Jefferson County Commission

When Is a Cut Not a Cut? JeffCo and Sheriff Disagree

Jefferson County doesn’t see eye-to-eye with its sheriff concerning a recent budget change. In a release Thursday, Sheriff Mark Pettway said the Jefferson County Commission had frozen 30% of the Sheriff’s Office Budget for fiscal year 2024. Pettway equated the action to “defund(ing) law enforcement.” The public information officer of Jefferson County responded with its own release that said Pettway misstated the county’s action. According to the county release, the commission requested a freeze of 30% of all funded existing job vacancies throughout the county system for fiscal 2024. “As has been well documented throughout multiple industries, including local government, filling positions is challenging,” the county release read. “Tying up public funds by budgeting for positions that you are unlikely to fill within a fiscal year prevents us from using those funds to instead address operational or capital needs. Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

Hey Bidder Bidder: JeffCo Commission Decides $550K in Allotments From Surplus

Joe Knight appeared to add auctioneer to his resume as he led his fellow Jefferson County commissioners in assigning money for disbursement that was left over from the fiscal 2023 budget. When the hour-long discussion was done at the end of Tuesday’s commission committee meeting, $550,000 of the $1.4 million had been allotted to entities that had sought county support. Final approval will come during Thursday’s commission meeting. The leftover money, which was placed in the county’s contingency fund, had been $1.9 million before the commission syphoned $500,000 from it to the Birmingham Business Resource Center during its last meeting. Requests for help totaled $2.576 million. Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

Remarks on the Roundabout

Jefferson County Roads and Transportation Director Chris Nicholson talks about the newly completed roundabout at Old Leeds, Grant’s Mill and Karl Daly roads.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

JeffCo Approves $500K for Business That Helps Other Businesses Develop

The Jefferson County Commission on Thursday gave $500,000 to Birmingham Business Resource Center.   Finance Committee Chairman Joe Knight and Commissioner Mike Bolin voted against the measure, just as they did during Tuesday’s commission committee meeting. BBRC had been on a list of entities to be considered for funds left over from the fiscal 2023 budget. At Commissioner Sheila Tyson’s request, the BBRC funding was added to the commission’s agenda to be considered separately. “I still voted no,” Knight said following Thursday’s session. “Had it been considered with the rest of them, I would have considered something for him. I'm not sure it'd been $500,000, but I would have considered. Read more. 

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

JeffCo Commission to Consider Funding for Business Expansion Company

Joe Knight expressed concern about an appropriation that will be on the agenda of Thursday’s Jefferson County Commission meeting, fearing that it would set a precedent. “That should have been grouped with the rest of them (funding requests),” the commission’s finance committee chairman said. “That was my concern.” Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

JeffCo Sets Largest Budget Ever

Angela Dixon, the chief financial officer of Jefferson County, was quick to acknowledge the help she got from the county’s budget office in delivering the county’s largest ever budget. “These ladies are the gems of Jefferson County,” Dixon said of Lene Wormley and Marilyn Shepard. “They have gotten the distinguished budget award for four years straight, and it's only two people in the office.” Those few workers prepared the total of $1,264,956,131 budget passed Thursday by the County Commission. Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

Commission Sends $1 Billion Budget to Thursday’s Agenda

Jefferson County Commission President Jimmie Stephens gave Commissioner Joe Knight a hearty handshake at the end of a nearly two-hour committee meeting of the commission, congratulating the finance chairman as the proposed 2024 fiscal budget went to the agenda of Thursday’s commission meeting. “This budget's been a work in progress,” Knight said. “I think we're going to be fine with it. We still gotta try to keep an eye out on the economy, where it's going. We've still got the refunding coming up. There are a lot of moving parts to this.” Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

Much Obliged: JeffCo Wins New Award for Helping Autauga County After Tornado

The Roads and Transportation Department of Jefferson County received a heartfelt “thank you” Thursday for coming to the rescue of Autauga County after it was hit by a January tornado. The county road crew became the first recipient of the first One Family Award because of its efforts in the wake of the tornado. The award was presented last week during the convention of the Association of County Commissions of Alabama. Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

Life Moves Pretty Fast, You Have to Have Your Hearing Aid Turned Up, Bolin Discovers

The opening to Thursday’s Jefferson County Commission meeting was a little like a scene from the 1986 movie “Ferris Bueller's Day Off.” County Clerk Millie Diliberto called roll, beginning with the newest person of the dais, Mike Bolin. But he didn’t answer when his name was called. “Say, ‘Here,’” Commission President Jimmie Stephen prompted. “Oh. Here,” Bolin said. “Sorry.” The District 5 commissioner acknowledged having not initially heard his name. “I'm a little hearing impaired and I didn't understand,” he said. “I'll turn my volume up.” Bolin was elected this summer to fill the position left vacant when Commissioner Steve Ammons resigned to become CEO of the Birmingham Business Alliance, and Thursday was his first official commission meeting. Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

Former Judge Bolin Now Answers to ‘Commissioner’

Mike Bolin took his first dip into the legislative branch of county government Tuesday as he took part in his first committee meeting as a member of the Jefferson County Commission. The former Jefferson County probate judge and Alabama Supreme Court justice admitted to some trepidation as he “put a foot into the water” since this was just his sixth day on the job. “I don't care how smart or how dumb you are, you can't acclimate to everything that goes on in there until you've gone through two or three rounds,” Bolin said. “I enjoyed being there. I enjoyed the back and forth. Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.