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The Chilton County Commission approved a 2018-19 budget of $16,214,353 during its meeting on Sept. 24.

The budget passed with a 6-1 vote, with Commissioner Joe Headley as the lone opposition.

The total is $761,301 less than last year’s budget.

Beginning Oct. 9, the Commission will hold its public meetings on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month.

The change is designed to help eliminate meetings falling on the same date as several holidays throughout the year.

The only changes to the Commission meeting schedule are Nov. 5, with that meeting moved up a day due to Election Day on Nov. 6, and the meeting on July 30, 2019, the fifth Tuesday in July.

Vendor bids were also approved for the road department, Sheriff’s Office and Commission Office.

Alabama Pro Packaging will handle the janitorial services at the jail and the courthouse; Ironman Lawn Care will do the grounds maintenance at the courthouse; Thomas Oil will provide the gasoline for the jail and road department and diesel for the road department.

Knox Pest Control was the lowest bid to provide pest control services for the courthouse.

However, Commissioner Jimmie Hardee raised concerns about the reputation of Knox Pest Control and advised looking into it further despite the company’s low bid.

The vote was 3-3, with Hardee, Greg Moore and Matthew Mims opposing it and Joseph Parnell not voting.

Due to the tie vote, it will be brought back up for further discussion at the next meeting.

The road department approved 10 vendor bids, including Hunt Refining providing the department’s liquid asphalt; Advanced Asphalt Products handling the cold mix; Wiregrass providing bituminous plant mix and placement; ACME supplying corrugated metal pipe; Traffic Signs providing the road signs; Highway Management providing striping; Dunn supplying aggregate.

Each bid across the departments was the lowest or the only bid turned in.

In other news from the meeting:

• The Commission approved EMA Director Derrick Wright’s request to start the process of purchasing a new vehicle for the department. He is looking to buy a Chevrolet Suburban off the state bid list with the state reimbursing half of the cost. The vehicle will be equipped with lights and will be used where it is most needed.
• Brian Ashworth with the Sheriff’s Office was reclassified from the position of corrections officer to fill a vacant full-time position as night shift supervisor.
• The Commission approved a resolution to support the efforts of the Verbena Celebration Committee applying for a 2018 Alabama 200 Bicentennial Grant.
• A request from Tax Collector Tim Little for line item transfers in the reappraisal budget was approved.
• The process of recording the meetings and the construction of a Commission Facebook page is still in the works.
• A request by Commissioner Joseph Parnell was approved to have county attorney Fletcher Green send a formal letter to the City of Clanton to thank them for offering the use of their facilities to house the District Attorney’s office and 911 when the courthouse flooded.
• The Commission approved to discontinue all unused phone lines and iPads in the Commission Office. It would save $5,000 a year.
• An executive session was called to end the meeting to discuss pending litigation.
• The Commission approved the minutes from the Sept. 10 meeting.
• The Commission approved to pay its bills.