Greene County Democrat

Tag: Chair of the Greene County Commission

  • Greene County Commission provides $240,000 in assistance to the Greene County Health System

    By John Zippert, Co-Publisher and Editor

    In a special meeting on October 23, 2025, the Greene County Commission approved a loan/grant combination of $240,000 in financial assistance to the Greene County Health System (GCHS), which includes the hospital, nursing home and physician’s clinic.
    The healthcare system has been challenged by many financial problems over the past decade. The monthly revenues have not been sufficient to cover all expenses of the GCHS, for the past three years. “We have had to juggle bills for a while to keep operating and we have come to the end of the line. An IRS lien at the beginning of September took all our reserves and some funds we were holding to pay other bills. Last week, Blue Cross-Blue Shield, which provides health insurance for our employees cancelled our policy saying we owed $60,000 for two months – September and October,” said Dr. Marcia Pugh, GCHS Administrator.
    The income of the GCHS has been also affected by low reimbursement rates from Medicaid, Medicare and private insurance. The failure of the State of Alabama to expand Medicaid to persons making less that 135% of poverty level income, has resulted in 40% of the people in Greene County, most who are working at low wages, not to have any health insurance coverage. This has meant that the facilities of GCHS giving increasing “uncompensated care”, which adds to the facilities operating deficits. The uncertainty of the impact of future cuts in Medicaid, Medicare and other health care benefits casts a shadow over the future financial progress of the organization.
    John Zippert, Board Chair of the GCHS requested that Garria Spencer, Chair of the Greene County Commission consider advancing to the healthcare system $100,000 from the 4 mil advalorem, property tax funds , that the county collects for the hospital. Taxpayers are starting to pay their 2025 property taxes as of October 1, 2025, and will pay over the next four months. Spencer checked with the County’s Legal Counsel and called the special meeting for the Commission to discuss and act on the request.
    The Commission approved the $100,000 advance to be used to pay Blue Cross-Blue Shield to reinstate the employee health insurance and to pay other bills, including payroll. The Commission also approved transferring $40,000 of Opioid Lawsuit Settlement funds to the GCHS. At the suggestion of Commissioner Tennyson Smith, the Commission also approved granting $100,000 to GCHS from the Commission’s Bingo Funds. That resolution was amended by Commissioner Roshanda Summerville for $50,000 to be used for an audit and the remaining $50,000 to pay other bills, when the GCHS presents a list of bills owed. Commissioner Allen Turner urged the GCHS Board of Directors to seek funding from the sheriff, municipalities, and other groups receiving funds from gaming.
    John Zippert, GCHS Board Chair thanked the Commission for its support and said that the healthcare system might have to come back for additional help depending on the finances of the organization. Zippert explained that GCHS has a short-range financial plan and a longer-range plan that it was working to implement.
    The GCHS currently has a loan/bond financing arrangement with Citizens Trust Bank to pay off bills and debts that accumulated over a dozen years ago. This bond issue matures in 2027 but should have accumulated reserves to pay off the bonds early. The healthcare system looks to make a new loan/bond issue, with the support of the County Commission, to pay off over $2million of current debts. The bonds are backed by a one cent of the 3 cents sales tax that the County Commission receives each month. The County Commission pays the sales tax funds to the bank to service the secure bridge loans to keep operating until supplied the assurance necessary to the bank and the bondholders that they will be paid.
    Along with a new bond issue, the GCHS Board is looking to find other sources of new revenue for the health system. This includes a new Alabama Rural Hospital Investment Fund (RHIF), which can make grants for operational costs to qualified rural hospitals. The grant will be contingent on hospitals raising money from individuals and corporations willing to pay into the RHIF, in lieu of paying state income taxes. Another source will be the five-year, $50 billion fund for rural hospitals, in Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’. Federal regulations are still being developed for the dispersal of these funds. The GCHS also proposes to increase usage of the facilities which will increase revenues. Currently there are 38 residents in the Greene County Nursing Home, and they have 72 beds which potentially could be filled.
    The GCHS plans call for securing the new bond issue by the end of this calendar year. In the meantime, the short-range plan calls for bridge loans to help the facility remain open and operating to serve county residents. The plan also includes asking creditors for patience until the longer-range plan goes into effect to receive the funds they are owed.
    The GCHS Board of Directors, which is appointed by the County Commission, has vowed to keep the hospital, nursing home and clinic open and operating, no matter what it takes.

  • People in Greene County protest the actions of Trump-Vance-Musk in their first 75 days in office

    On Saturday, April 5, 2025, 30 people from Greene County held a picket line and rally at the Eutaw, Alabama Post Office , from 10:00 AM to Noon to as part of the national “Hands Off” protest against the actions of the Trump-Vance- Musk regime in their first 75 days in office.
    The people of Eutaw and Greene County were protesting and resisting the actions of Trump-Vance-Musk in firing Federal workers, destroying Federal agencies, e.g., USAID, CFPB, Department of Education; proposing budget cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, Food Stamps and other programs that help poor people, while giving tax cuts to the wealthy; and re-writing the history and contributions of Black people to our nation in the name of ending civil rights, voting rights and “diversity, equity and inclusion” (DEI).
    Carrying signs that said, Trump Hands Off Social Security, Trump Hands Off Medicare, Trump Hands Off Medicaid, Trump Hands Off Food Stamps and Food Banks, Trump-Vance-Musk Hand Off our Museums and National Parks, Trump-Vance-Musk No Tax Cuts for the Rich on the Backs of the Working People and the Poor, the protestors walked on the sidewalk at the front of the U. S. Post Office, the only Federal Building in Eutaw.
    Garria Spencer, Chair of the Greene County Commission, said “The people of Greene County need to wake up and protest and resist the illegal and immoral acts of the Trump, Vance and Musk regime. If we don’t stand up and speak up now the leaders in Washington will cut our benefits and programs to give tax cuts to the rich and well connected.”
    Mayor Latasha Johnson of the City of Eutaw, said “ I am glad to be here protesting against Trump who is taking away all our rights and programs. Small rural places like Eutaw will be hurt if all these cutbacks go through. We all need to stand up now or we will be sorry later.”
    Spiver Gordon of the Alabama Civil Rights Museum, said “Trump, Vance and Musk are trying to erase Black history and the contributions of Black people during and after slavery to our nation. That doesn’t seem like making things great – it seems like going backwards.”
    Carol P. Zippert, Democrat Co-Publisher said, “ I am especially disturbed by the impact of these authoritarian steps taken by Trump, Vance and Musk to hurt our children by dismantling the Department of Education, cutting back on school lunches, banning books in libraries, cutting healthcare for children and mothers. If you were not able to join us this time, I am sure we will be voicing our resistance again soon, so I hope you will come next time to show the opposition to trump is growing.”
    John Zippert, Democrat Co-Publisher, said “We joined millions of people across America and the World, in big and small places, in bearing witness to the illegal and unjust actions of Trump-Vance-Musk in trying to end our national progress toward fairness , social change and democracy for all people.

  • Tuesday, Oct. 17 at Greene County High School Community-wide kickoff to be held for AIDT Mobile Training Unit to prepare Greene County residents for employment

    Greene County and West Alabama Works are hosting an AIDT Mobile Training Unit at Greene County High School/Greene County Career Center, located at 14223 U.S. Highway 11 South in Eutaw, Alabama.
    The mobile unit will be available to community members for the next 3 months for the purposes of holding Ready-to-Work (RTW) job preparation classes, resume building, GED classes, computer classes, and C.N.A. certification.
    A kick-off, open to the public, is to be held Tuesday, October 17, 2017 from 6-7:30 PM at the high school. The kick-off is designed to educate the community beyond high school and enable community members to qualify for available career opportunities.
    The Region 3 Workforce Development Council, in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama, formed West Alabama Works to lead workforce development efforts throughout West Alabama. The regional workforce development system facilitates and implements a comprehensive, coordinated, seamless workforce development system for the region and supports workforce training activities
    In the development of this mobile training unit, West Alabama Works is partnering with the University of West Alabama, Greene County Industrial Development Authority, Greene County Board of Education, Greene County Commission, Shelton State Community College, and AIDT to meet community needs. As Gary Nichols, Chairman of the West Alabama Works Steering Committee notes, “This will help individuals in the region prepare for new and existing job opportunities. We’re here to generate meaningful results.”
    Tennyson Smith, Chair of the Greene County Commission said, “The Commission is pleased to support this workforce effort to provide greater employment opportunities to Greene County residents.”

    Danny Cooper, Chair of the Greene County IDA, stated, “ We are very supportive of this West Alabama Works program which will assess the skills and qualifications of Greene County citizens. It will help them to better prepare for employment opportunities to be developed in our communities and for jobs that are currently available in our wider area.”
    Area employers are looking to hire individuals who have successfully completed the Ready-to-Work curriculum, as it proves individuals have mastered essential soft skills for workplace success and have a skill level desirable to business and industry.
    Donny Jones, Chief Operating Officer for the Chamber and Director of West Alabama Works commented, “Ready to Work programs are part of our efforts in connecting residents with high demand employment opportunities and training that will revitalize local communities. Not only will this assist people in becoming more employable, this project will enable us to fill workforce needs in rapidly advancing sectors.”
    To pre-register, call 205-372-9974. Commitment to attend classes is required of participants.