The Greene County Commission held its monthly meeting October 15, 2024, with all commissioners present. A key decision was the approval of the Budget Supplement Agreement between the Commission and Sheriff Jonathan Benison. The agreement establishes the terms under which the County will supplement the budget for the Sheriff’s Department and jail facility for additional employees not covered in the county’s 2024-2025 budget for the Sheriff’s Department.
The County’s approved budget for the Sheriff’s Department this fiscal year is $1,564,926. The salaries and benefits for the additional employees hired by the Sheriff, and not included in this approved budget, will be remitted in advance to the County. The Agreement states the following: “ As long as the Sheriff provides the funds…to supplement the (Sheriff’s) budget, the County is willing to add said personnel to the County’s payroll for salaries and other benefits and to process other expenditures as the Sheriff remits to the County as being necessary….”
The Agreement further states: “The Sheriff agrees to provide the County, in advance, a payment equal to three months of pay, benefits and other expenditures, as more particularly set forth for the additional employees.” The County agrees to add the additional employees for the Sheriff Department and pay them in the same manner and frequency as other county employees when the Base Amount Reserve of $47,979 is received from the Sheriff.
It is also noted in the Agreement that the County does not have a role in setting the salaries of the additional employees and if the Base Reserve is not maintained, the County will not be able to continue to employ the additional employees.
As an additional consideration of this Agreement, the Sheriff agrees to pay the County 
$75,000 per month for the County to use in any way the commissioners deem.
This Agreement is in effect October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025.
In other business the commission acted on the following agenda items:
* Approved bids for the 2024-2025 as presented by the Engineer’s office.
* Approved the CDBG Grant for sum of $83,665.36.
* Approved purchasing three CD’s with Chemical Bank of Birmingham at the proposed rates: $500,000 and $125,000 for one yer at 4.13%; $500,000 for two years at 3.89%.
* Denied Water Authority Board’s request for pay increase.
* Approved resolution regarding December 2024 Recognition and Appreciation Program.
* Approved Commissioners joining and attending the Black County Officials Retreat October 24-27, 2024.
Approved travel for Assistant Engineer to Orange Beach.
Approved finance report and payment of claims.
The financial report, as of September 2024, presented by CFO Macaroy Underwood, indicated the following: Accounts payable – $420.168.06; Payroll transfer – $293,638.09; Fiduciary – $59,938.25; Electronic claims – $71,057.55. Bank balances are as follows: Citizen Trust unrestricted – $2,736,855.22, restricted -$3,766,262.51. Merchant & Farmers unrestricted –
$3,080,651.52. In vestments totaled $771,363.41.