The Greene County Democrat

Category: Local Government

  • Greene County Commission Files Suit to Recover Nearly $5 Million in Bingo Funds Identified by State Examiners

    Greene County Commission Files Suit to Recover Nearly $5 Million in Bingo Funds Identified by State Examiners

    Office of The Greene County Commissioners

    Action seeks return of public money for emergency medical services and other lawful public purposes after State collection efforts stalled

    EUTAW, Ala. — September 29, 2026 — The Greene County Commission announced today that it has filed a lawsuit in the Circuit Court of Greene County seeking to recover $4,966,427.69 in public funds that the Alabama Department of Examiners of Public Accounts determined were disbursed from the Greene County Bingo Fund by the Office of the Sheriff without adequate supporting documentation or for purposes not authorized by the Constitution of Alabama. The suit,  Greene County v. Benison, Case No. CV-2026-900059, names Sheriff Jonathan “Joe” Benison and the surety on his official bond. 

    The lawsuit is based on Examiners’ Report No. 25-560, a public record filed October 3, 2025,  covering the period October 1, 2018 through April 30, 2024. Following that examination and a  show-cause proceeding, the Chief Examiner of Public Accounts entered an order on September  17, 2025 fixing the unpaid charges at $4,966,427.69 and certified them to the Attorney General  and the District Attorney for collection under Alabama law. The report found, among other things,  more than $3.1 million in payments made directly to employees in addition to their county-paid  salaries, and more than $2.1 million in Bingo Fund disbursements —including nearly $1.2 million  to consultants and attorneys — for which adequate documentation was not provided. The report  also found that the Sheriff’s use of bingo assessments for salary supplements and other law enforcement expenses did not comply with the constitutional amendment that authorizes bingo in  Greene County. 

    Nearly a year has passed since those charges were certified. No collection action has been filed.  On July 6, 2026, the County Attorney wrote to the Attorney General and the District Attorney asking for a status report and explaining the urgency created by the financial condition of Greene  County Emergency Medical Services. That letter has not been answered. 

    “The State’s own examiners did their job. They found the money, they fixed the amount, and they certified it for collection,” said Garyia Spencer, Chair of the Greene County Commission. “We waited. We asked. We have heard nothing. The Commission has a duty to the people of this county  to protect public money, and we are not going to let nearly five million dollars sit unaccounted for  while our ambulances go unfunded. If the State will not collect it, Greene County will.” 

    The bingo assessments at issue were collected from bingo operators in Greene County under rules issued by the Sheriff, which state that the money is to be used to benefit the public welfare of the citizens of Greene County. Historically, those funds have supported the County Commission, the municipalities, the school system, the Health System, and emergency services. In July 2026,  Greene County EMS was forced to suspend ambulance transports for lack of funds; service was  restored only through emergency assistance and private donations. 

    The complaint asks the Court to declare that the Bingo Fund is public money held for the benefit of Greene County and its citizens; to order the Sheriff to pay the certified charges; to prohibit further spending of bingo assessments for purposes the Constitution does not permit; to require a full accounting of the Bingo Fund; and to recover on the Sheriff’s official bond, which under  Alabama law is payable to the county treasury. The Commission has asked that any funds  recovered be placed in a segregated account under the Court’s supervision and used only for lawful  public purposes, including emergency medical services, public health, public education, and the  municipalities of Greene County. The Commission is also seeking recovery of its attorneys’ fees  so that the cost of the litigation is not borne by taxpayers. 

    “This is not about one office or one official. It is about whether public money in Greene County will be spent the way the Constitution allows,” said Chairman Spencer. “We would welcome the  Attorney General and the District Attorney joining this effort. Until they do, the Commission will  carry it.” 

    The Commission emphasized that the lawsuit seeks recovery of funds, not the disruption of law  enforcement, and that the County will continue to fund the Sheriff’s Office and the county jail as required by law. The allegations in the complaint are based on the public findings of the  Department of Examiners of Public Accounts. 

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    About the Greene County Commission 

    The Greene County Commission is the governing body of Greene County, Alabama, responsible  for the County’s budget, roads, facilities, and general administration, and for safeguarding the  public funds entrusted to the County on behalf of its citizens.

  • Commissioners discuss solid waste management fees and SRO agreement

    Commissioners discuss solid waste management fees and SRO agreement

    By Maya Quinn, editor

    The County Commission met in a called meeting on Monday, September 21st, to further discuss budget items for the upcoming year, namely solid waste management and school resource officers.

    The solid waste department is currently operating at a deficit and aims to become self-sufficient. Assistant Engineer Calvin Culliver has been working tirelessly to balance the department’s budget so that they are self sufficient. After reviewing the rates of surrounding counties, the department has concluded that raising the rates is necessary to continue operations. Culliver discussed the improved budgets with an eventual rate of $29.00 per month, but asked for the commission to enforce it in increments. The commissioners voted to raise rates to $25.00 per month starting January 1st. They did not confirm if or when the rate would be increased again.

    The county also approved the School Resource Officer (SRO) Contract with the Greene County School District. The contract ensures SROs will be supplied to the school district to communicate with the principals regarding law enforcement matters. The Sheriff is tasked with assigning six deputy sheriffs to the school district as follows: two SROs at Greene County High School, one SRO at Robert Brown Middle School that is available to float to other schools as needed, one SRO at the Greene County Learning Center, and one SRO at Eutaw Primary School. During the term of this agreement, the District must maintain funding levels to supply base pay, equipment, and fuel as determined by the Sheriff.

    The County Commission’s next work session is scheduled for Wednesday, October 7th at 5:00 pm. Please contact the commissioner’s office to be added to the work session agenda.

    Featured Image: Assistant Engineer Calvin Culliver presenting a solid waste proposal to the count commission

  • City of Eutaw Ordinance No. 2024-20-06 #6:

    City of Eutaw Ordinance No. 2024-20-06 #6:

    LEGAl Notice from CITY OF EUTAW

    Be It Ordained by the City Council of the City of Eutaw, Alabama, that the following ordinance is adopted to amend Chapter 42, Article I of the Code of Ordinances, City of Eutaw, is hereby amended as follows:

    Section One – Cumulative Nature

    These provisions shall be cumulative in nature, and are in addition to any and all power and authority which the City may have under any other law, including statute or other ordinance of the City.

    Section Two – Unlawful growth of vegetation.

    In order to keep premises and vacant lots within the city free of any growth of weeds or grass downed trees and /or limbs favorable to the harboring of mosquitoes or other insects of like kind and/ or rodents or reptiles, it shall be unlawful for any person owning, residing or having charge or control of any premises or vacant lot within the city to allow weeds, grass or kudzu to grow to a height in excess of twelve (12) inches or to plant or allow bamboo within fifty (50) feet of any residential property line, right-of-way of public utility easement or to allow any other vegetation, including, but not limited to vines, or underbrush to become overgrown or to allow downed trees and /or limbs to remain to such an extent that the same may create favorable conditions to the harboring of mosquitoes or  other insects of like kind and/ or rodents or reptiles otherwise constitutes a public nuisance or a danger to the public  health, safety and welfare.

    Section Three - Removal of litter and accumulation of trash required.

      It shall be unlawful  for any person owning, residing on or having charge or control  of any  premises or vacant lot within the city to allow any litter or accumulation of trash or rubbish, including but not limited to storm debris, tree limbs, dead trees, construction materials, glass, bottle, tin cans, brush, combustible material, tires, automobile parts, lawnmowers, appliances, machinery, tools electronics, or any similar items (except for collection  purposes on regulary scheduled collection days in a manner authorized) on said premises or vacant lot.

    Section Four- Household appliances and household furniture prohibited outside any dwelling.

    (a) It shall be unlawful for any person residing in or having charge or control of any dwelling within the City of Eutaw to leave or permit to remain outside of any such dwelling any household appliances or household furniture in such a manner that the same are exposed to the elements.

    (b) Provided, however, [that] exposed shall not include the interior of any fully enclosed porch (including, without limitation, a porch enclosed by screening material) that cannot be accessed from outside except through a closed door that can be locked, and shall not be considered outside for the purpose of this section.

    (c) The following shall constitute specified defenses to any alleged violation of the provision.

     (1) That such furniture was placed in an outside location in order to allow it to be moved during a move of a resident or residents or removed as part of a trash or recycling program on a day scheduled for such moving or removal.

    (2) That such furniture was temporarily placed in an outside location in order that it be offered for sale at a yard or garage sale if each of the following conditions exists:

    1. The furniture is located in an outside location only during the hours of  8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
    2. The person attempting to sell the furniture, or that person’s agent, is outside during the period of the yard or garage sale in order to monitor the sale.
    3. A sign is placed on or near the furniture indicating that it is for sale.
    4. This defense shall not apply if upholstered furniture is located in an outside location for more than two days in any six-month period.

    Section Five – Dismantled, wrecked, discarded vehicles or premises.

    (a) It shall be unlawful for any person in charge or control of any real property within the city, whether tenant, owner, occupant, lessee or otherwise, to allow any vehicle which is partially dismantled, nonoperative, wrecked, junked or discarded to be on said premises. A vehicle will be considered nonoperative for the purposes of this section if it cannot be safely operated or if it is incapable of being moved under its own power or if it may not be legally operated due to lack of any legal requirement, including a current license tag. 

    (b) In lieu of the above procedure, the city may utilize the provisions of the state abandoned vehicle law.

    (c) This section shall not apply to any vehicle in a permanently enclosed building or shelter, or to any vehicle on the premises of a licensed business, when the keeping of such vehicle is lawful and necessary to the operation of such licensed business, nor shall this section apply to storage place or depository lawfully maintained by duly constituted law enforcement  officers in the city.

     Section Six – Unsafe/Dilapidate Structures  

    It shall be unlawful for the owner, occupant, or person  in charge or control of a property, within the City of Eutaw, Alabama to allow the existence of any abandoned, unoccupied dilapidated structure that is dangerous to the public and that could work, hurt, inconvenience, or damage to another.

    Section Seven – Enforcement procedures

    (a) Litter enforcement officers. The following are hereby designated at as litter control officers:

     (1)  All police officers of the city.

    (2) The city Building Inspector.

    (3) Any employee of the city as the mayor may direct

    (b) Procedure and Penalties:

    (1) No notice shall be required to constitute a violation of this Article

    (2) When any employee of the city designated as a litter control officer, as herein above defined, observes any violation of the provisions chapter, such employee may go before a city magistrate and request a summons or warrant to be issued pursuant to Rule 3.1 of the Alabama Rules of Criminal Procedure. 

    (3) The Uniform Non-Traffic Citation and Complaint (UNTCC) shall serve as the charging instrument. The UNTCC shall be issued  in accordance with Rule 20 of the Alabama Rules of Judicial Administration. 

    (4) Any individual, firm, partnership of corporation that violates any provisions of this article shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred ($100.00) or more than five hundred dollars ($500.00) or imprisoned for  no more than ninety (90) days or both in the discretion of the court.

    Corey Cockrell, Mayor

    Attest Ke’Undra Cox Clerk, Clerk