Commission approves items, discusses finances
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By Christa Jennings
Senior Staff Writer
During its May and June meetings, the County Commission approved a variety of numerous items and discussed and took action regarding financial matters.
District 4 Commissioner Matthew Reams participated in his first County Commission meeting in June. Commissioner John Forbus was absent from the meeting, and all other commissioners were present.
At the June 9 meeting the Commission unanimously approved the insolvents, errors, litigations, and unsold tax liens for 2025 and the uncollected insolvents and taxes in litigation for previous years, as is done annually.
The Commission also unanimously approved an Emergency Management Agency donation from Williams for $1,000 to be donated to the Kellyton Volunteer Fire Department.
Additionally, the Commission unanimously approved a resolution agreement between Coosa and Talladega counties for paving on Peckerwood Creek Trail.
During its June meeting the Commission also discussed replacing the driver’s license building deck, renewal of the GFL service agreement for the Coosa County Jail and West Coosa Senior Center and a proposed Emergency Medical Dispatch agreement, with no action taken on those matters.
While not originally on the agenda, the Commission also unanimously approved a motion by Commissioner Brandon Davis to add hiring Strickland Accounting and Tax Service to its agenda. The Commission was to consider hiring the company to “catch up past bank statements that have not been reconciled.”
That matter stemmed from discussion that took place at the Commission’s May meeting between newly hired County Administrator LaCresha Alexander and the Commission.
At the May meeting, during staff reports, Chair Lamar Daugherty asked Alexander if she had anything to report, and she said she did not. However, later in the meeting after reconvening from an executive session, at which time most meeting attendees had left, Daugherty said that Alexander did want to talk to the Commission about some issues after all.
“I wanted to kind of be transparent and kind of let you guys know what’s been going on and what we have discovered in that office,” Alexander said.
Alexander stated that the county’s bank reconciliations had not been done since October 2022. She said she checked with various accounting firms for guidance to get caught up with the bank reconciliations so the county can do the audits that the state examiners are “requiring and requesting.”
She said that a person she spoke with recommended getting a bookkeeper to enter the data because of the amount of time it will take to get caught up. Alexander also stated that the “paperwork is not in order” so they have been sorting through those papers and doing manual entries.
Alexander added that there are accounts that have never been reconciled.
Newly hired administrative assistant Tammy Patterson added that “this don’t look good,” stating that something is missing and that there’s a reason the county “went four years, five years, and didn’t reconcile.”
“It’s just a disarray of stuff everywhere in there,” she said. “It’s a mess.”
Alexander also mentioned the Highway Department funds and that it is double work because of funds not going into the correct account and having to be moved.
In ongoing discussion, Daugherty asked about a company or individual to help get the reconciliations caught up. Alexander said that they had been trying to get quotes and recommendations for the data entry for bank reconciliations.
When Daugherty asked how far behind the county is, Alexander said October 1, 2022.
Alexander and the Commission further discussed ideas and options for hiring someone to catch up those reconciliations.
Daugherty asked if they were finding all the documentation or if there were things missing, and Alexander said they have primarily just been sorting through things and putting them in order.
Commissioner Bertha K. McElrath addressed county attorney John K. Johnson, saying that this was what she had come to him about previously.
“That’s what I was talking about, all the stuff that they’re finding out,” McElrath told Johnson. “That’s when I first identified it when I came to you. I asked you to check into it with me; that’s what I was talking about.”
After having discussed it at the May meeting, during its June meeting the Commission unanimously approved hiring Strickland Accounting and Tax Service to catch up bank statements at a cost of $75 per bank statement. This would equal $900 per year.
With Alexander’s statement in May that the county’s reconciliations are behind from October 1, 2022, that would mean a cost to the county of $3,375.
In its discussion at the May meeting, the Commission and Alexander did not say why the reconcilations were behind.
Separate from the meeting, a representative with the Examiners of Public Accounts said that it is up to each county how bank reconciliations are handled. However, she said that the standard procedure for most counties is to have someone who is not the county administrator reconcile them.
This allows for a better system of checks and balances and limits the likelihood of fraud by having someone else review financials and reconcile the accounts.
Also during the May meeting, the Commission unanimously approved hiring Alexander as the county administrator, effective April 20, with a salary of $29 per hour for a 90-day period.
The Commission further unanimously approved hiring Tammy Patterson as the county’s administrative assistant for payroll and human resources, effective April 20, with a salary of $23 per hour and subject to a 6-month probationary period.
In other business the County Commission also unanimously approved:
- Renewing the landfill agreement between Coosa County and John Boswell, doing business as J & J Construction, for the ongoing agreement for electronics and scrap iron.
- The Commission singing the Daughters of the American Revolution proclamation celebrating the United States’ 250th birthday.
- Donating the county’s 2006 maintenance van to the Sheriff’s Office to be used for the Special Response Team.
Additionally, EMS Director Hollie Osbourn requested that the Commission go into executive session to discuss the good name and character of an employee. The Commission was in executive session approximately 30 minutes regarding that matter, with no action taken on it following the executive session.
The next regularly scheduled monthly meeting of the Coosa County Commission will be held at 9 a.m. July 14.
Audio recording from the Commission’s May meeting is available here.
