Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By Carey Reeder | Managing Editor

Discussions around the upcoming renewal of the trade-school tax and other topics were on the agenda of the regularly-scheduled Chilton County Commission meeting on Sept. 10. In his commissioner report, Allen Williams presented a resolution concerning the split of the trade-school tax if it is renewed by public vote in November. The tax is not a new tax, as it was put into effect in the 1960s when the trade school was originally opened. Stipulations for it to be renewed every 20 years were put in, and it is up for renewal again this election after being renewed in 1984 and 2004. The tax is a 3-mill ad valorem property tax that is split between the Chilton County Board of Education and the county right now evenly at 50-50. The tax only affects property owners in the county which is around 25% of citizens, according to Chairman Randell Kelley during discussions. The board uses their portion to purchase supplies, materials, textbooks and other educational needs for the career tech center. The county earmarks their portion, and it is to be used towards industrial and rural development only.

Williams’ resolution stated that the split of funds from the tax, if it is renewed, would be the BOE getting 2 mills and the commission 1 mill over the 20 years the tax would be in effect. Williams and Commissioner Darrell Bone voted yes on the proposed resolution and split, but Parnell was concerned about how the county would replace the lost revenue in their budget. Parnell’s concern centered around that the county losing that much revenue would cause the commission to have to cut funds from other departments.

“I am a huge supporter of the trade school, but I do not know how we can give away money that we cannot afford to give away,” Parnell said.

When voted upon, the resolution was denied by Parnell and Kelley with Commissioner Joe Headley abstaining, and the motion failed. Commissioners Matthew Mims and Jimmie Hardee were absent from the meeting.

The commission ended discussions regarding the trade-school tax by stating they need to have a work session between themselves and the BOE to continue talks around the split, and to it get something into writing once it is agreed upon.

In other news, the commission was recently approached by Dollar General with the idea of building a store on Highway 145 near the intersection of County Road 453. The state requested that the dollar store giants ask the county about using CR 453 as the entrance to the building.

Parnell made a resolution to authorize Kelley to sign a letter that the commission will send to the state that they prefer that CR 453 remain a “rural road” and not for commercial traffic to utilize, and they would like Dollar General to use Highway 145 as the entrance to the proposed building. The resolution to send the letter with the propositions was approved unanimously.

Also, during the meeting, the commission discussed the Veterans Affairs office in Chilton County and possibility of moving its location. They want the VA office to be included in the plans for the new courthouse once it is completed, as long as the space is an adequate size for a waiting area and some office space so it does not take away from what the current office has now. Also, having the adequate design for disabled veterans to get in and out of the building efficiently will need to be included as well if a move is to be made, which was assured to the commission would be the case. Williams made a resolution that the Public Building Authority over the courthouse to include space for two offices and a waiting area for the VA in their plans going forward. The resolution was passed unanimously.

A previous resolution was amended by the commission that gives first responders, military veterans and senior citizens over the age of 65 a 10% discount on all cabin rentals at Higgins Ferry and Minooka Parks. The original resolution did not include the correct explicit language to include all of three of those groups, but now the resolution does to insure all of those individuals receive the discounted rates. The new resolution was approved unanimously with Bone abstaining due to him being a first responder.

The commission approved to move $2 million from its general fund to its reserve, or rainy-day, fund. The money comes from the interest that treasury bills have generated for the county, and the money will only be used in strenuous or emergency situations the county may encounter.

“That is about six weeks of bills that we are setting aside for reserve, which would help us if we ran into a tight (situation) with our bond payments that are upcoming on the new courthouse,” Parnell said.

The memorandum of understanding agreement with the Chilton County BOE for school resource officers was approved by the commission during the meeting. The county furnishes five SROs in the county, and they pay $100,000 for them while the BOE pays the rest. The MOU is the agreement between two entities, and the commission approved their end while the BOE will look at approving their end at their next board meeting.

The preliminary plat and construction plan of Benz Corner Plat No. 1 was approved by the commission pending all the official signatures are on all certificates and notaries. The subdivision of seven lots will be at the corner of County Road 24 and County Road 383. Once the signatures on everything are secure, construction can begin.