Top News
Year in review: Revenue Commissioner Willingham era begins
Changing of the guard is Times number 8 story of 2009
CULLMAN — Once again, former revenue commissioner Kay D. Williams-Smith made The Cullman Times’ annual Top 10 list.
In April, Williams-Smith unexpectedly resigned, five months before her term was to expire. She had been defeated in a the revenue commissioner race against Barry Willingham when he received 56 percent of the vote in November 2008. In May, Willingham was sworn into office.
Williams-Smith cited health problems as the reason for her early departure and would give no comments to The Times regarding the details.
She was placed on medical disability after receiving three doctors’ certifications, as required by law. The county is now required to pay her $49,600 a year for the rest of her life.
A person must have a minimum of 18 years of service to get this benefit, Commission Chairman James Graves said in an earlier interview.
Williams-Smith worked in the revenue commission office for 31 years, 24 of which were as revenue commissioner.
In addition to pursuing many technological upgrades for her office, Williams-Smith opened two satellite offices in Baileyton and Dodge City as a convenience for residents.
Williams-Smith’s administration was struck by controversy in late 2008 when she decided, without notification, to close both satellite offices just hours after she was voted out of office. In a previous interview Williams-Smith said the satellite office closings were for restructuring purposes and had nothing to do with the election.
During that time, she also ordered revenue commission employees not to accept checks for payment, under the false belief that the state would hold her personally responsible for all bad checks.
The changes were reversed a few days later.
Willingham said he has cut approximately $250,000, in what he deemed unnecessary spending, from his budget. Those funds have since been dispersed into the county’s general fund.
Early on in his administration, Willingham cut the department’s travel budget from $30,000 to $20,000.
“There were too many trips to too many conferences that weren’t needed,” Willingham said.
Willingham said he also cut $200,000 from his reappraisal budget.
* Tiffany Green can be reached by e-mail at tgreen@cullmantimes.com or by telephone at 734-2131, ext. 220.
- Top News
-
-
City sales tax revenue still down year-to-date
Sales tax and general fund revenues for the City of Cullman continue to decline, as the local economy battles a recession that has forced city officials to curtail spending.
-
Washed away
When it rains, it pours; and when it pours, it floods.
-
Judge sets bond in SCCD case
After a circuit court hearing ordered by the Supreme Court of Alabama to determine the bond defendants must post as a condition of the high court’s granting of an emergency stay of the lower court’s injunction against them, Circuit Judge Don Hardeman set a $7.5 million bond for the South Cumberland Cooperative District (SCCD) last week.
-
Going round and round
You’ve seen the CARTS buses, right?
-
Terri Pines country club not closing
With the country club on the verge of closing, the founder of Terri Pines has stepped in to take over operations immediately — meaning the club will survive, at least for the foreseeable future.
-
Cullman chosen for national convention
Cullman’s long history as a “dry” county has led to its selection as host for the Prohibition National Convention in June 2011.
-
Celebrating sweet potato pie and much more
Labor Day weekend a crowd of about 4,000 is expected to descend upon the Crane Hill community to enjoy the 14th annual Sweet Tater Festival.
-
With a Raider yell
Fans cheer on the Marching Raider Band Friday night during the Good Hope halftime show.
-
Goody's coming back to Cullman
What’s old is new again.
A new Goody’s clothing retail store is set to open in Cullman this November. The announcement comes just a year and a half after the old Goody’s store in the Marketplatz Shopping Center shut down when the corporate owner declared bankruptcy. -
Unexpected mess
Workers with the Hanceville waste water treatment plant had to scramble this week to clean up an unexpected mess caused by, of all things, another cleanup effort they had undertaken at the plant earlier this week.
- More Top News Headlines
-
City sales tax revenue still down year-to-date
