The Greene County Democrat

Tag: Greene County Commission

  • Greene County Commission Files Suit to Recover Nearly $5 Million in Bingo Funds Identified by State Examiners

    Greene County Commission Files Suit to Recover Nearly $5 Million in Bingo Funds Identified by State Examiners

    Office of The Greene County Commissioners

    Action seeks return of public money for emergency medical services and other lawful public purposes after State collection efforts stalled

    EUTAW, Ala. — September 29, 2026 — The Greene County Commission announced today that it has filed a lawsuit in the Circuit Court of Greene County seeking to recover $4,966,427.69 in public funds that the Alabama Department of Examiners of Public Accounts determined were disbursed from the Greene County Bingo Fund by the Office of the Sheriff without adequate supporting documentation or for purposes not authorized by the Constitution of Alabama. The suit,  Greene County v. Benison, Case No. CV-2026-900059, names Sheriff Jonathan “Joe” Benison and the surety on his official bond. 

    The lawsuit is based on Examiners’ Report No. 25-560, a public record filed October 3, 2025,  covering the period October 1, 2018 through April 30, 2024. Following that examination and a  show-cause proceeding, the Chief Examiner of Public Accounts entered an order on September  17, 2025 fixing the unpaid charges at $4,966,427.69 and certified them to the Attorney General  and the District Attorney for collection under Alabama law. The report found, among other things,  more than $3.1 million in payments made directly to employees in addition to their county-paid  salaries, and more than $2.1 million in Bingo Fund disbursements —including nearly $1.2 million  to consultants and attorneys — for which adequate documentation was not provided. The report  also found that the Sheriff’s use of bingo assessments for salary supplements and other law enforcement expenses did not comply with the constitutional amendment that authorizes bingo in  Greene County. 

    Nearly a year has passed since those charges were certified. No collection action has been filed.  On July 6, 2026, the County Attorney wrote to the Attorney General and the District Attorney asking for a status report and explaining the urgency created by the financial condition of Greene  County Emergency Medical Services. That letter has not been answered. 

    “The State’s own examiners did their job. They found the money, they fixed the amount, and they certified it for collection,” said Garyia Spencer, Chair of the Greene County Commission. “We waited. We asked. We have heard nothing. The Commission has a duty to the people of this county  to protect public money, and we are not going to let nearly five million dollars sit unaccounted for  while our ambulances go unfunded. If the State will not collect it, Greene County will.” 

    The bingo assessments at issue were collected from bingo operators in Greene County under rules issued by the Sheriff, which state that the money is to be used to benefit the public welfare of the citizens of Greene County. Historically, those funds have supported the County Commission, the municipalities, the school system, the Health System, and emergency services. In July 2026,  Greene County EMS was forced to suspend ambulance transports for lack of funds; service was  restored only through emergency assistance and private donations. 

    The complaint asks the Court to declare that the Bingo Fund is public money held for the benefit of Greene County and its citizens; to order the Sheriff to pay the certified charges; to prohibit further spending of bingo assessments for purposes the Constitution does not permit; to require a full accounting of the Bingo Fund; and to recover on the Sheriff’s official bond, which under  Alabama law is payable to the county treasury. The Commission has asked that any funds  recovered be placed in a segregated account under the Court’s supervision and used only for lawful  public purposes, including emergency medical services, public health, public education, and the  municipalities of Greene County. The Commission is also seeking recovery of its attorneys’ fees  so that the cost of the litigation is not borne by taxpayers. 

    “This is not about one office or one official. It is about whether public money in Greene County will be spent the way the Constitution allows,” said Chairman Spencer. “We would welcome the  Attorney General and the District Attorney joining this effort. Until they do, the Commission will  carry it.” 

    The Commission emphasized that the lawsuit seeks recovery of funds, not the disruption of law  enforcement, and that the County will continue to fund the Sheriff’s Office and the county jail as required by law. The allegations in the complaint are based on the public findings of the  Department of Examiners of Public Accounts. 

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    About the Greene County Commission 

    The Greene County Commission is the governing body of Greene County, Alabama, responsible  for the County’s budget, roads, facilities, and general administration, and for safeguarding the  public funds entrusted to the County on behalf of its citizens.

  • Commissioners discuss solid waste management fees and SRO agreement

    Commissioners discuss solid waste management fees and SRO agreement

    By Maya Quinn, editor

    The County Commission met in a called meeting on Monday, September 21st, to further discuss budget items for the upcoming year, namely solid waste management and school resource officers.

    The solid waste department is currently operating at a deficit and aims to become self-sufficient. Assistant Engineer Calvin Culliver has been working tirelessly to balance the department’s budget so that they are self sufficient. After reviewing the rates of surrounding counties, the department has concluded that raising the rates is necessary to continue operations. Culliver discussed the improved budgets with an eventual rate of $29.00 per month, but asked for the commission to enforce it in increments. The commissioners voted to raise rates to $25.00 per month starting January 1st. They did not confirm if or when the rate would be increased again.

    The county also approved the School Resource Officer (SRO) Contract with the Greene County School District. The contract ensures SROs will be supplied to the school district to communicate with the principals regarding law enforcement matters. The Sheriff is tasked with assigning six deputy sheriffs to the school district as follows: two SROs at Greene County High School, one SRO at Robert Brown Middle School that is available to float to other schools as needed, one SRO at the Greene County Learning Center, and one SRO at Eutaw Primary School. During the term of this agreement, the District must maintain funding levels to supply base pay, equipment, and fuel as determined by the Sheriff.

    The County Commission’s next work session is scheduled for Wednesday, October 7th at 5:00 pm. Please contact the commissioner’s office to be added to the work session agenda.

    Featured Image: Assistant Engineer Calvin Culliver presenting a solid waste proposal to the count commission