The Perry County Commission held a contentious meeting Tuesday night with a new chairman at the helm and repeated financial concerns.
Commissioner Carlton Lewis, who was named chairman at the last meeting over longtime leader Albert Turner Jr., ran into challenges throughout the meeting, starting with confusion over amounts in multiple bank accounts and the ability to make payroll.
After removing Turner from the accounts at the previous meeting, Lewis and Vice Chairman James Long visited the county’s banks to update signature cards and said they discovered that the general fund held only $11,869.94. The special payroll account, which is used to make payroll, held just $42,209.44.
Lewis called it “alarming” and said the county has too many accounts at multiple banks, adding the commission needs a regular update on amounts in each one.
“There was rumor about payroll not being able to be made, but we will make payroll,” Lewis said.
Turner insisted the accounts were functioning as intended and the balances were normal for payroll accounts that receive deposits from multiple agencies. He said the county had never missed payroll under his leadership and argued that the new chairman was overstating the problem.
“You are not going to see (hundreds of thousands of dollars) in a general fund account,” Turner said. “They are moving and making payroll as payroll comes by moving money into various accounts.”
The meeting also included a tense debate over use of county vehicles. The commission voted that commissioners would no longer be allowed to use county vehicles for personal or routine travel. Turner objected, saying commissioners have long used vehicles to inspect roads and respond to constituent concerns, but Lewis said the county’s financial condition required tighter controls and that the policy would apply to everyone.
Tensions escalated once again when Chairman Lewis told the commission that Commissioner Long had rescinded his motion from the last meeting to approve the roofing contract for the Barnett-King Center. Long rescinded his motion because there is question about the legality of the company chosen by Turner to do the work, Yellowhammer SPF Installation Services. Perry County officials say Alabama Secretary of State Business Entities Division has no record of the company. There is a company of that name doing business in Montgomery.
The commission also heard another update on the closed Perry County Jail. Engineers told commissioners that the jail’s electrical and control systems are more than 20 years old and that replacement parts are hard to find. They recommended the county invest in a new system. Turner said the county shouldn’t proceed without a full cost estimate.
Despite the heated exchanges, the meeting was noticeably more orderly than recent sessions. Commissioners spoke one at a time, motions were clearly stated, and the agenda moved without the repeated interruptions that had marked earlier meetings. Even Turner acknowledged at one point that the discussion needed to stay focused. Lewis said he plans to give commissioners financial updates every three months so that “everyone will know what we are dealing with.”
The meeting closed with the commission approving updated qualifications for the county administrator job and adjusting the interim administrator’s pay.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.