Latest news with #AlabamaLeagueofMunicipalities
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pinson Councilor John Churchwell recognized for 2 decades of public service
The following article is by Nathan Prewett for the Trussville Tribune: PINSON, Ala. (Trussville Tribune) — Councilor John Churchwell was recognized during Thursday's Pinson City Council meeting for recently being honored at the annual meeting of the Alabama League of Municipalities (ALM) for serving two decades as an elected official. During his report, Mayor Robbie Roberts talked about the council's attendance at the gathering where Churchwell was among 35 others recognized. Roberts thanked him for his service and offered his congratulations. 'Well, it's not necessarily about being recognized as being able to get that accomplishment,' Churchwell told the Trussville Tribune. 'And it was great for me and hopefully it's good for the city also. 20 years is a good thing to do just about anything.' Churchwell was elected to his position in Place 4 not long after the city was incorporated in 2004. 'I've always liked politics,' he said. 'And I worked for the federal government, Social Security Administration, and I spent 38 years with them and of course you can't be involved in politics and work for the government, so it was just natural when we came up with getting everything organized and we became a city in [2004]. And so I just said 'Okay. Been waiting for 38 years.' So I decided to run for council.' Churchwell said that during his tenure he ran opposed the first time he ran but the next four times he ran unopposed, calling it something of a 'miracle'. He added that he will not be running for reelection. 'But I've enjoyed being here in the city,' Churchwell said. 'And it was really enjoyable and good to have the opportunity to help set up the guidelines and the rules and regulations that the city is still going by. So that was my reason but now it's time for me to move on.' Roberts also announced that the splash pad will open on Saturday and will be operated on Tuesdays through Saturdays at 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sundays at 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. The splash pad will not be open on Mondays with the exception of the upcoming Memorial Day holiday. Alabama study reveals hurricane resilience programs are paying off for homeowners and insurers Afterwards the council passed the items on its agenda, beginning with a resolution to approve an allocation from the Rebuild Alabama Act of approximately $140,000 to be used for street and road maintenance. The resolution states that the city has received approximately $116,000 from a new 10 cent gas tax that was implemented by the act and will put towards a continuing plan to pave and construct industrial roadways in the Highway 79 corridor. The council also approved purchasing a sousaphone for the Pinson Valley High School or PVHS Marching Chiefs and approved $5,000 to fund a composer to write a musical piece for the school's mariachi program, which has been developing over the past several years and will soon have a full-time teacher. The program at PVHS was said to be the first in Alabama. Mariachi is a genre of music native to Mexico, with its performers often remembered for their distinctive hats and outfits. 'It's great to see that we're a community that's quite diverse,' Roberts said. 'And that diversity shows even in a program like the mariachi, which is of course a more Hispanic-oriented type music if you're familiar with it.' Among other items to be passed was an ordinance that set the qualification fees for those who run for mayor or councilperson. The fee to run for mayor is $50 and $30 for anyone seeking a council position. Payments are made to the city clerk and deposited into the general fund or prior to the time of taking out qualification papers by the candidate, says the ordinance. The ordinance also specifies that if anyone who cannot pay the fee may furnish the city clerk with an affidavit stating that they cannot pay the qualification fee. In other business the council: Approved a grant request for $1,341.27 from the Birmingham Regional Emergency Medical Services System (BREMSS), Approved a change order of $14,000 for clearing projects at Palmerdale Fire Station and the Palmerdale Homestead Community Center, and Granted $1,000 to the Pinson Valley High School business education teacher to attend a conference on the condition that she will have to pay it back if she does not return for the school year. Pinson City Council meets on the first and third Thursdays of every month at City Hall on 4410 Main Street. Live-streamed meetings can be seen on the city's Facebook page. Nathan Prewett can be reached at nthomasp6@ Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gov. Ivey speaks at Alabama League of Municipalities convention
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — 60% of Alabamians live in municipalities, and those local leaders are responsible for making decisions that impact people's lives every day. The Alabama League of Municipalities is meeting for its annual convention at the Von Braun Center this week. Gov. Kay Ivey opened the convention Tuesday, discussing the laws passed this year she feels will most benefit Alabama cities. She mentioned several bills she said will keep communities safer, including one that would ban glock switches and another putting restrictions on bail for violent offenders. The governor said she wants to see one more bill passed. 'I've called on legislative leadership to bring the Back the Blue bill to the floor tomorrow for a final vote,' Ivey said. House Bill 202, known as the Back the Blue Protection Act, would rewrite state law to provide more legal immunity for officers in on-duty incidents. It would bar lawsuits that could not show an officer's conduct was reckless and did not have a law enforcement purpose. 'The Back the Blue Act would provide legal protection for law enforcement to carry out their duties courageously and effectively without fear of Monday morning quarterbacking in the courts,' Ivey said. Supporters of the bill say they want officers to know they have the support of lawmakers, but house democrats have pushed back. House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels has said he is concerned the bill would protect officers who are not acting in good faith and make it nearly impossible to prosecute a bad cop. The governor said Tuesday she want to see the Back the Blue act pass Wednesday, on the last day of the legislative session. In her remarks, Ivey asked league members to call their state legislators and give their support. League of Municipalities Executive Director Greg Cochran said the partnership between the state and its municipalities is an important one. 'We've been very blessed through the years to have a good working relationship with, not only the governors that have served our state, but also the legislature,' Cochran said. He said the Alabama League of Municipalities helps their members acquire resources, like state grants, that help build infrastructure. 'You can't raise enough money internally to do the projects that we have today,' Cochran said 'It costs over a million dollars to build one mile of road. It takes a collaboration between state and federal policymakers to make that work.' Cochran said the convention is a good opportunity for city leaders to speak with those at the state level each year and share ideas about how to tackle difficult issues, like affordable housing, job availability and ensuring people have access to childcare. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alabama Senate bill would require cities to disclose discretionary accounts
Sen. Wes Kitchens, R-Arab (right) speaks with Jess Skaggs, chief of staff to Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth (left) and Sen. Keith Kelley, R-Anniston (center) on the floor of the Alabama Senate on April 8, 2025 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. He filed legislation to require municipalities to publish information about discretionary accounts. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) The Senate County and Municipal Government Committee approved a bill Tuesday that requires municipalities to disclose information about discretionary spending accounts that the jurisdiction created. SB 306, sponsored by Sen. Wes Kitchens, R-Arab, would require municipalities with discretionary accounts to publish both the balance and spending activity each month. 'What this does, it is really to have transparency in government,' Kitchens said to the committee. 'Different agencies, different elected officials who have discretionary accounts, it is to make it more accessible to people. Similar to what we go through with the campaign finance report, it would be publicized.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The bill would require government agencies, boards, commissions and departments to make that information available online through their website; with the Association of County Commissions of Alabama or with the Alabama League of Municipalities. Judges, district attorneys and clerks may also make that information public with the Administrative Office of the Courts. Kaleb Beck, legislative counsel for the Alabama League of Municipalities, spoke against the legislation during a public hearing. 'The League's first area of opposition is the resource burden this will place on our cities,' Beck said. 'For example, our smaller municipalities might lack the technical expertise or staff to, every month, format and upload these types of documents.' He said that municipal clerks that oversee less populated areas of the state already perform different functions, and the legislation will place them with another responsibility. 'If residents want this information published, this can be pushed for at the local level,' Beck said. 'We can trust that our municipal officials will be receptive to their constituents' wants and needs, and if not, they can be held accountable at the polls like every other elected official in the state.' After the public hearing, Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison, D-Birmingham, said she would propose an amendment to the legislation to make it easier for the smaller jurisdictions to comply with the provisions with the bill. 'I understand the issue with the smaller municipalities, it may be an issue for them,' she said. 'If they didn't have the abilities to publicize it, some small towns may not have a website, but that it would be posted at city hall, a county courthouse, or whatever.' Kitchens said he is open to continue discussing the elements contained in his bill. 'This seems like an incredibly low bar for me to reach,' said Sen. Chris Elliott, R-Josephine, the chair of the committee. 'I am very supportive of your legislation.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
