By Hamilton Richardson
Elmore/Autauga News
Top Photo: A resident of Autauga County, Jack Morgan, spoke about his concerns to the County Commission Tuesday night.
Tuesday’s Autauga County Commission meeting started as usual with an invocation, the pledge of allegiance, roll call and the approval of minutes but not long after several agenda items were voted on and approved, tensions arose when members of the public shared their concerns.
After the approval of the Consent Docket, Autauga County Sheriff Joe Sedinger stood before the commission while the members of the governing body approved four items. These included: Amending of a budget line due to a check received from ACCA Insurance, the approval of a $750 sponsorship for Central Alabama Crimestoppers splash booth for City Fest, the approval of a promotion for Jordan Prieur from Deputy Sheriff to Investigator and the approval of a leave of absence for Lieutenant George Brooks.
Sedinger continued to stand in the place of Jail Warden Larry Nixon, who was not present, and the commissioners voted on and approved the hiring of Hillary Henderson, Full Time Jailer. Another agenda item was a discussion of the QCHC contract, which was tabled due to Nixon’s absence.
Next was the approval to transfer a budget line item for the purchase of four hand trucks to assist the transportation drivers with food deliveries for Senior Services, which was approved.
Items 12, 13 and 14 on the night’s agenda were opportunities for three residents to address the commission with concerns and the first to approach the group were Jackie Speigner and Emma Moseley.
“I sat back there today and I was listening as you said the pledge and the last line said, and justice for all. But it seems like in Autauga County, that doesn’t apply,” she said.
Speigner brought up a previous grant she applied for that was not approved.
“I think you all voted not to fund it but what concerned me is a comment that you made,” Speigner said as she looked at Chairman Jay Thompson. “It really concerns me. When you asked county commissioner (Larry Stoudemire), ‘Do you think these people deserve this kind of money?’ Can you define these people?”
Thompson said in response, “I don’t think I made that comment”.
The commissioner went on to clarify his discussion about the project with Stoudemire.
“I might have said these projects, but not these people,” he said. “I don’t remember exactly what I said or exactly how I said it, but that’s not what I remember saying, ‘these people.’”
Stoudemire responded to Thompson saying, “These people, all people, those people.”
“I think you’re trying to make something sound like something it aint,” Thompson replied. “I don’t appreciate that.”
Stoudemire reiterated that Thompson made the comment to which Thompson said, “Don’t make it sound like something it aint.”
Speigner then said, “This is part of the American Rescue Plan (ARP) money. I was trying to get some projects funded with $10.84 million dollars that was given to Autauga County.”
The resident went on to say that she had asked County Administrator Scott Kramer for a copy of the funds spent from the ARP funds, or how the funds will be spent.
“It seems like there’s a problem with anything getting done in District 5,” Speigner repeated. “Our commissioner can’t do it by himself. You made him aware of that several year ago before the pandemic hit. You sat right there and told our county commissioner he needs to learn to count to three because nothing was going to get passed without three votes. You all have got to do something in District 5. Can we get any answers tonight?”
“Ask your District 5 Commissioner,” Thompson said to Speigner.
Stoudemire answered by saying, “Since you asking me. You already made the statement. How I’m going to get something done when I don’t have three votes on anything. Don’t put that wrap on me. I’m one person and I’m not going to sit up here and look like no idiot, trying to make it seem like it’s me.”
Speigner asked if any of the ARP funds were going to be used in Autauga County, saying that she had heard that other counties had already spent the money in various ways.
“There’s nothing that says that it has to be spent in the first six months or the first 25 days or 30 days,” said the Chairman. “Sometimes it’s good to look at things for a while and make decisions.”
Emma Moseley made the comment, “The commission’s priorities are in the wrong place. So, if we can’t get anything did with you all, who do we need to go to next? Because we are within our rights. We do pay taxes, but were not benefitted from it and it’s totally unfair.”
Stoudemire reiterated that’s he is trying to do his best but added that he has stopped asking for anything because he said he won’t get the votes.
Speigner then said it was a total case of discrimination.
“There’s a lot of blacks that live in District 5 and I have watched it since I moved back home in 2005,” she said.
During the conversation back and forth about the ARP funds, the issue of roads being paved in District 5 also came up several times. Commissioner John Thrailkill stepped in to ask County Engineer John Mark Davis about roads that have been paved.
Davis said that in his tenure, County Road 19 is the only road that has been paved and it runs through District 3 and part in District 5.
“Most of that was paid with federal funds, not county funds,” he said. “We have done a lot of resurfacing of roads in all districts, except District 1.”
Stoudemire then recalled a meeting he had with previous County Administrator Steve Golson.
“I sat in his office. He showed me paperwork. He said we got $26 million,” said the commissioner. “That was money for new paved roads. Only now, what happened to that money?”
Speigner corrected Stoudemire saying it was $28 million, then said, “The last time I checked it when I printed off the audit, it was two-point-something million dollars left off in there. What happened to $26 million?
Speigner and Moseley sat down while resident Jack Morgan stood to address the commission.
Morgan started discussing the need to more roadwork to be done in District 5.
“Money is money,” he said. “You have blacks on this side of town and everybody else’s road is paved. It’s not right. We’re not living in a time of slavery or being put down. It makes no sense for us to put it on commissioner Stoudemire. He’s the only African American sitting up here. We deserve the same rights like everybody else. Black, red, white, blue.”
Morgan mentioned his time in the military and how concerned he was that he continues to see animosity between the races.
District 3 rep Bill Tatum said in response, “I am far from being racist.”
Morgan, who appeared to be visibly upset, loudly said he didn’t call Tatum a racist.
Morgan sat down and a few more items on the agenda were addressed and approved, including the approval to move Gregory Hinton from Mechanic to Shop Leadman and the approval to move David Rawlinson from Shop Leadman to Mechanic.
Also brought forward was the approval of a cable television franchise agreement with WOW and the approval of lodging tax revenue administration renewal.
During the portion of the meeting for any further comments or discussion, Stoudemire said, “I don’t care what anybody says, we got to come up with some kind of plan to get something done. We need some kind of plan to at least get one road paved a year. Anybody got an idea?”
Thompson said that one possibility the commission could do is move money from one part of the budget to another part of the budget to accommodate his request.
“If that’s what we need to do, lets do that,” Stoudemire said. “Even if it’s half a road.”
When asked how much it costs for paving one mile of road, Davis said, “It could be from anywhere from $400,000 up to a million dollars a mile.”
Thrailkill asked the engineer if it was true that the county has approximately 350 miles of dirt road to which he replied, “That’s right.”
The District 2 Commissioner then changed directions and revisited the issue that Stoudemire had broached regarding the $28 million dollars for paving.
Thrailkill looked to Deputy Administrator Audra Smith and asked, “There was a question about $28 million.”
Smith then said, “I’d like to clear this up. Twenty-eight million dollars. I’ve known Steve Golson for a long time. Our entire budget wasn’t $28 million. Why don’t you get copies from IP of every check that they’ve ever cut us? It’s not going to come up to $28 million.”
Thrailkill then clarified that the commission goes through a yearly audit.
“In the time that I’ve been here, I can’t speak for before. But in the time I’ve been here, we’ve been cleared every year on the audit. And I commend our staff for keeping the books straight. For one dollar or $28 million dollars, I have full confidence in our staff,” he said.
Stoudemire began pounding the desk and saying that he also has full confidence in the staff.
Kyle Shirley, the county’s attorney, responded to Stoudemire saying, “But when you’re asking where did the money go, there’s an insinuation.”
Stoudemire, Thompson and Shirley went back and forth about comments made regarding the $28 million and Steve Golson.
“You made a statement. Somebody made a statement. A statement was made that when Steve Golson was here there was $28 million. When Steve Golson left, the $28 million disappeared,” Thompson said. “Someone made a statement that he must have taken it with him.”
Stoudemire asked if that statement should have been made, to which Thompson said no.
Thompson adjourned the meeting, however another resident stood up and began another discussion about the same issues with Speigner and the others who had come for the meeting speaking up as well, until the meeting started finally breaking up and people began to slowly leave.
