Greene County Democrat

Tag: Streetscape Project

  • 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.

  • County Commission approves budget for 2019-2020, with contingency; adopts resolution supporting Streetscape Project

    The Greene County Commission met in a called session on Wednesday, September 25, 2019 to consider action on the county’s budget for fiscal year 2019-2020, as well as action on the Streetscape Project, a collaborative with the City of Eutaw and the Greene County Industrial Development Authority.
    The commission approved the proposed budget with a contingency. The basic General Fund portion of the budget totals expenses in the amount of $2,695,758.78 and revenue in the amount of $2,472,190.96. The General Fund budget will be balanced with resources from carry-overs from previous year/s. Approximately $223,567.82 will be taken from the fund balance, added to revenue to balance the budget.
    Sheriff Jonathan Benison originally requested $2,062,875.20. The county’s expected resources in the general fund would only support $1,251,489.53 for the sheriff and jail, unless the sheriff provided the additional resources, which totaled $811,385.67.
    The county’s CFO, Paula Bird, explained that the contingency budget approved does total an additional $811,385.67 in revenue and expenditure for the Sheriff’s Department and the jail, however, the contingency resources must be provided by the Sheriff’s bingo income and will be allocated toward his department’s budget expenditures.
    The Commissioners approving the General Fund budget with the contingency budget included Tennyson Smith, Lester Brown and Allen Turner, Jr. Commissioners Corey Cockrell and Roshanda Summerville voted against the same.
    CFO Bird stated that the contingency fund will be considered in the financial report as other sources and uses. She explained that the sheriff will be billed on a monthly basis for a portion of the contingency fund based on the percent of year completed.

    The county’s General Fund Departmental Budget for expenditures, without the contingency component, is itemized as follows: Commission – $488,448.50; Court – $15,670; Youth Services – $1,800; Probate Judge – $254,845.36; Revenue Commissioner – $203,282.14; Election – $86,468.25; Board of Registrars – $65,964; Maintenance – $193,143.40; Sheriff – $686,324.83; Jail – $565,164.70; EMA/Homeland Security – $48,943.10; Coroner – $31,384.50; E911 – $30,000; Library – $20,320; Agency BOE – $4,000.
    The county’s total expected revenue for the fiscal year is $7,583,539.39. The revenue sources include the General Fund – $2,472,190.96; Gasoline Fund – $2,699,817; Road & Bridge – $650,000; Highway & Traffic -$36,300; Capitol Improvement – $195,000; RRR Gas Tax – $882,830; Appraisal – $283,661.43; Solid Waste – $343,500; Sr. Citizen Fund – $15,960; Indigent Fund – $3,200; Motor Vehicle Training – $360; Motor Vehicle Tech – $720; The approved contingency fund is not included in this figure.
    CFO Bird stated that the Commission allocates approximately 51% of the county’s general fund revenue to the Sheriff Department and the jail. “This is a practice, a tradition only, which occurs in most comparable counties in Alabama,” she noted. “In the past, the Commission has worked with me to come up with an operating budget that allows the county to have a surplus fund balance,” Bird said.

    Streetscape Project

    The County Commission approved a resolution supporting the Streetscape Project in conjunction with the City of Eutaw and the Greene County Industrial Development Authority, committing $70,000 to the project, which is in addition to the $10,000 previously paid by the county for engineering services on a related project. The Streetscape Project, provided with federal funds from the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP), administrated through the State of Alabama, will address the outer sidewalks around the Courthouse Square and street light in Eutaw. The estimated federal funds for the project are $640,000; estimated city funds, including the collaborative partners, are $160,000, with basic project cost at $800,000, which does not include engineering costs. The three collaborating agencies are paying the engineering costs as part of the local matching requirement. According to the contractual agreement with the state, this is also a cost reimbursement program and no federal funds will be provided to the city prior to accomplishment of the work for which it is requested.