Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By Carey Reeder | Managing Editor

A new chapter in the Chilton County Commission commenced on Nov. 13 as the body was organized, held their first meeting and took action on their first tasks. The seven commissioners were sworn into office at the Chilton County Courthouse before taking their seats in the Commission Chambers to nominate a Chairman and Vice Chairman. Commissioners Allen Williams and Darrell Bone were nominated for the Chairman position, and Williams was voted in. Bone, along with Commissioner Alan Childress, were nominated for the Vice Chairman position with Childress being voted in.

After assuming their seats, the commissioners held their first work session and meeting of their term and acted on important issues that were carried over from the previous commission. Commissioner Butch Billingsley proposed to dissolve the ambulance committee that was recently put in place, and the need for the commissioners to come together and nominate members to the committee that will continue to build off the work already done. Billingsley’s proposal to dissolve the committee was approved unanimously by the other six commissioners.

The actions continued to take shape as Commissioner Sheila Hall made the proposal to dissolve the subdivision committee as well. The committee was put in place by the previous commission, but starting over fresh will give the new commissioners a chance to read over the extensive subdivision regulations before nominating members they believe would do well on the committee, and have the drive to do so. Working towards rewriting the regulations were also mentioned in the discussions during the work session. Hall’s motion to dissolve the subdivision committee was approved unanimously.

Action on changing the day and time of the commission’s work sessions also took place during the meeting. The current schedule for the commission places the work session directly before the meetings on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month. The proposal from Commissioner Roger Perkins suggested moving the work sessions to the day before the meetings at 6:30 p.m. — the second and fourth Mondays of each month. The change would eliminate the commission from having to cut conversations short in work sessions due to the impending meeting time, and the later start time will hopefully help get as many commissioners to the work sessions as possible. The proposal was approved unanimously, and the next work session for the commission will be on Nov. 25 at 6:30 followed by the commission meeting on Nov. 26 at 6 p.m.

Other housekeeping items that were approved during the meeting was adding Joe Cole, the new Chairman of the Chilton County Volunteer Firefighter Association, to the 911 Board after Billingsley moved into the commission’s representative on the board replacing Williams. Childress, following his resignation from the Public Building Authority due to his new role on the commission, was placed on the commission’s courthouse committee. Finally, Williams was nominated and elected as the county’s Legislative Committee Representative with the Association of County Commissions of Alabama (ACCA).

After the newly elected commissioners were spotlighted on Election Night, the three veteran commissioners — Joe Headley, Bone and Williams, are also excited to continue their service to the county as well after being reelected to office.

“It is a pleasure and humbling,” Williams said. “I have always been an advocate for the taxpayers for 40 plus years. This gives me an official avenue to do that, and it is something I enjoy. We want to make sure this courthouse project stays on track, and getting this ambulance service (figured out) is going to be tops on everyone’s agenda.”

Like Williams, Bone is entering his second term on the commission, and is equally looking forward to continuing the work in the county.

“I love my community, and I look forward to serving them for another four years,” Bone said. “It means a lot … Trying to move this county forward is what I like about this, bringing businesses here and we are working hard on that. We have new eyes and new aspects on everything and how to do stuff.”

The most seasoned commissioner, Joe Headley, was elected to his sixth term on the commission. He said he plans to approach it like his last five terms, and is no stranger to new faces that can bring fresh ideas to the county.

“It means a lot to me (to serve the community), and every four years I have served we have had people change out and have new seats, and I have enjoyed working with them all,” Headley said. “Any time you can work with older people or newer people and make it better for the citizens, that is what we are after.”

Also, during the meeting, the Chilton County Commission voted on these items unanimously:

• Approved a construction agreement with the State of Alabama to construct guardrails on portions of County Road 16.
• Approved the county to participate in the 2025 Severe Weather Preparedness Tax Holiday from Feb. 21-23, 2025, with a note to exclude the schools and hospital tax.
• Approved the hire of Logan Porter and Hunter Jones as full-time deputy sheriff officers, Jonathan Oliver and Micky Hardwick as full-time jail shift lieutenants, Roddrekus Moten and Justin Smitherman as part-time deputy sheriff officers and Matthew Moses as a part-time process server with the Chilton County Sheriff’s Office.
• Approved the hire of DeAnna Davenport as a probate clerk with the Chilton County Probate Office.
• Approved the hire Brittiny Dejarnett as commission clerk I with the Chilton County Commission Office.