By Daniel L. Bamberg
Bibb County Commissioner Ricky Hubbard is rarely a man of few words during a Commission meeting. On Tuesday, April 12 he was a man of very many words. Many, which echoed the same sentiment, “We must pay closer attention to what we are spending from the general fund,” expressed Hubbard.
In 2010 the county’s general fund was nearly a quarter of a million dollars in the hole and Commissioner Hubbard pointed this out on several occasions during Tuesday’s meeting.
It began with a request from Leadership Bibb to approve the tuition for “Your Town Alabama” an event, which educates leaders of the community. The total of the tuition was $195.
Commissioner Al Green explained that having been through the training himself and qualifying it as a great help to him as a county commissioner, he saw the service as valuable. Green, asked the commission to invest the money. Commissioner Walter Sansing who said he had also been through the training, also recommended it.
Commission Chairman Jerome Chism recognized Commissioner Hubbard, who had a few burning questions to ask County Administrator Mark Tyner.
“Where is this money going to come from?,” asked Hubbard
“The general fund,” replied Tyner.
“Are we in good shape,?” Hubbard inquired
“We are not in good shape,” stated Tyner with emphasis on the word, good.
“Are we in survivable shape?,” Hubbard asked
Tyner paused for a moment and said, “I believe we are in survivable shape.”
“Well I am all for educational services and promoting that within our county, but at the same time I believe in being a responsible commissioner,” stated Hubbard. “I know what our financial situation is and in my personal life if I can’t pay my monthly bills I am not going on vacation.”
Commissioner Green went on to express that there was a reason for the Leadership Program in Bibb County. He praised the Leadership Program calling it a “great tool for our community.” He then implied that going to a leadership-training program was not like going on vacation.
Commissioner Hubbard explained that he never suggested that it was like going on vacation but that his metaphor was suggesting when priorities can’t be paid money shouldn’t be set aside with things one can live without.
Commissioner Green then made another statement praising the importance of the Leadership Program and the “Your Town Alabama” training tuition. He then made a motion to approve it.
Chairman Chism made a statement agreeing with Green’s comments about the value of the program but also agreed with Hubbard’s comments about not spending money without analyzing the situation specifically.
Hubbard was recognized again and he explained that he was not opposed to the Leadership Program but was directly opposed to throwing around money. He then suggested that if people assumed $195 was small, they needed to multiply all the small dives into the general fund and look at the overall picture of accumulated debt. Hubbard then put a number on that accumulated debt.
“If we had not made these small two hundred dollar approvals that we could’ve lived without out last year, it would have probably saved us $250,000, exactly the money we were in the hole,” concluded Hubbard.
A vote was held and all but Commissioner Hubbard voted in favor of the tuition, Hubbard opposed it.
The Commission unanimously approved the reparation of a padded cell at the Bibb County Jail. Sheriff Keith Hannah explained to the Commission that this money would be sought from the prisoner who damaged it, and that when the restitution was collected the county would get its money back. The current cost of the cell repair is $3,800.
Sheriff Hannah also asked for a building addition to the office which was approved unanimously. Hannah also requested the removal of a dead tree near the office. He explained, the department already received bids and showed those bids to the commission.
Commissioner Hubbard again explained that spending $800 (the lowest bid) was another chunk of money that would add up at the end of the year eventually. Hubbard did however vote to approve for the tree’s removal when Administrator Tyner explained that money for the tree removal could come from the buildings and appropriations fund. The commission approved to remove the tree using money from the b and a fund rather than the general fund.
The next meeting of the Bibb County Commission is set for Tuesday, 26 at 9 a.m.
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