By Ray King
After almost an hour of discussions and bickering back and forth, the Jefferson County Quorum Court on Monday approved a budget for 2023.
The vote was 12-1 for approval of the just over $35 million budget, with Justice of the Peace Alfred Carroll casting the only no vote.
After the meeting, a frustrated County Judge Gerald Robinson spoke about the meeting and the approval.
Carroll had earlier in the meeting offered a substitute motion, carrying over the 2022 budget for 90 days while Robinson and the Justice of the Peace worked out a new budget.
Justice of the Peace Glenda Daniels, in her final meeting as a member of the county’s legislative body was quick to shoot that down, saying that the 2022 budget contained money for things like COVID relief, money that is not available in 2023.
Carroll’s motion failed 7-6 -with Carrol and Justice of the Peace Brenda Bishop Gaddy, Reginald Adams, Cedric Jackson, Melanie Dumas and Reginald Johnson voting yes and Daniels and Justices of the Peace Ted Harden, Roy Agee, Jimmy Fisher, Patricia Royal Johnson, Conley Byrd, Danny Holcomb, Patricia Royal Johnson voting no.
The 2023 budget provides $10.841 million for County General, the primary funding source for most county offices but miscellaneous funds added another $24,163 million which includes just over $4 million for the adult jail, $5 and-a-quarter million for the road department, more than $1.6 million for the juvenile justice center, and almost $2.3 million for MECA (Metropolitan Emergency Communications Association)
An appropriation ordinance to create a multimedia coordinator for Jefferson County was rejected a vote of 8-5 with Adams, Carroll, Gaddy, Jackson and Reginald Johnson voting no.
This was the second time the issue has come up, several months ago Robinson tried to create the position I his office and was told no but during the meeting Monday, admitted to Carroll that he had contracted with a person to fill the position without court approval.
