Greene County Democrat

Tag: Tracey Hunter

  • Eutaw City Council receives positive financial news; approves funding for August 26 municipal election, begins absentee voting

    Special to the Democrat by John Zippert,
    Co-Publisher

    This is a report of the two regular Eutaw City Council meetings on July 8 and 22, 2025. Mayor Latasha Johnson and all five City Council members were present except Valarie Watkins at the July 8 meeting and Tracey Hunter at the July 22 meeting.
    At the July 22nd meeting the Eutaw City Council received positive financial news from Ralph Liverman, Financial Advisor, who submitted a financial report for the nine months of the fiscal year from October 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025.
    Liverman pointed out that the City of Eutaw had repaid all but two payments on a $500,000 loan from Merchants and Farmers Bank taken out in 2021, with a 3.5% interest rate, to purchase new equipment to maintain streets in the city. The remaining payments of $22,338.16 will be made by September 15, 2025.
    This fulfills a promise made by Mayor Johnson for responsible handling of the financial affairs of the city, by paying off this needed loan during her first term in office. Liverman indicates that this will free up $134,028 of funds for use in the General Fund, for the new annual budget for 2025-26. This additional funding may help the city get other needed equipment and staff to repair potholes, culverts and other street problems.
    A second piece of good news was a report from Liverman of General Fund Revenue and Expenses for 9 months of the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Liverman states in his report, “ As of June 30, 2025, you should have collected at least 75% of the budgeted revenues for the fiscal year, and your expenditures should not exceed 75% of the budgeted amount.”
    “As of June 30, 2025, you have collected 97% of budgeted revenues. It is obvious that you will exceed the budgeted projection for revenues.

    All of your major revenue sources such as property tax, franchise tax, sales tax, and privilege licenses have or should exceed 100% of budgeted amounts.”
    “General Fund Expenditures are running at 78% of budgeted amounts, but most of your single payment items (such as insurance) have been paid. Unless some major event happens, you should end your fiscal year with a surplus in the General Fund.”
    These reports were in the council member’s meeting packets but were not analyzed and discussed by the members in the public meeting. This was strange to me, as a reporter who regularly covers Council meetings, since the Council professes great concern about its powers to oversee and approve city finances. In fact, the Council has used limited finances to justify rejecting the Mayor Johnson’s requests to buy a new tractor and mowers, increase staff and staff pay, even rejecting some trips for city staff to travel to training, as part of their supervision of finances.
    There was another example of this strict financial supervision at the start of the July 22nd meeting. The Mayor asked to add payment to two contractors for grass cutting at the Mesopotamia and Clarence Thomas cemeteries. Councilman Woodruff objected to considering payment of this item until he and the Council received more information justifying this expense. Mayor Johnson said the grass in the cemeteries needed cutting and this expense was in the budget, so as part of her day-to-day authority she had the grass cut. Woodruff’s motion initially prevailed to block payment for the cemeteries to two separate contractors. However, at the end of the meeting, the Council approved payment of bills including grass cutting at the cemeteries.
    At the July 22nd meeting, the Council approved a resolution (No. 2025-8) providing $25,000 for expenses in holding the municipal election on August 26, 2025. It also approved several changes in election poll officials.

    Absentee Voting in Municipal Election is Underway

    Joe Powell, Assistant Election Manager announced that Absentee Voting is underway. Voters can come to the City Hall on Monday to Wednesday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM and Thursday and Friday from 8:00 AM to Noon, to request an absentee ballot for someone who is homebound. Voters can also walk-in and request an absentee ballot, if they are not going to be in town on election day to vote, and vote right then. August 19 is the deadline for requesting an absentee ballot to vote by mail. August 21 is the last day to walk-in and vote absentee.
    Powell said, “We are following instructions from the Alabama Secretary of State on the rules for absentee balloting. You can go to this website to see the rules and apply for an absentee ballot, without coming to City Hall to vote by mail in this election, if that is your preference. Be aware that you will need a copy of your driver’s license, or acceptable state ID, to get an absentee ballot and vote in this election.”
    In other actions, the Eutaw City Council:
    • Approved Resolution No. 2025-9 for Weather Preparedness Tax Holiday for February 20-22, 2026.
    • Approved travel for City Attorney Zane Willingham and City Judge Joshua Swords to attend annual Municipal Law Conferences.
    • Approved payment of claim of $89 for Christopher Branch.
    • Approved recommendation from Zane Willingham on Planning Commission rezoning.
    • Approved payment of $1,976 for annual dues to the Alabama League of Municipalities
    • Approved payment of $952 for annual dues to National League of Cities.
    • Approved payment of bills, including grass cutting in the cemeteries.

    Mayor Johnson announced that a public hearing would be held in August concerning sidewalks and a traffic roundabout at the intersection of Highway14 and Highway 43. The date will be announced later.
    Chief of Police Johnson announced Police Night Out will be held September 9 at 5:00 PM at Carver School to improve community relations.
    Danny Cooper announced that the Eutaw Area Chamber of Commerce was sponsoring a political forum for all candidates in the municipal election on Saturday, August 2, 2025, at the Courthouse Square starting at 10:00 AM.

  • Eutaw City Council meets Jan. 9th, hears from CPA, engineers, and others

    The Eutaw City Council held its first meeting of the new year on January 9, 2024. The mayor and all council members, including newly appointed District 2 member, Jonathan Woodruff were in attendance.

    The Eutaw City Council heard a report from Rick Harbin, its Certified Public Accountant on the status of the audit for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022. Harbin passed out and read from a draft report and collected the reports after his presentation.

    Harbin said he was still refining the numbers and would have a full report with an opinion on the city finances by the end of the month. He went over the major findings including that the city had total assets of $12.9 million dollars. Complete details will be available when the official report is released. Harbin said some of the delay was caused by the city switching to a new accounting system and some was based on personal family emergencies that required his attention.

    Harbin said once the 2022 fiscal year audit was issued, he planned to move ahead with the 2023 fiscal year report, which will go more smoothly.
    Mayor Latasha Johnson said the audits were needed to apply for grants to assist and improve the city facilities. Angela Henline, the city’s engineer for the water and sewer project supported this saying she needed to report to ADEM, when the audit would be ready to be able to apply for continuing grants on the city water and sewer improvement projects that she is supervising.

    The Council approved a Proclamation naming January as Human Trafficking Awareness Month in the city. The proclamation highlights the importance of citizen awareness of the problem in helping to resolve it.

    The Council approved an agreement with the Sixth Day Saddle Club for using parts of the Lock 7 City Park for horse rides, trail rides and horse shows.

    At the request of City Police Chief, Tommy Johnson, the Council approve purchase of a police dog for the city for $23,000. The Chief has raised $20,000 for the dog from the public and was asking the Council for the additional $3,000 needed to acquire the dog. The dog will be able to do search and rescue operations for people lost around the city, as well as drug enforcement during traffic stops or when asked by the school system or others to investigate for drugs.

    The Council chose Tracey Hunter, District 3 Councilmember, to be Mayor  Pro Temp, to assume the duties of the mayor, in the case of  her absence.  Hunter was unopposed for the position.

    Assistant Clerk, Joe Powell opened bids for the sale of the city owned, but inoperable, Greyhound bus, which is parked behind the National Guard Armory. LA Transportation offered $2,500 and Cliff Taylor offered $2,700 for the bus. The council awarded the bid to Taylor.

    The Council agreed to a Work Session on January 22 at 4:00 PM to review and discuss a property rental policy for city facilities, like the Robert H. Young Community Center and the National Guard Armory. The council agreed to rescind charges for using exercise equipment that had been donated to the city for use by residents to improve their health and wellbeing.

    The Council approved a plan for the Rebuild Alabama Funds that it receives for road and bridge improvement. There is not enough money to do all the needed projects but the plan lists and prioritizes work on the most needed project.

    Angela Henline, engineer for the city’s water and sewer improvement project made a report on current work underway and requested approval for the next set of projects, which was approved by the council. This included awarding of contracts for pump station improvements and upgrading the Lower Gainesville Road Force Main.

    Mr. Ralph Liverman, City Financial Advisor gave the Council five reports on financial issues and bank balances, one of the reports on the lack of income from rental of city owned properties will be discussed at the upcoming work session.

    The Council approved liquor licenses for the sale of beer and wine at Eutaw Station Inc. (formerly One Stop) on Highway 43 and or a new Dollar General Market, that is being built on Highway 43.

    The Council approved paying of bills and tabled a $500 claim for damage, by the Eutaw Fire Department, to a mailbox and basketball goal for ReShonda Daniels.

    District 5 Council member, Jacqueline Stewart, who works at the Love’s Travel Center said they were interested in stronger security on weekends and wanted help from the Eutaw Police Department. The Mayor and the Chief agreed to meet with Love’s and see what could be worked out, similar to efforts made with Rock Tenn.

    In the public comments, Siegfried Williams, Pastor of the Freedom Rock Church, renewed his request to purchase five acres from the city as a site for the church and community center. The city is conducting an appraisal of its properties to determine a fair market price.

  • Eutaw City Council meets on Nov. 28, 2023 opens bids for restroom repairs

    The Eutaw City Council met for its regular second meeting of the month on Tuesday, November 28, 2023. The Mayor and four council members: Jacqueline Stewart, Tracey Hunter, Valerie Watkins, and Larrie Coleman, were present.

    Joe Powell, Assistant City Clerk, opened bids for repair of two rest rooms at the Robert H. Young Community Center (former Carver School).
    There were two bids, and the Council awarded the bid to M&H Construction Company for $17,500. He also opened bids for repair of one rest room at the National Guard Armory. M&H Construction was again the low bidder at $7,500 for this work.

    The Council asked the Mayor and staff to carefully check the bonding and insurance qualifications of the low bidder to make sure they were in compliance with the bid requirements and specifications before award the bids.

    The Council also approved advertising for sale of a used Greyhound bus using the city’s website, to determine if there is any interest in purchasing this surplus item.

    The Council tabled a sale of land on Boligee Street to the Greene County Commission, for construction of a water park. There were questions about the nature of the proposed water park and the inclusion of a redemption clause in the sale if the project is not built within a reasonable period of time.

    An offer of $6,000 from Freedom Rock Church to purchase four acres of city owned land, was rejected by the Council for being below the fair market value of the land. The church proposed to purchase land on the Lock 7 Road, near the City Park, for construction of a church and community building. The Mayor said, “We are supportive of building the church and community facilities, but we want them to pay a fair price We will try to get an appraisal to show the fair market value of the land.”

    The Council, which has vacated the District 2 seat of LaJeffrey Carpenter, agreed that December 6 was the deadline for residents of the district to send a letter of interest in the position; and that the Council will interview applicants on December 11 for the position, so an appointment can be made, and the position filled at the December 12 next regular meeting of the Council.

    The Council received several financial reports from Financial Adviser Ralph Liverman on the status of city bank accounts. They also voted to pay bills that had been processed by staff for payment.

    In the public comments section, there were several comments from residents, including Faye Tyree and Vivian Carpenter that the City of Eutaw was not moving forward as quickly as they wished.