Greene County Democrat

Tag: Brenda Burke

  • Commission chooses Spencer as Chair and Summerville as Vice Chair at Organizational Meeting

    Seated L-R: County Commissioners Allen Turner, Garria Spencer, Chairperson, Roshonda Summerville, Vice Chair, Latasha Johnson and Tennyson Smith. Standing are members of the Greene County Alumnae Chapter Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated: Phillis Belcher, President, Drenda Morton, Isaac Atkins, Shirley Ezell and Marva Smith.

    The Greene County Commission held its annual Organizational Meeting on Monday, November 10, 2025, in the William M. Branch Courthouse at 5;00 PM. All five commissioners were present, including newly appointed District 3 Commissioner, Latasha Johnson.
    Garria Spencer, Chairperson relinquished the chair and asked Legal Counsel, Mark Parnell, to officiate at the meeting for the purpose of electing a chair for the coming year. Commissioner Johnson nominated Spencer to be the chair. There were no other nominations, so Garria Spencer was elected Chairperson by acclamation.
    After the election, Spencer thanked the Commissioners for their support and said, I will do my best to work with everyone on this Commission and recognize your concerns and interests.”
    There were two commissioners nominated for Vice- Chair, Tennyson Smith and Roshonda Summerville. Summerville was selected by a 3 to 2 vote.
    The Commission agreed that its regular meetings would be held on the second Monday of each month at 5:00 P M.
    The Commission agreed to retain the same depositories for its funds. They designated that two of the following persons, Garria Spencer, Roshonda Summerville, Brenda Burke, Altheria Wilder, and Rhonda French would be eligible to sign checks for the Commission. The signatures on the safe deposit box were similarly adjusted.
    The Commission did not make any appointments or changes to county agencies or internal committees. Commissioner Turner requested a list of all committees and boards and their current occupants and vacancies.
    The Commission also received and approved a report on finances for the month of October 2025, first month of the current fiscal year. The County spent $2,093,525 on all bills and payroll, plus an additional $94,401 on electronic claims for employee deductions.
    The County has $9,318,691 on deposit with local banks and $1,901,849 in certificates of deposit. There is $4,884,839 on deposit with Citizens Trust Bank of which $1,038,957 in unrestricted and $3,845,881 in restricted funds. In Merchants and Farmers Bank, there is a total of $4,433,851 of which $1,497,654 in unrestricted and $2,936,197 in restricted funds.
    At its November 1 meeting, the Commission accepted the resignation of Sandra Walker, District 1 representative on the Greenthumb Board and appointed Lucy Spann to this position.

  • Newswire : Commission appoints 3 of 5 members of Greenethumb Improvement Board

    The Greene County Commission met for its regular second Monday of the month meeting. All members of the Commission were present. The meeting was opened by Garria Spencer, Chairperson, a prayer was given, the previous minutes and agenda were approved as submitted.
    The Commission voted to approve documents concerning the Purdue Pharmacy and Sacker Family Bankruptcy for a payment in litigation over opioid abuse by the company. The Commission voted to authorize the Chairperson to sign the documents.
    The Commission approved a recommendation from the County Engineer to zip up County Road 136, a short road south of Boligee, which is no longer in use. The paved road will be made into a gravel road to save on maintenance costs.
    The Commission agreed that its current lease agreement with Mr. Gomez of Iron Wolf Media LLC, for repairs and use of the former Greenetrack facility will stand as submitted to the company. The Commission owns the facility. They have held several meetings with Gomez, mostly in Executive Session, concerning amendments and changes to the 15-year lease, with 5-year renewals. Commission Chair Spencer said, ”We have negotiated a solid agreement with Iron Wolf. We and our attorney reached agreement with the company on certain changes, which they now want to revise again. Our position now is they accept the lease as negotiated or move on to another location.”
    The Commission appointed three of the five members of the “Greenethumb Farmers’ Initiative Improvement District Board, to help secure additional financing for a medical marijuana raising project, licensed to George Poindexter, a Black entrepreneur, who has begun operations in the northern part of the county. Sandra Walker was appointed for District 1, McDaniel Garner for District 4 and Kashaya Cockrell for District 5. The Commissioners for Districts 2 and 3 were not ready yet to make appointments. The new board will be installed and instructed by County Attorney, Mike Parnell, as to their duties and responsibilities in the near future.
    A financial report was submitted by Brenda Burke, which shows a total of $ 10,208,675 in funds in banks. In Citizens Trust Bank has $4,608,845 in restricted funds and $1,204,745 in unrestricted funds in the county’s General Fund. Merchants and Farmers Bank, has $2,726,113 in restricted funds and $1,768,971 in unrestricted funds, which are Bingo funds in a General Fund account. The County also has $1,901,066 in Certificates of Deposit in several banks as an investment reserve.
    During the month of August 2025, the County paid out $1,346,098 in claims plus $191,254 in electronic claims for a total of $1,537,352 for payroll, materials, ongoing road projects and a contract with Rebasco Decorators to repairs the flooring in the William M. Branch County Courthouse.

  • Charity Days provide $116,00 in grants Greene County Racing Commission distributes $720,000 for first 2 quarters of 2025

    Front Row – Commissioner Donald F. Means, Commissioner Linette Brown, Commissioner Morris Hardy, State Representative Curtis Travis Back Row – Johnny Isaac, Lameka Bryant, Cortnei Hood, Mollie Rowe, Reginald Spencer, Marquita Lennon, Christopher Jones, Marcia Pugh, Andrea Woods, Charlie McAlpine, Miriam Leftwich, Darlene Robinson, Johnnie Knott, Marilyn Gibson, Brandon Merriweather, Hodges Smith, Hattie Samuel, Howard Crawford, James Morrow, Teresa M Atkins, Brenda Burke, Anita Lewis.

    The Greene County Racing Commission (Linette Brown–Chairperson, Morris Hardy–Vice-Chairman, and Donald Means–Secretary), was joined by Alabama State Representative Curtis Travis, legal counsel Brenda M. Pompey, Esq., and Office Manager Gerry Coleman on August 8, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. to welcome recipients of its 2025 Charity Awards disbursements. Also, welcomed were recipients of disbursements under Senate Bill #40, Act No. 223-206 (“Bill”) for the first and second quarters of 2025. These awards were made possible through proceeds generated from licensed gaming activities at the Palace.
    Chairperson Brown explained that the Racing Commission hold two charity days each year – one in March and one in July – which are advertised approximately two weeks in advance. The funds raised during these events make up the money distributed as charity disbursements. The Commission’s goal is to assist as many qualified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations as possible that provide vital services to the community. These organizations offer a range of support, including health initiatives, food drives, parenting and adoption guidance, housing assistance, youth development and camps; fire and emergency services, educational, and social services. The Racing Commission encourages everyone to support charity days at the Palace.
    This year, the Racing Commission was proud to support a total of 12 charities, including the Greene County Volunteer Fire Association which represents 14 volunteer fire departments. Chairperson Brown said, “We’re proud to support the important work being done across our communities, and we recognize the impact these funds have for those in need.” The Commission remains committed to ensuring that these proceeds benefit organizations that align with its mission to promote public welfare and community enrichment. The total amount for charity this year was $116, 500.00.
    The second group of disbursements, based on the Bill, covered both the first and second quarters of 2025. Under the Bill, each recipient’s percentage is determined by legislation. Chairperson Brown reminded the mayors representing the various municipalities across Greene County of the importance of encouraging their constituents to complete the Census survey, as each municipality’s award is determined by its population – the larger the population, the larger the award.
    The Statement of Distribution details the amounts allocated to each recipient under the Bill. The distributed for the first two quarters of 2025 was $720,000.00.
    Future allocations under the Bill will be made quarterly, subject to the continued availability of funds. The Commission has requested that the Greene County Commission issue payments within the next 10 days (by August 18th) to recipients who receive funds under the Bill.
    On behalf of the Greene County Racing Commission, Chairperson Brown said, “Though it’s been a long time coming, the Commission is grateful that the road has led to this moment, where we can give back to the people of Greene County. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank the citizens of Greene County for their patience, kindness, and support along the way. Every bit of the funds shared today is meant for the citizens of Greene County, and for the good of the county we all call home.”
    Chairperson Brown thanked everyone for attending, for the work they do in their communities, and for their continued partnership. She said the Racing Commission looks forward to seeing the positive impact these funds will make in our county.
    Linette Brown, Chairperson
    Morris Hardy, Vice-Chairman
    Donald F. Means, Secretary

     

     

  • Rep. Curtis Travis holds community meeting in Eutaw to discuss upcoming gaming legislation

    Curtis Travis conducts meeting at Eutaw City Hall

    By: John Zippert, Co-Publisher

    On December 13, 2023, State Representative Curtis Travis held a community meeting at the Eutaw City Hall to discuss upcoming legislation impacting gaming in Greene County and seeking the input of Greene County residents on the legislation.

    Representative Travis explained that he has not yet seen the proposed legislation but knows that something is in the works. “Other legislators and state officials have told me there are hundreds of illegal gambling places in the state and the state is losing revenues from these unsanctioned gambling establishments, said Travis.

    Travis says he anticipates a bill which “will include a statewide lottery, designation of a number of state sanctioned full casinos, some consideration of sports betting and some provisions for places like Greene County, which have Constitutional Amendments regulating bingo gaming.”

    Travis continued, “All gaming will be under a statewide regulatory body to make sure the revenues come to the State of Alabama. It is not clear what will happen to places like Greene County that have a Constitutional Amendment governing gaming, like C. A. 743 for Greene County, which contains a mechanism for distributing revenues.”

    Representative Travis asked the fifty people present at the meeting, for their opinions on the legislation and their bottom-line requirements for the legislation.

    Brenda Burke, speaking in her role as Administrator for the Greene County Commission said, “In the past few years, the Commission has used funds from bingo to provide matching funds for $18 million dollars in road and bridge improvement projects. We need to have continued funding from
    gaming to support new projects.”

    Dr. Marcia Pugh, Administrator of the Greene County Health System, said, “We have received $60,000 a month in support for our hospital and nursing home payrolls, from electronic bingo. We are counting on this level of support for the health system from whatever gaming legislation is passed.

    John Zippert, co-Publisher of the Greene County Democrat said, “I am concerned about two things, first, that we know exactly how much money is flowing through the gambling establishments in Greene County ; and two, that Greene County agencies, including municipalities, the school system and hospital, as well as non-profit charities, are held harmless and receive at least as much annually as they receive from bingo – which currently is $600,000 a month or $7.2 million a year.”

    A person working with Greenetrack, said “If the new legislation gives us a full-service casino in Greene County, then we will get as much or more revenues from the one casino as we did from five bingo halls.

    Some participants at the meeting expressed concerns that since May 2023, their municipality or organization had not received any distribution of funds from the Sheriff. He has said he is using these funds to cover the legal costs of defending bingo in Greene County, against the State of Alabama, which is trying to close gaming because it claims the bingo machines are ’llegal gambling machines’.

    Representative Travis said the meeting was not to discuss current problems but to deal with the impending legislation. He said he was willing to come back and hold another meeting to discuss the current status of gaming.

    School system Superintendent Corey Jones said the school system was receiving funds from bingo until recently, which were used to benefit the educational advancement of students.” We hope we will receive an earmarked portion of whatever gaming resources come to Greene County, since the original intention of the gaming legislation was to help public education in Greene County.

    The general consensus of the meeting was that Greene County be treated as a special case, in the upcoming legislation, since we have gaming under Constitutional Amendment 743; and that agencies currently receiving funds be able to continue receiving funds commensurate with gaming in the community.

  • Greene County Commission holds organizational meeting

    Corey Cockrell

    Garria Spencer

    The newly elected Greene County Commission met on November 16, 2022, at the William M. Branch Courthouse for its organizational meeting.
    All commissioners were present, including Garria Spencer-District 1, Tennyson Smith-District 2, Corey Cockrell – District 3, Allen Turner – District 4 and Roshanda Summerville – District 5.

    Allen Turner, the current Commission Chair turned over the meeting to the attorney to conduct the election for officers. Spencer nominated Tennyson Smith and Summerville nominated Corey Cockrell for Chairperson of the Commission. Corey Cockrell was selected Chair by three votes (Summerville, Cockrell and Turner) to two votes for Smith.

    For Vice Chair, Spencer and Summerville were nominated. Garria Spencer received three votes (Smith, Spencer, and Turner) to two votes for Summerville, and was elected Vice Chair. Committees will remain the same, although Turner and Cockrell will switch out their committee assignments.

    The Commission agreed to meet on the second Monday of each month at 5:00PM and to hold a work session to hear reports and develop the Commission meeting agenda on the Wednesday, before the second Monday at 5:00 PM. The group agreed to use Robert’s Rules of Order to conduct business.

    The Commission will maintain bank accounts with Citizens Trust Bank and Merchants and Farmers Bank, with the Chair, Vice-Chair, CFO-Mac Underwood and County Administrator, Brenda Burke as signatories.

    Mac Underwood gave a financial report for the Commission as of October 31, 2022, the first month of the fiscal year, 2022-23. The report showed $6.9 million in Citizens Trust Bank and $3.9 million in Merchants and Farmers, and $872,063 in Bond Sinking Funds. Commissioner Turner asked the CFO to distinguish between restricted and unrestricted funds so that the Commissioners and the public will know that all these funds are not available for discretionary expenditure and only a small amount of funds are not budgeted or required to be spent for specific purposes.

    The report also showed that the County Commission spent $1,241,663 for operations during October including $703,850 for Rebuild Alabama road and bridges expenses paid by the State of Alabama. The expenditure report showed the county general fund and agencies had remaining funds in their budget within the range of 90 to 96%, which means that their spending was in conformity with the budget, that allows for 92% of funds to remain for use later in the fiscal year.

    In the Public Comments section of the meeting, Mrs. Marilyn Gibson, the Chief Librarian, requested assistance from the Commission to fix a leaking roof, which was endangering the books in the library. “The Commission covers the expenses of the library, including insurance. We had the insurance adjusters to come and look at the damages, but we have not received the report, and we need to fix the roof,” said Ms. Gibson.

    Carrie Logan, representing the Eutaw Chamber of Commerce said that the Chamber had secured the Stillman College Band for the Eutaw Christmas parade, however $1,600 was needed to pay for three buses to transport the band members to march and play in the parade. Logan asked for assistance from the Commission toward this expense.

    Joe Powell, Chair of the Greene County EMS Board, thanked the Commission for helping the ambulance service meet its financial obligations, including payroll, for the past three months. Powell asked the Commission to attend a meeting with the municipalities and other agencies seeking the long-term viability of the ambulance service for Greene County.

  • Greene County Commission and affiliated county agencies declare Coronavirus Emergency

    Shown L to R: Commissioner Tennyson Smith, Iris Sermon of E911, Commissioner Lester Brown, Lorenzo French of Eutaw Housing Authority, Commissioner Allen Turner, Superintendent Dr. Corey Jones, Dr. Marcia Pugh of Greene County Health Services, Commissioner Roshanda Summerville, Eutaw Mayor Raymond Steele, LaTasha Johnson and Joe Lee Powell of the Eutaw City Council, Commissioner Corey Cockrell and Anita Lewis of the Housing Authority of Greene County.

    The Greene County Commission held an emergency meeting last night at the William M. Branch Courthouse to discuss the impact of the coronavirus pandemic in Greene County. The Commission was concerned to bring its response to the virus in compliance with Federal and state directives to manage the crisis.
    The Commission heard reports from county agencies and related county services on their responses to the pandemic.
    At the end of the meeting, the County Commission approved a resolution giving Allen Turner, Chairperson of the Commission, discretionary authority to close or reduce the services and hours of service of County facilities and staff for the period from March 19 to April 19, 2020.
    Brenda Burke, County Administrator, announced that the Greene County Courthouse would be closed this week on Thursday and Friday (March 19 and 20, 2020) for deep cleaning. She also said all court activities, license tag renewals; driver’s license tests would be suspended until April 16, 2020, with no late fees or penalties.
    She indicated that the Greene County Courthouse would reopen next week for critical business but urged residents to postpone routine business until the emergency subsidizes and conduct business by phone or email in the interim period.
    “We may have to open only for limited hours and stop people at the front door to be sure that they need to come through the building,” said Commissioner Turner.
    They indicated that the offices in the Courthouse would be open and have staff to respond to problems and concerns. Prior to this morning’s announcement that the Republican Primary Runoff is postponed from March 31 to July 14, Turner said the Circuit Clerk would check the mail daily for absentee ballots and other correspondence relative to the election.
    Superintendent Corey Jones of the Greene County Board of Education said the schools were out this week for Spring Break and that the Governor had closed the schools through April 6. “There is a strong possibility that the schools may be closed for the rest of the semester,” said Jones.
    The Superintendent indicated that the teachers were preparing lessons and educational materials for the students to work on while they were at home. He also said that the Board of Education had received a waiver from the Federal government to continue to provide school breakfasts and lunches to the students. “We are working on a plan to provide nutritious food for our children, starting next week. This will include delivery of meals to selected sites around the county where it will be easier to distribute the food or have families to pick up the food from community centers, fire stations and other locations,” said Jones.
    Dr. Marcia Pugh, Administrator of the Greene County Health System said the county’s critical health facilities would remain open. “We are restricting entrance to the facility to the front door, where we have a temperature check and a short survey of health symptoms to make sure that people who may have the coronavirus are not allowed access to our other patients and nursing home residents. We are not allowing visitors into the Nursing Home as a protection for the residents, however we have cell phones available for virtual ‘face-time’ visits, said Dr. Pugh.
    Dr. Pugh also indicated that if you have ‘flu-like symptoms’ call ahead to make an appointment at the Greene County Physicians Clinic. “We can refer you for testing to the drive through testing at DCH in Tuscaloosa or Bryan-Whitfield Hospital in Demopolis, to help you,” she said.
    Mayor Raymond Steele said the City Hall would be open to provide essential services to the city residents. “We closed the Carver School Gym and programs, use of the National Guard Armory but City Hall will be open and our staff will be ready to main the water, sewer and other essential services,” said Steele.
    Iris Sermon with Greene County 911 urged people not to panic and work on maintaining social distance of at least 6 feet from other people to prevent spreading the virus. She also gave a toll free phone number: 1-888-264-2256, to get information on testing and testing sites.
    Anita Lewis, Director of the Greene County Housing Authority, said she was keeping her office open to serve the residents of Branch Heights and King Village. “My greatest concern is for the welfare of the 344 children who live in these housing developments, making sure they are safe, getting nutritious food and engaging in meaningful learning activities, without congregating in large groups to fuel spreading the virus.
    Lorenzo French, Chair of the Board of the City of Eutaw Housing Authority asked for help in securing hand sanitizer, wipes and other necessary supplies for residents.
    Attending this meeting it was clear that although there are currently no confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Greene County and 39 confirmed cases statewide that this is a growing problem that Greene County residents must be aware of and make plans to combat.