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Tag: CFO
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Greene County Commission receives new equipment to patch potholes; holds meetings to approve grant proposals and other matters
Greene County Commissioners displays new pothole patching machine.
The Greene County Commission met for its regular monthly meeting on Monday, February 9, 2026 at the William M. Branch Courthouse in Eutaw. All Commissioners were present.
Before the meeting began, the Commissioners looked at a new pothole patching machine that they acquired for the Highway Department at a cost of $325,500. This machine can be operated by one person instead of a crew of people and will save money in patching potholes. The machine will allow for the Department to reach many roads on a more timely basis to deal with potholes.
At the meeting the Commissioners agreed to submit the 2026 CDBG grant proposal for $500,000 to the State of Alabama for approval and implementation. According to Assistant Engineer, John Isley, the CDBG proposal included road repair to the following roads – Barren Road, Cook Road, County Road 74, County Road 67 and Emerald Lane. The exact amount of road work that can be done will be based on actual cost, availability of 10% matching funds, and other factors.
The Commission approved a contract for $2,800 to Standard Roofing to repair holes in the roof of the Eutaw Activity Center.
The Commission approved a request for $5,000 to assist E-911. The Commission agreed to provide E-911 with $5,000 per quarter from the undesignated funds from the Greene County Racing Commission for pari-mutuel gaming at the Palace Entertainment Center in Knoxville, Alabama.
The Commission approved travel expenses for the Board of Registrars to attend AABOR meeting in Orange Beach on February 26-28, 2026; they also approved travel for two Assistant Engineers to attend training in Tuscaloosa at the AVMS Annual Conference on February 24-25, 2026.
Altheria Wilder, CFO, gave a financial report on the County’s funds as of January 31, 2026. The County has a total of $12,599,817 in funds in Citizens Trust Bank and Merchants and Farmers Bank. Of these funds: $4,676,849 are unrestricted and $7,922,968 are restricted. There is an additional total of $1 909,209 in Certificates of Deposit and investments. In January 2026, the Commission paid out $3,452,992 for payroll and bills. Another $82,794 was paid in electronic transfers for payroll taxes and retirement. All County agencies are operating close to budget projections for the first four months of the fiscal year and have close to 67% of projected budgets remaining. The Commission approved the financial report.
At the Commission Work Session on February 4, 2026, the Commission heard a report from Rodgerick Williams, Administrator of the Greene County Health System, which includes the hospital, nursing home and physicians clinic. He said that he has been at the facility for two months and has acquired some new equipment to monitor patient vital signs, a baby warmer and renovated two rooms in the Nursing Home. With help from the County Commission in advancing tax funds has helped stabilize the finances of the Greene County Health System. Williams invited the Commissioners and the public to visit the health care facilities and use them when they are needed.
District Attorney, Rachel England, for the 17th Judicial Circuit of Greene, Sumter and Marengo counties, came to the Work Session to request $20,000 be included in the county’s budget for a “major crimes unit” for personnel, supplies and trainings to make the unit operational. Commission Chair Garria Spencer asked the District Attorney to put her plan and request in writing for further action by the Commission.
The Work Session also heard a presentation by Charles Gomez, contractor for revitalizing the Greenetrack facility, which is now owned by the county. Gomez suggested that $2.7 million would be needed for repairs to the facility to make it available for lease by gaming, restaurants and other businesses. The County Commission is scheduled for a site visit to Greenetrack on February 11, 2026 to see what work Gomez has done and what is still needed for the property. -
Greene County Commission holds routine meeting, still dealing with Water and Sewer Authority Board’s strike and request for $400 a month stipend
Greene County Commission commends Eddie Austin for service on Greene County Hospital Board. L to R. Commissioners Summerville and Turner, Eddie Austin, commissioners Cockrell and Spencer
By John Zippert, Co-Publisher
This is a report on the Greene County Commission’s work session on February 5 and regular monthly meeting on February 10, 2025. The issue of payment of a $400 a month stipend to the board of the Greene County Water and Sewer Authority, although not on the agenda for either meeting, was a major issue of discussion.
William Morgan, Chair of the Water and Sewer Authority, was present at both meetings pushing the proposal that the Greene County Commission allow the Water and Sewer Authority to pay its five members a $400 a month stipend, which would be an annual cost of $24,000.
Commission Chair Garria Spencer pointed out that no other boards appointed by the Commission – Hospital, Industrial Development, PARA, Library and others – receive a monthly stipend. They serve on these boards as a public service. He also said the stipend proposal had been voted down in a previous meeting and could not be on the agenda unless three Commissioners approved placing it on the agenda.
Morgan said, “Our Board has been doing its work. We have secured $14.2 million in grants from USDA Rural Development , ADECA and ADEM for the system. We have 1,451 paying customers. We are fiscally sound and can pay the stipend. We have been paid a small stipend ($500 a year for the chair and $250 for the members) which is in our bylaws since 1982.”
When Commissioner Roshonda Summerville asked that the issue of the stipends and another issue of purchasing the Robert H. Young Community Center from the City of Eutaw for $200,000, be placed on the regular meeting agenda, Attorney Mark Pernell advised the Commission not to consider adding either item to the agenda.
Parnell said since the Water and Sewer Authority payment was in its by-laws, they needed to change their by-laws before requesting a resolution for an increase in pay. A simple resolution approving the increase in pay from a nominal $1,500 a year to $24,000 a year, was not the proper way to do this. Parnell indicated that he had informed the Water and Sewer Board and their attorney Barrown Lankster of this procedure, when the issue first came up. Commissioner Turner asked that he inform them and their lawyer again.
Parnell suggested to the Commission that they had not done the due diligence to make the purchase of the Robert H. Young Community Center from the City of Eutaw. You have not had an inspection or appraisal of the
building. You need to do some more work before you commit the funds for this project. Commissioner Spencer said he thought that rather than buying the building, the Commission should partner with the City of Eutaw, to put the funds into improving the facility, as a joint partnership for a better facility.This led to a discussion of a special joint meeting of the Commission and the Eutaw City Council to partner on a plan to develop the Robert H. Young (former Carver School) Community Center. Commissioner Corey Cockrell, who had been discussing this project with Eutaw Council member Jonathan Woodruff agreed to work toward a joint meeting to discuss a joint plan for the needed facility.
In its regular meeting on February 10, 2025, the Commission approved a ten percent match on a $500,000 CDBG grant for improvements to county facilities, recommended by the Highway Department. The Commission also approved purchase of a $56,073.79 Chevrolet Suburban for the Coroner. This van will need to be modified to meet the coroner’s request. The Commission said it would approve the modifications separately to be sure they met the coroner’s requirements.
The Commission also approved a contract with Diversified Computer Service for the installation of trackers on four new tractors, at a cost of $100 for each tractor and $20 a month for maintenance and monitoring.
In other business, the Greene County Commission:
• Approved travel for the Board of Registrars to attend a training in Montgomery on February 20 – 22 , 2025.
• Approved travel for the Assistant County Engineer for Bridge and Road training on March 4, 2025, in Clanton, Alabama.
• Approved procedures for ABC Licensing and Compliance for the year 2025.
• Accepted the resignation of Frank Smith from the PARA Board. Did not receive a second to accept the resignation of Andre Woods from the Water and Sewer Authority.The Commission heard and received a financial report from Macaroy ‘Underwood, CFO, which indicated the Commission spent $ 3,354,789.67 for claims, plus $115,453.64 in electronic payments for January 2025. Most department spending was within the budget of 67% per cent of funds remaining. The balance sheet showed $8,503,929 in Citizens Trust Bank of which $3,271,089 were unrestricted and $ 5,232,839 were restricted funds. Merchants and Farmers Bank had a total of $ 3,430,157 with $ 2,057,012 in restricted funds and $ 1,373,145 in unrestricted funds. The total in deposits is $11,934,087. There are also $1,898,291 in certificates as a reserve for bonds.
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Greene County Commission approves FY 2024-25 budget for $14 million
At a special called meeting on Monday, September 30, 2024, the Greene County Commission approved a budget for the coming 2024-25 fiscal year which begins on October 1, 2024. A quorum of three members were present: Garria Spencer, Allen Turner and Roshanda Summerville to vote on the budget.
The total budget includes $14,069,394 in revenues and $13,224,811in expenditures, with a surplus of $844,583. Most of the surplus is in the General Fund Bingo account reserved for emergencies, budget overruns and unanticipated capital expenditures.
There is a note that the budget includes a 3% pay increase for all employees including elected officials. Mac Underwood, CFO said “We stretched our income and expenses to allow the commission to make a 3% salary increase for all employees. This was not easy to do, and we wished we could give more to our employees.”
The General Fund, which covers most basic county services, activities and programs, other than road and bridge construction and maintenance, projects revenues of $4,301,095 with expenses of the same amount, leaving a zero-fund balance to carry over into the next fiscal year.
The next largest fund, the Gasoline Fund had revenues of $3,824,300 and expenses of the same amount. There are several other funds: Roads and Bridges ($797,000), Highway and Traffic ($41,204), RRR Gas Tax ($863,968) and Capital Improvement ($235,500) which are for improvement and maintenance of roads, bridges and other county facilities. All these accounts are budgeted to spend all their revenues, leaving no surplus.
The Gasoline Fund Budget contains the sale of 3 dump trucks at $195,000 each, 4 tractors at $42,000 and other excess equipment for $104,000. This income is offset by the purchase of three new dump trucks at $215,000 each, 3 tractors at $82,000, 1 tractor at $89,000 and computer hardware and software for $16,500. The County negotiated this agreement to trade its one year old dump trucks and tractors for new equipment to reduce expense for repairs and down-time.
The Commission also approved an agreement with the Board of Education and the Sheriff’s Department to allow for the employment of six School Resource Officers, who provide safety in the schools for $238,040.
The Greene County Board of Education pays for nine months of the SRO contract, during the regular school year, and the Sheriff pays for three months, out of bingo funds that he administers.The called meeting took about thirty minutes since all the details had been discussed at previous Commission budget hearings, working sessions and regular meetings.
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County Commission enters cooperative agreement with Eutaw City for road repair
The Greene County Commission met in regular session, Monday, April 8, 2024 with all commissioners present.The commission approved the preparation of a cooperative agreement with the City of Eutaw to fix County Road 76 where the city has a water tower located. Eutaw Mayor Latosha Johnson stated the road is in dire repair and ADECA has provided resources to the city for personnel and material cost needed for the repair. The city is requesting the use of machinery needed for the repair.
At the commission’s work session, held Wednesday, April 3, the Engineer’s office recommended that the commission develop a policy and agreement for municipalities to borrow county equipment. The county’s attorney had not yet prepared the policy and agreement draft, thus the commission approved the short term cooperative arrangement with Eutaw City regarding use of county equipment for County Road 76.
Mayor Johnson and various commissioners voiced similar statements that we are one community and must come to the aid of each other whenever we can.
The commission also took the following actions:
* Approved appointment of Mrs. Loretta Webb Wilson to EMS Board, on a 4-1 vote.
* Approve hiring Ms. Shamira Means as Appraisal Clerk.
* Approved Tax Revenue Enhancement Agreement with Avenu for Tax Revenue Administration.
* Approved Diversifies Computer Service Agreement for Highway Department.
* Approved to mill up county Road 136 and make it a dirt road.
* Approved CDBG Form 5 for March.
* Approved proposal for courthouse roof repair.
* Approved option 2 proposal for courthouse foyer and bathroom renovation.
* Approved updating EOP Plan.
* Approved AAEM membership dues for EMA Director and Assist. Director at $50 each.
* Approved EMA Assist. Director attendance at Alabama Disaster Preparedness Conference.
Tabled rental prices for Eutaw Activity Center.
The commission went into a brief executive session with no actions following.
CFO, Macaroy Underwood presented the following financial reports for March, 2024.
Citizen Trust Bank unrestricted funds – $3,239,276.54; restricted funds – $4,572,897.07.
Merchants & Farmers Bank unrestricted funds – $6,205,138,58; restricted funds – $6,102,613.14; total bond investments -$895,755.12. Accounts payable totaled $517,295.10; payroll transfer totaled $329,107.34; fiduciary totaled $32,822.28; electronic claims totaled $52,678.19. In the General Fund Budget, recap 57% is left overall. -
Greene County Commission urges ‘yes’ vote on Amendment 1 on March 5th primary ballot
The Greene County Commission held its regular monthly meeting on Monday, February 12, 2024. All five commissioners were present, including: Corey Cockrell, Chair and District 3, Garria Spencer, District 1, Tennyson Smith, District 2, Allen Turner, District 4, and Roshonda Summerville, District 5. The Commissioners handled an agenda of routine business, taking a forty-minute Executive Session to discuss personnel and legal matters, without announcing any actions that needed to be approved by vote.
The Commission approved a resolution urging voters to support Amendment No. 1 on the March 5th primary ballot. Amendment No. 1 would allow the Alabama Legislature to consider and approve ‘local legislation” by a majority vote prior to passing a budget in the session.
Currently the legislative rules require a 60% super-majority for votes on legislation prior to the approval of the budget. This change would allow for easier passage of ‘local legislation’ when the Legislature does not approve a budget until the end of the session. In the past, some ‘local legislation’, including some Greene County proposals, have been lost or postponed because they could not be voted on prior to passing the state budget.
In other actions, The Greene County Commission:
• Approved levies for Alcohol Licensing for 2024-2025.
• Approved a contract with M&H Construction for $1,950 to replace ceiling tiles at J. C. Poole Memorial Library, that were damaged in a recent storm. The Commission had already repaired the library roof with insurance funds.
• Approved contract with the State of Alabama for clean-up at dump site on County Road 181; and also accepted state funding for clean-up of up to three other illegal dump sites.
•Approved travel for Assistant Engineer to attend a training class in March in Prattville, Alabama.
•Approved purchase of a full-page ad in the Greene County Democrat’s Black History issue.
•Tabled action on the Greene County Golf Course to gather more information.
The Commission also heard and accepted a financial report from CFO, Mac Underwood, in which he listed $8,610,648 in Citizens Trust Bank of which $4,189,591 is in unrestricted General Funds and $4,421,055 are in restricted funds for designated government purposes, like road and bridge repairs. He also reported $5,542,720 in Merchants and Farmers Bank, including $3,129,181 in unrestricted funds and $1,413,539 in restricted funds. This is a total of $14,153,366 in restricted and unrestricted funds available to the county government. There is also $894,166 in Bond Sinking Funds.
He also reported the expenditure of $1,769,202, in bills and claims paid for January 2024. Another $101,056 in electronic claims were paid during the same period. For the four months of the fiscal
year, October 1, 2023, to January 31, 2024, 68% of the budgeted funds are left to be utilized for expenditures this fiscal year, which is in line with proposed budget, for this point in the fiscal year.County Commission Work Session
At the Greene County Commission’s monthly work session, held Wednesday, February 7, 2024, County Coroner, Ronald Kent Smith, presented his concern regarding his salary. Smith noted that a local Bill authorizing an increase in salary for the County Coroner was passed by the Alabama Legislature in 2020. The Bill scheduled the salary increase for the next election term. Smith was re-elected in 2022, expecting that his salary increase would go into effect at that time. To date, the Greene County Coroner has not received an increase in salary as designated in the 2020 Legislation. Smith also indicated he receives no travel compensation for transports to Montgomery. The Commission’s response was to take all this under advisement, referring the matter to the Alabama State Attorney General for an opinion on how to proceed.
The County’s Greenes Committee also addressed the Commission at this work session.relative to the Greene County Golf Course. Committee members James E. Morrow, Don Black, and Doug Bell alerted the Commission that the golf Course was in danger of closing within the next three weeks, due to lack of funds to continuing operating.
Morrow noted that the Golf Course was receiving Bingo resources until Sheriff Jonathan Benison cut off community distributions in May, 2023. Morrow indicated that there are no designated funds from the county for the Golf Course. “The county owns the Golf Course. It comes under county sponsored recreational activities, therefore the county should support it,” he stated.
The Greenes Committed stated that there are 22 members, contributing $40 per month, but it takes approximately $4,000 per month for utilities and upkeep. -
Greene County Commission approves implementation of $361,500 grant to Historical Society for repair of the inside of old Courthouse
At its regular monthly meeting on Monday, August 11, 2023, the Greene County Commission agreed to accept a plan for use of a $361,500 grant awarded by the Alabama Historical Commission for repairs to the interior of the historic old Courthouse, on the central square in Eutaw.
The grant was made to the Greene County Historical Society. The Courthouse building and square, apart from some of the buildings, has been leased to the Eutaw Area Chamber for maintenance and improvement. The Courthouse Square is part of the central business and administrative district for the City of Eutaw and Greene County.
The Chamber enlisted the support of the Greene County Historical Society to seek funding to restore the old Courthouse building, which housed offices on its first floor and a courtroom/community meeting room on the second floor. There are photographs in the new William M. Branch Courthouse of historic mass meetings held in the old courthouse when Black officials were elected to county offices in 1969 and 1970.
Lloyd Dawe, President of the Greene County Historical Society, said, “We met all three criteria for this grant, it was a government building built before 1840; it was involved in the civil rights movement of the 1960’s and it was listed on the National Register of Historic places.”
Dawe continued, “We asked for more funding than we received to fully renovate the inside of the old Courthouse. We plan to scrape, sand, and paint the interior, fix and reinforce the ceiling, plaster and stucco the walls, fix the windows and doors, redo the restrooms, and do other things necessary to make the building useable as a welcome center and community center for the county. We will need to raise more funds to complete the work and move from the first floor to rehabilitate the second floor as a community meeting room for the county.”Commissioner Garria Spencer pointed out that although the Commission has accepted the grant, they want to be informed in writing of all steps the Historical Society and Chamber of Commerce take in restoring the old Courthouse. “At our work session before the meeting, we made clear that we expect written reports to the Commission and our Legal Counsel as the work progresses,” said Spencer.
The Commission also granted the Greene County Historical Society permission to inspect the former Miles College Building for possible renovations and restoration work. Lloyd Dawe said, “The Miles College Building was established originally as the Mesopotamia Female Seminary in 1846 and was a post-secondary educational institution for white women, at a time when education and equal rights for women was not an accepted societal standard.”
The Commission owns the Miles College Building but has not used it since the college and other groups using the building moved in the early 2000’s.
The Commission approved a letter of support to ADECA for a grant to the Spectrum Southeast LLC for $7 million of state and federal funds to provide high speed broadband to rural communities in Greene County that currently lack service. Spectrum is the Internet Service Provider (ISP) that has expressed the greatest interest in bringing fiber optic cables for service to Greene County. ADECA is currently working on a plan to provide broadband services to underserved communities across the state, using federal and state funding.In other actions, the Greene County Commission:
• Approved a $168,786 bid from Central Alabama Asphalt and Construction for road building and improvement projects in the county.
• Approved a revised quote of $63,500 from the original of $55,000 to repair the roof on the William M. Branch Courthouse building.
• Approved a travel request from the Assistant Engineer to attend floodplain training; and the Board of Registrars to attend an October 5th election conference in Tuscaloosa.
• Approved a $62,069, 2023-24 Worker’s Compensation Self-Insurance Fund contract with the State Association of County Commissioners.
•Tabled a proposed Greene County Wastewater Ordinance, pending more information.
• Approved a travel policy which included an option for the traveler to either fly or accept vehicle mileage rates for a trip, based on Federal government reimbursement rates.
Mac Underwood, CFO presented the County financial report for August 2023, showing $8, 123,248 on deposit in Citizens Trust Bank, of which $2,615,487 is unrestricted; $4,038,760 in Merchants and Farmers Bank, of which $2,903,842 is unrestricted. There is also a Bond Sinking Fund of $887,902. A total of $666,206 was spent for claims in August and another $129,845 in electronic payments were made. Most of the departments are on budget as of the end of the month, which is the 11th month of the fiscal year. -
Greene County Commission names roads for Lester Brown and George Hall
At its regular meeting on January 9, 2023, the Greene County Commission approved naming County Road 191, connecting Union and Jena as the “Lester Brown Memorial Highway” to honor the deceased District 1 commissioner.
The Commission also named County Road 133 for George Hall, a former Sheriff and community leader. They also adopted a resolution honoring former Probate Judge Earlean Isaac and agreed to hang a picture of her in the county courtroom.
The Commission tabled a request to pave Savior Way in District 2, near the old Eatman School, until residents sign a resolution deeding their right of way property to the County for continued maintenance of the road.
The Commission approved a request from the County Engineer to apply for a $250,000 grant to repair a bridge on County Road 220. They also approved the Rebuild Alabama Report on on-going road and bridge improvements, supported with state funds.
The Commission also approved advertising for equipment operators for the Greene County Highway Department and for hiring an Engineer with EIT (Engineer in Training Certification). This certification ensures that the engineer has graduated from a properly accredited engineering college, has taken the first proficiency test, and is planning to take the examination to become a PE (Professional Engineer) in the future based on more practical experiences in the field.
The Commission agreed to purchase a full-page ad ($600) in the Black History issue of the Greene County Democrat. Commissioners Corey Cockrell and Roshonda Summerville abstained from voting on this motion.
Mac Underwood, CFO presented a financial report for the county finances as of December 31, 2023, three months into the 2022-23 fiscal year. His report indicated $6.4 million in accounts in Citizens Trust Bank, $4 million in Merchants and Farmers bank, and $874,897 in certificates for bond sinking funds.
He clarified that only a small proportion of the over $10 million in county funds was available for discretionary spending. Most of the funding is designated for specific purposes. The report shows a balance of $890,844 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, however, some of these funds have already been committed to projects.
The financial report also shows claims paid for the month of December 2022 at $1,487.928.10, which includes $476,975 for payroll, $774,949 for accounts payable, and $236,404 for fiduciary expenses. Expenditures for the General Fund are in line with the budget.