The Greene County Democrat

Tag: Assistant Police Chief William Smith for a trip to an FBI training in Rushton

  • City of Eutaw holds contentious meeting; approves non-exclusive broadband franchise for Alabama Fiber Network

    By John Zippert, Co-Publisher

    The Eutaw City Council held its bi-monthly meeting on February 25, 2025. All five council members and the mayor were present. The past few meetings, since the first of the year, have involved tensions between the council members and Mayor Latasha Johnson. This meeting was no exception, and in my notes, I wrote ‘this is a very contentious meeting’.
    In the Fall of 2024, the Council removed Mayor Johnson, as a signatory on all city accounts, in recent meetings, the Mayor and the Council disagreed over an ordinance raising council members stipend from $300 to $800 a month, beginning the next fiscal year. They also disagreed over travel reimbursements for staff, the repair schedule for streets in the city, raises for city employees, the use of city vehicles, staff work hours and other matters.
    Mayor Johnson has asserted that her decisions, were within her purview as “day to day operations of the city” while the Council members assert that they have fiscal control over the budget and expenditures and can correct the Mayor’s actions dealing with city funds.
    These arguments began at the February 25 meeting over approval of the agenda before any other actions were taken. Councilman Jonathan Woodruff moved to remove two items from the agenda, because he said they had already been decided or should be considered in a working session. He moved to eliminate a discussion of employee evaluations and raises that was later decided to be shifted to a discussion in the next working session. The Mayor wanted some discussion and decisions on these matters, since the council members had voted themselves a raise without considering the employees.
    Woodruff also wanted to cut an agenda item dealing with partial reimbursement of Assistant Police Chief William Smith for travel expenses to attend an FBI training workshop in Rushton, Louisiana on January 12-17, 2025. Woodruff said the Council disapproved the reimbursement in the prior three meetings because it was not a mandatory trip and because it was made in a city vehicle before it was authorized and under the policies this is not permitted.
    Mayor Johnson said that she authorized the trip because it was beneficial to the city and put it on the agenda as soon as she could which was after the trip was underway. The Council agreed to reimburse Assistant Chief for $523.49, which was a third of his original request and a compromise realizing the trip had not been properly authorized but that the Mayor and not the Assistant Chief was the responsible party. Woodruff said the Mayor should have polled the Council by phone before authorizing the trip. He also said this was the last unauthorized trip that he would vote to reimburse, since the proper policies were not followed. The Mayor said she felt she did the best she could and felt the city would benefit from the police training that Smith received.
    Another issue of contention was raised by Councilwoman Tracey Hunter who wanted to remove Police Chief Tommie Johnson, as a signatory, from the DARE Program checking account. The Mayor argued that the Police Chief is the supervisor of this special account and that he should not be removed from the account since he was not present at the meeting. It was unclear if the Chief had spent funds incorrectly from the DARE Account. The matter was tabled until a meeting where the Chief could be present.
    The Council also passed Ordinance 2025-3, granting a non-exclusive franchise agreement to Alabama Fiber Network, to provide middle-mile broadband services in Eutaw. A copy of the full ordinance is printed in this week’s Democrat, as a Legal Notice on Page 7. In the ordinance, when fully operational, Alabama Fiber Network will pay a three per cent of revenues franchise fee to the city.
    In other business, the Eutaw City Council:
    • Tabled consideration of Zoning Board, Cemetery Committee and Airport Authority Board appointments.
    • Referred Ms. Verna Nickson’s request for replacing her mobile home in a district zoned for residential dwellings, because her mobile home was in place before the zoning went into effect, to the Zoning Board for a variance.
    • Received financial reports from Ralph Liverman, Financial Adviser.
    • Approved services agreement with AVEN Insights and Analytics for collection of sales taxes and business licenses.
    • Approved travel, per diem, registration and parking for Mayor, Clerks and Council members to attend the Alabama League of Municipalities Annual Convention in Huntsville on May 13-16, 2025.
    • Tabled request from Victoria Harris to rezone area, near Lock Seven, for a Bar and Grill, pending consultation with neighboring residents.
    •Approved payment of bills.

  • Eutaw City Council approves raises for Mayor and Council

    At its regular meeting on February 13, 2025, the Eutaw City Council agreed to approve Ordinance 2025-2, which raises the monthly stipend of the Mayor and City Council members, effective when the newly elected officials take seats after the August 2025 elections, probably in November 2025.

    The ordinance provides for an increase in the stipend for City Council members from $300 per month to $ 800 per month. The stipend for the Mayor is increased from $ 23,000 a year to $26,000 ($2,166.67 per month).
    All five councilmembers voted in favor of the ordinance. Mayor Johnson voted against the increase, saying, “I feel the raise is too much especially when we are having financial difficulties and cannot give a raise to our employees.”

    The Council also received a report from their Financial Adviser,Ralph Liverman.  In his report, Liverman says to wait with any pay increase to employees until after March 31, which is the midway point of the fiscal year. “At that point, you will have a good estimate of general fund revenues and expenditures and can better decide on employee raises,” said Liverman.
    He also comments on plans to raise the stipends paid to councilmembers and the mayor, saying he does not agree to the amount of the raises and warns the council that voters are outraged and may take out their anger at the increases in the next election. Liverman also points to several reserve funds that have not been funded since the beginning of the calendar year.

    The Council voted not to approve a travel reimbursement for Assistant Police Chief William Smith for a trip to an FBI training in Rushton, Louisiana in January. The Council was concerned that Smith went on the trip, in a city vehicle, without prior approval. The Council also questioned whether the trip was ‘mandatory’. Mayor Johnson said she authorized Smith to go on short notice because she felt the trip was mandatory and would help strength the city’s law enforcement capacity. Smith was not there to defend his actions and request for reimbursement. Councilman Woodruff said, “We have to make an example of staff who do not follow our policies and instructions. This trip was not authorized in a city vehicle, and we are not sure if it was a mandatory training.

    In other actions, the Eutaw City Council:
    • Tabled actions on filling vacancies on the Zoning Board, Cemetery Committee and the Airport Authority Board.
    • Referred Verna Nickson’s zoning issue to City Attorney Zane Willingham for resolution.
    • Accepted for review a report from AVENU Insights and Analytics on their work in collecting sales taxes and Business license fees for the city.
    • Approved travel for Sha’Kelvia Spencer and Joe Powell to attend a clerks training in Point Clear on April 23-25; also approved annual dues to the AAMCA for the two clerks.
    • Approved annual dues for the Municipal Court Clerks and Magistrates Association.
    • Approved quote from Henley’s Air Quality Control for heat pump systems and multi-zone damper system for City Hall.
    • Approved payment of n claim of $2,162.76 from Banks and Company for replacement of front window.
    • Tabled consideration of Ordinance 2025-3 granting a non-exclusive franchise for Fiber Utility Network Inc. to provide middle mile broadband service to the City of Eutaw.
    • Approved request from Nicholas and Akira Spencer for streetlight near their home at 415 Eatman Avenue.
    • Approved $1,000 to support the Police Ball and $500 for two tables for the BBCF Sneaker Ball, from DARE funds.
    • Approved payment of bills.

    Mayor Johnson said that she could not do her job without the support of God, the City Council, her staff of dedicated workers and the citizens of the city.

    Council member Valerie Watkins asked when the ditch behind Roebuck Avenue would be scheduled for repair because it floods when it rains. The Mayor said it was on the repair list and staff had looked at it.

    Councilmembers reported on their trip to Montgomery for an “advocacy day with the Legislature. They reported on various topics including Medicaid Expansion and other steps to help hospitals stay open.