CullmanTimes.com - Cullman, Alabama

Top News

Discussion

December 24, 2009

Year in review: Revenue Commissioner Willingham era begins

Changing of the guard is Times number 8 story of 2009

By Tiffany Green The Cullman Times

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.

Text Only
Top News
  • NARCOG board stalls in effort to revise bylaws

    No action was taken on the revisions of the North-central Alabama Regional Council of Government’s (NARCOG) bylaws during an emergency meeting Friday morning.

    February 4, 2012

  • FAA bill should provide airport funding for next 4 years

    A new federal bill should provide a stable source of funding for airports nationwide, and local officials are excited about what it could mean for the Cullman Regional Airport.

    February 4, 2012

  • County commission moves to resolve chronic water issue at Harmony School

    The Cullman County Commission signed off on a pair of upgrades to the county’s water infrastructure at its regular meeting, both intended to finally solve a chronic lack of adequate water pressure at Harmony School.

    February 3, 2012

  • audi.jpg Sneak peek at this year's hottest Super Bowl ads

    The Super Bowl is a must-watch TV event, if not for the outcome of the biggest football game of the year, then at least for the multi-million dollar commercials that run throughout. And this year’s buzzworthy spots include celebrity appearances, homages to movies and lots of humor.

    February 3, 2012 1 Photo

  • Jerry Waters Waters enters race for circuit clerk as Democrat

    Local businessman and lifelong Cullman County resident Jerry Mack Waters has announced he will seek the office of Cullman County circuit clerk as the Democratic nominee in the November general election.

    February 3, 2012 1 Photo

  • NARCOG to revisit bylaws, address personnel issue

    An emergency meeting is scheduled this morning at the North Central Alabama Regional Council of Governments office in Decatur to discuss the revision of the organization’s bylaws and a personnel issue.

    February 3, 2012

  • WSCC breaks ground on new nursing center ‘Crown jewel’: WSCC breaks ground on new nursing center

    Not even a tornado that wrecked nearly half the buildings on campus could keep Wallace State down for long.

    February 2, 2012 2 Photos

  • Steve Cummings Cummings enters race for circuit clerk

    Local businessman Steve Cummings has announced he will seek the Republican nomination for Cullman County circuit clerk in the March 13 primary election.

    February 2, 2012 1 Photo

  • City to form 10-year plan Good Hope embarks on effort to form 10-year plan

    The city of Good Hope has three months to form a clearer picture of what it wants to become over the next 10 years.

    February 2, 2012 1 Photo

  • ‘One person at a time’ ‘One person at a time’

    As the old adage goes: Every vote counts. The Cullman County Board of Education kicked off the first of a dozen community meetings about the proposed countywide half-cent sales tax for education Tuesday night to a relatively sparse crowd at the central office.

    February 2, 2012 1 Photo