Selma City Council lifts $1 spending limit on mayor, citizens request public records

Selma Mayor Johnny Moss III can now sign contracts of up to $5,000 without the city council’s permission, but he would like the limit to be higher.

At their Nov. 25 meeting, the Selma City Council voted to rescind a $1 spending limit they placed on former Mayor James Perkins Jr. in the last weeks of his administration. Pulling the $1 limit means that new Mayor Johnny Moss III can enter into contracts for up to $5,000, a limit set by the council in 2017 when Darrio Melton was mayor.

Moss asked the city council at their work session on Nov. 25 to let him sign contracts of up to $15,000. He said costs, especially for repairs of major equipment, are often more than $5,000, and having to get the city council’s approval delays getting the work done.

Councilman Clay Carmichael agreed that prices have soared since 2017, but he and other council members said that it’s the council’s job to approve all contracts.

“If we allow $15,000, we may as well open all of it,” Councilperson Christie Young said. “If we’re not looking at contracts, there’s no justification for us to be up here.”

But there may be some room for compromise if the action is paying a bill rather than entering into a contract. Moss told the council he would study the issue and bring it back to them at a later meeting.

More from this section

Big dreams for Palestinian teens at Singapore robot fest

OPEC+ likely to maintain current output levels

UK's Farage under pressure over teenage racism allegations

Moss said he will also bring the council information about garbage collection and hiring a new treasurer, a fire chief and a part-time city attorney.

At their next meeting, the city council is also expected to consider new rental fees for city facilities and a system that would allow citizens to pay fines and court fees with a credit card. The city court now only accepts money orders.

The council is addressing a long-standing flooding problem on Kingsley Drive.

Anna Anderson of SABRA Sanctuary asked the council to restore their funding to $15,000. The shelter for survivors of domestic violence and sexual violence is budgeted to receive $5,000 from the city of Selma this year.

Selma resident Nancy Spencer said she and her husband, former mayoral candidate Thayer Havard Spencer, are looking into some irregularities in a city contract. She said their investigation has been slowed because the city has not given them public records they requested months ago.