Greene County Democrat

Tag: Marilyn Culliver. Attorney Parnell

  • Greene Co. Commission approves joining lawsuit on Simplified Seller Use Tax (SSUT) litigation

    In a special called meeting on November 20, 2025, the Greene County Commission voted 5-0 to intervene in a lawsuit filed by the City of Tuscaloosa, the Tuscaloosa City Schools, and the City of Mountain Brook against the Alabama Department of Revenue, concerning revenues from the Simplified Seller Use Tax (SSUT).
    County Attorney Mark Parnell recommended to the Commission that they join this lawsuit in conjunction with the Alabama Association of County Commissioners. This will make sure Greene County gets a fair share of the flat 8% simplified seller use tax (SSUT) currently being levied on out of state shippers into Alabama.
    The lawsuit seeks to deal with loopholes in the law that provide some delivery services, based out of state, like Door-Dash and Instacart, to receive special savings not available to local retailers. The lawsuit would more equitably distribute the proceeds of this seller use tax to rural counties and city jurisdictions as the revenues from Internet purchasers grows.
    The Montgomery Circuit Judge hearing the case set December 10, 2025, as the deadline for other interested parties to join this litigation. This deadline is very close to the Greene County Commission’s next regular meeting date, which necessitated a special called meeting to allow Greene County to join the case.
    The Commission also accepted the resignation of the current Greenthumb Development Board member from District 4 and appointed Para Davis to this position at the recommendation of Commissioner Allen Turner Jr. The Greenthumb board is considering ways to help finance a medical marijuana operation in the Knoxville community of Greene County.
    The Commission also voted to spend up to $1,500 on shirts and other apparel for Commission members and staff which would help identify them as members of a team serving the county.
    In lieu of an Executive Session, Attorney Parnell reported that he was continuing negotiations and communications with Mr. Gomez, concerning his non-compliance with a lease on the former Greenetrack building, owned by the County. Gomez has not fulfilled his commitments under the lease and is now out of compliance and in danger of losing the lease.

  • Commission approves CD investments with Merchants & Farmers Bank

    County Commission and School Board to determine status of ad valorem tax for schools

    The Greene County Commission met in regular session, Tuesday, October 14, 2025 with all Commissioners present. The October meeting was scheduled for the second Tuesday, since the second Monday was National Indigenous Peoples Day, a holiday observed by Greene County.
    At the Commission’s work session, held Wednesday, October 8, Ms. Marquita Lennon, CSFO of the Greene County Board of Education, presented a request for renewal of an ad valorem tax for the school system. Ms. Lennon indicated that the milage tax would expire in 2026 and the procedure for renewal required action from the county. This was an agenda item for the October 14 meeting, at which time Attorney Mark Parnell stated that according to his research, the milage tax was not scheduled to expire in 2026 because it was attached to a bond. Commission Chairperson, Garria Spencer, recommended that the Attorneys for the county and the school board communicate and bring clarity to the issue by the next commission meeting.
    The Commission approved a recommendation by Ms. Altheria Wilder, CFO for Greene County Commission, that CD investments, currently at Pinnacle Bank in Birmingham and scheduled to expire, be transferred to Merchants & Farmers Bank for better interest rates. She noted that Pinnacle offered 3.5 interest rate; Merchant &b Farmers offered seven month CD investment at 4.5 and 13 month CD investment at 4.25. The total CD investments approximately $625,000.
    In other business the Commission acted on the following items.
    * Approved hiring grant writer, Marilyn Culliver. Attorney Parnell will prepare contract.
    * Approved painting the Activity Center.
    * Advised staff to follow-up on replacing doors and glass at Activity Center.
    Approved the School Resource Officers contract.
    Approved the Supplement Agreement with Sheriff Benison, regarding the sheriff’s payment to the county for additional employees in his department.
    Approved the SSUT Resolution – Alabama Simplified Users Tax.
    The Commission approved various board appointments and re-appointments.
    Commissioner Corey Cockrell recommended the following persons from District 3:
    Ms. Shirley Edwards re-appointed to the Hospital Board; Ms. Kimberly Tyree appointed to the Greenthumb Board; Ms. DeCharo Rice appointed to the PARA Board; Ms. Vivian Carpenter appointed to the DHR Board.
    At Commissioner Tennyson Smith’s request, the Greenthumb board position for District 2 was tabled, as well as Commissioner Roshanda Summerville’s DHR board position for District 5.
    At the request of Commissioner Smith, Ms. Geraldine Walton was appointed to the Greene County Mental Health Board.
    The financial snapshot for the period ending September 30, 2025: General fund claims paid totaled $861,905.62; Payroll Transfer total $299,112.48; Fiduciary totaled $38,079.45. Electronic Claims paid August 2025 totaled $94,482.87. Citizen Trust Bank unrestricted funds totaled $1,098,587.31; restricted funds totaled $4,485,946.84. Merchant & Farmers Bank unrestricted funds totaled $2,015,221.86; restricted funds totaled $2,799,038.82. CD investments totaled $1,901.457.80.
    In the Public Comment session of the meeting, Mr. Michael Williams, former Greene County Commissioner, gave an emotional reaction to the current State Audit of the Greene County Sheriff’s operations. Williams emphasized that the nearly $5 million the State Examiners of Public Accounts reported has no documentation and must be refunded by Sheriff Benison could have been used to support local services such as the hospital, school system, fire departments, emergency services and others. He asked Greene County residents to sign a petition which will be sent to the Alabama Attorney General’s office for legal action.
    Commission Chair Spencer and Attorney Parnell emphasized that the recent State Audit Report involves only Sheriff Benison’s operations; the audit has nothing to do with the County Commission’s operations.