrestricted Funds in Citizen Trust Bank totaled $3,474,352.09. Restricted Funds in Citizen Trust Bank Totaled $4,760,130.74. Unrestricted Funds in Merchants & Farmers Bank totaled $2,900,862.04. Restricted Funds in Merchants & Farmers Bank totaled $1,467,507.61. Total investments reported as $894,295.60.

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