The Mayor and the Eutaw City Council met for their first regular meeting since being installed and holding their organizational meeting, to consider regular business of the city. All Council members were present except for Carrie Logan, who was attending a training session for new council members.
The Council heard from Jimmie Moore of Meridian Waste Company, which has the contract for garbage collection and disposal in Eutaw and some surrounding jurisdictions. Moore explained the cost per customer has increased by a small account. The Eutaw City Council approved the contract with Meridian Waste and will absorb the increase within the current monthly charge for residents and businesses in the city.
The Council approved the creation of a new position of Administrative Assistant to the Mayor and City Council of Eutaw, which is Ordinance 2025-6. This Ordinance also names Joe Powell to the position of Administrative Assistant. His duties and responsibilities will be to assist the City Clerk in her administrative duties; also, to assist the Mayor and Council in preparing meeting agendas, notices, and correspondence; assist with public record and resident inquiries; and otherwise assist the Mayor and Council in other tasks as assigned. His rate of pay will be $16 per hour and benefits.
The Council approved the salary of Kendrick Howell as Chief of Police at $60,000 annually, which is $5,000 less that the previous Chief Tommy Johnson was being paid. The Council also agreed to a $3.00 an hour increase for SheKelvia Spencer, City Clerk.
An approval of the 2025-26 Annual Budget was tabled, to give the new Mayor and his staff a chance to review and perhaps change some of the staffing, expenses and revenues projected for the year that started on October 1, 2025, and running through September 30, 2026. A Council Work Session on the budget was scheduled for November 18, 2025. A request to purchase a new 2026 Chevrolet Tahoe vehicle was also tabled pending the budget review.
In other business, the Eutaw City Council:
• Approved a request from Mayor Cockrell to enter an agreement with Diversified Computer Software to purchase trackers for all city vehicles and equipment.
• Approved travel, registration and per diem for staff to attend training.
• Approved for Mayor Cockrell to hold a Thanksgiving Dinner for staff and residents.
• Approved reimbursements to staff for necessary small purchases to continue operations.
• Approved Resolution No. 2025-27 for “Use of Social Media” by staff to carry out work requirements.
• Approved rental of city property at $150 a day for K & S Southern Midways to hold a fair in the city at the park adjoining the Robert H. Young Community Center in Eutaw on November 14-17, 2025.
• Approved payment of bills for the city.
At the end of the meeting, Mayor Corey Cockrell said he had received a report from the Water Department Clerk that over $300,000 in late and unpaid water accounts were in the records. The Mayor said, “All residents and businesses in the city must get their water bills in order and paid, including city staff and council members. We should not have to carry so many late and overdue accounts, if we want to improve our city – streets, water and other infrastructure.”
Tag: Carrie Logan
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Eutaw City Council meets on Nov. 12 handles routine business
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EDITORIAL
Please be sure to vote in city
elections
Next Tuesday, August 26th.Next Tuesday is an important day for all the municipalities of Greene County. On Tuesday, August 26, 2025, the residents of Eutaw, Forkland, Boligee and Union have city elections to elect a Mayor and City Council members.
This is your chance to vote for your local officials. This is your chance to influence the policies and future direction of your local communities. This is your chance to democratically participate to vote for those who will operate your city, set your water, sewer and garbage bills, zone areas you live in for future development, provide more recreation and activities for youth, respond to natural disasters like tornados, hurricanes, flood and other things.
Instead of sitting on your couch and complaining about those in politics, here is your chance to go and vote and decide who will be making the decisions and spending tax monies, closest to you, for the next four years.
The Publishers of the Greene County Democrat, who live in Eutaw, have been talking to the candidates, reviewing their positions on issues and problems of concern. We make the following recommendations:
For Mayor of Eutaw, we support the current mayor, LATASHA JOHNSON for re-election. There are three candidates in this race, the current Mayor, Latasha Johnson, has done a good job in her four years as mayor, we think she should continue and will do more for the residents of Eutaw in the coming four years. Mayor Johnson was able to develop a budgeting process for city revenues and expenses, had a clean audit in fiscal year 2023-24, raised over $9 million dollars, in grants, that did not require matching, to improve and update the Water and Sewer System for Eutaw and Boligee.
Mayor Johnson was able to complete the Streetscape project to beautify the sidewalks on the outside of the Courthouse Square. One of her opponents, on the County Commission, voted against providing its share of the matching funds for this project. Mayor Johnson had to borrow funds to complete the project.
In District 1, we support challenger KE’UNDRA COX, who will bring a youth perspective to the City Council, coupled with six years of leadership training in the Air Force.
In District 2, the incumbent JONATHAN WOODRUFF, should be re-elected for a full term. We do not agree with him all the time but at least he studies the materials and generally takes a responsible position on the issues.
In District 3, the incumbent TRACIE HUNTER is unopposed and will be re-elected.
In District 4, we endorse LORENZO FRENCH for this position because of his experience and knowledge of city facilities from running the Robert H. Young Community Center and trying to provide more recreational opportunities for young people.
In District 5, we endorse CARRIE LOGAN, based on her experience and dedication with the Eutaw Area Chamber of Commerce. We also feel that there should be some representation for white residences of the city, on the City Council, which Ms. Logan will provide. Her opponent Suzette Powell did a good job in her appointed time on the City Council, but we feel Ms. Logan’s election will be in the best long-term interest of the city. -
Eutaw City Council accepts bid for resurfacing West End Avenue;Also discusses racial fallout of selecting a new Council member
Shown above Judge Lillie Jones-Osborne swearing in newly selected City Council person of District 5, Suzette Powell, accompanied by family. Also City councilpersons Tracy Hunter Larrie Coleman, Suzette Powell and Mayor Latasha Johnson.
By John Zippert, Co-Publisher
At its regular meeting on September 10, 2024, voted to accept the low bid of $383,343.82 from S.T. Bunn Construction Company for the repaving of about three miles of West End Avenue, from the city limits to Highway 11.
The State of Alabama, Rebuilding Alabama Program, is providing $316,671.81 in two grants toward the project. The City of Eutaw must provide $113,671.81 in matching funds, including $47,000 of engineering services and the rest to match for construction costs, with no allowance for cost overruns.
Mayor Johnson said the city’s matching funds would come out of the 4 and 7 cent gas funds for road repair.Ms. Suzette Powell was selected by the Eutaw City Council, at a Special Meeting on September 6, to fill the remaining term of Ms. Jacqueline Stewart who resigned because she moved out of District 5. Ms. Powell was sworn in by District Judge Lillie Osborne a few hours before the meeting.
The Council approved Resolution 2024-27 for the Rental of City Park, the R. H. Young Community Center and other areas. This policy provides a $75.00 per day charge for parking RVs on city property.
In other business, the Eutaw City Council:
• Approved travel and expenses for Magistrates to attend training classes in Montgomery, either in November or December.
• Approved travel and registration for Mayor Johnson to attend the 2024 AARC Annual Training Conference in Huntsville on October 6 to 8, 2024.
• Approved allowing Deep South Rodeo to use the City Park and Hose Arena for a rodeo to benefit the Greene County Ambulance Service on October 4 and 5, 2024.
• Tabled discussion of claim by Dave and Ethel Black for property damage.
• Agreed to share costs 50-50 with the Greene County Housing Authority to repair a sewage line.
• Discussed and tabled a discussion of raising the Mayor and Council salaries for those elected in 2025.
• Approved payment of bills.Racial fallout from discussion of new Council member
At the end of the meeting, when the Mayor, Council members and the public have a chance to speak, Councilwomen Valerie Watkins raised the point that she had been spoken to disrespectfully at the end of the September 6 Special Meeting.
The Council had interviewed two candidates for the District 5 Council position, Suzette Powell, who is Black and previously worked at Piggly Wiggly and Carrie Logan, who is white and serves as President of the Eutaw Chamber of Commerce. The Council chose Powell over Logan. Mayor Johnson was not pleased with the decision and voted against it, because she had hoped to add a white voice to the Eutaw City Council for more diversity of representation.
After the September 6th vote, Danny Cooper, retired Alabama Power employee and Chair of the Greene County IDA was visibly angered and spoke disrespectfully to some of the Council members. He has since apologized to Councilwoman Watkins. At the meeting, Danny Cooper gave another heartfelt statement of his “love for Eutaw and Greene County”.
Corey Cockrell, Chair of the County Commission, who was in the audience, spoke and said, “We really need more honest and genuine cooperation and discussion with Black and White people in Greene County. We need white people to support and let their children attend the Greene County public schools if we are really going to work together for a common future.”
Mayor Johnson closed the meeting saying, “We all need to work together and have more honest discussion of the problems we face in our city
going forward.” -
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.
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Ribbon Cutting for Home Health Care Services at Greene County Health Services
Friday, December 3, 2021, a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony was held for Mercy & Grace Home Health Care Service to be housed at the Greene County Physician Clinic, a part of the Greene County Health System (GCHS).
Dr. Marcia Pugh, CEO of Greene County Health System, welcomed the Mercy & Grace Home Health program, as part of the GCHS. “We had been planning to revive this service and we are now able to do this under an agreement with Mercy and Grace to provide these needed services which are part of the healing process for our patients, “said Pugh.
Carrie Logan, President of the Eutaw Area Chamber of Commerce, was on hand to deliver words of welcome, for a new business.
Janie Williams, CEO/NLP /CFO, stated, “We are here to service the Black Belt area including Greene, Sumter, Perry, Bibb, Hale, Fayette, Pickens and Tuscaloosa. We were founded for the purpose of providing professional, reliable home health services to West Alabama. Our goal is to make sure families always have a reliable option for at- home nursing and personal support.”
Williams explained that when faced with illness, it’s not surprising that a majority of patients would much rather receive care at home. No matter the circumstances that may require home health care, whether it is a recent diagnosis, ongoing therapy or physical rehabilitation, or a declining medical condition, being at home, surrounded by family, is a benefit to not only the client, but the family caregiver as well.
Home Health Care Services include experienced help around the home to improve safety, health, comfort, and convenience, meal preparation, cleaning, laundry, making beds, dishes, changing light bulbs and taking out the trash and other home services our clients want. Personal aides provide health-related personal assistance. They are qualified to provide hands on care.
Other Home Health Care Services provided by Mercy & Grace may include the following:
•Medication reminders, •Adherence to health-related diets such as a diabetes diet, •health monitoring, •Skin care, •Mobility assistance, •bathing assistance, •dressing, grooming and feeding.
•Personal attendants for socialization, mental alertness, supervision, and safety.
•Help with remotes, help with communication such as getting the mail, writing letters, email, and social media, computers and other devices.
•Help with hobbies such as scrapbooking, collections, indoor plants, journals, etc.
•Supervision when there is a chance of wandering or self-injury,
• Private Duty Nursing, Skilled Medical care from a nurse giving you personal attention in the comfort of home.
•Medication reconciliation and medication management. •Giving shots and other medication administration, •home infusion nursing, •wound care such as for pressure ulcers, • observation and assessment, •post-surgical care.
•Assistance away from Home – running errands and shopping for clients.
•Aides accompany clients during outings to make sure everything goes smoothly.
*Nurses can accompany clients to doctor’s visits to help make sure important information is received, communicated to family members as per client wishes, and followed up on.
•We even provide personal attendant services for clients in the hospital or nursing home.If you wish to use the services of Mercy & Grace Home Health, you must advise your doctor that
You are requesting their services. Mercy & Grace, Inc. will be ready to help. For additional information you can contact them at: 205-737-7744.