Jefferson County Commission Plans Town Hall Meeting to Explain Sewer Rate Increases
By Solomon Crenshaw Jr.
Jefferson County Commissioners had a lengthy discussion during their committee meeting Tuesday about setting a town hall meeting to focus on rising sewer rates as a result of the county’s bankruptcy.
Commissioner Lashunda Scales said the meeting, on an undetermined date in February, will be educational and informational.
“We know that the rates are going to be going up,” she said. “I perceive that many members of the public don’t know why the sewer rate is steadily increasing. I know that from being out there winning votes to get me here today.”
Said Tyson: “I cannot let Miss Smith at the age of 99 let her water get cut off. Not this year. It will not happen. I’m very concerned about the sewer bill. I’m not out trying to destroy the county because if I do that, I’m destroying myself.”
Scales and Sheila Tyson, each a former Birmingham City Council member, said their districts have felt the effects of Jefferson County’s bankruptcy more greatly than the districts of their fellow commissioners.
“It’s incumbent upon us as elected officials to do what we said we were going to do, which is bring those stakeholders to the table,” Scales said. “Let’s have a frank discussion to talk about what’s happening with our sewer bill and how we got to where we are today.”
Commission President Jimmie Stephens said that Scales and Tyson had been adversaries to the county’s decision to enter bankruptcy to escape the debt it faced from variable rate financing, auction and bond swaps done to generate revenue for improving the county’s sewer system.
Stephens said if county money is spent, the town hall must present the county’s position.
“We want to make sure if we’re spending county dollars to inform the public, that we’re all on the same accord,” he said, speaking to Tyson and Scales. “You have a good understanding now that the rate increases represent operation and maintenance, capital expenditures and debt service.”
Those increases are fixed through 2023, the commission president said, thus keeping the county from returning to the bond market to make capital improvements.
“That’s what we need to make all of our ratepayers aware of, that the plan is in place and the plan is working,” he said. “I’ve said that 14 hundred times and I’ll repeat it anytime you get ready.”
Commissioners discussed spending no more than $10,000 from Scales’ discretionary funds to host the meeting and will be vote on that issue in Thursday’s meeting. The District 1 commissioner said she won’t be the star of the show, but chief financial officer John Henry, county attorney Theo Lawson and county manager Tony Petelos would be on hand to address questions.
“I think it would be beneficial to all of us to know since we speak of transparency, how we inherited the problem, what are we doing about the problem,” Scales said. “It’s already been done but we don’t have to have a misquote.
“Commissioner Tyson and I were (averse) to the bankruptcy because it heavily impacted our districts and there are a majority of people who can’t pay for it,” Scales continued. “I understand that we represent the county and she does, too, but we still represent the same constituents. We want to make sure that as much as possible that lies within us, it is communicated by this commission.”
Pay Raises for Officers Discussed
Commissioners discussed a resolution that would have given sworn personnel a 5 percent cost-of-living increase. Scales expressed concern that new Sheriff Mark Pettway could experience a shortfall because half the money budgeted for overtime this year had been spent by former Sheriff Mike Hale.
Stephens said the overtime was expected, with deputies at football games, community parades and polling places. He added that the sheriff’s department will for the first time receive reimbursements from schools for patrols at games.
Ultimately, the matter of the cost-of-living adjustment was tabled.
Commissioners also favored Commissioner Steve Ammons’ appropriation of $100,000 to the Highway 280 Cooperative District. He said the county would facilitate the bid process for a pedestrian bridge across the highway. That issue also will be brought up Thursday for final action.
‘Bloody Saturday’ at Voice of America and other U.S.-funded networks
Federal officials placed 1,000 employees at Voice of America on indefinite paid leave, while severing contracts with Radio Free Asia and other U.S.-funded networks.
Israeli strikes in Gaza kill 9, including aid workers and journalists, witnesses say
Two back-to-back Israeli airstrikes in northern Gaza killed at least nine people on Saturday, according to Gaza civil defense. Witnesses say several of those killed were aid workers and journalists.
Here are 8 photography winners with disabilities who show the world their perspective
Here are the winning entries in this year's Global Ability Photography Challenge.
‘Sounds like censorship to me.’ O cinema co-founder slams proposed eviction over film
No Other Land has no U.S. distributor, so the filmmakers have had to make one-on-one deals with cinemas. Art house theaters such as O Cinema have been screening the film independently.
Why there’s always room for dessert, according to brain science
It doesn't matter how full you are, you can always fit in a bite or two or three of pie and ice cream. Scientists say it has to due with special neurons in our brain that just can't get enough sugar.
Look up! The Goodyear Blimp is celebrating a big birthday
We head up into the skies over Los Angeles in honor of the Goodyear Blimp's 100th. Come join us ... there's room for eight.
