By Caylie Moore, Features Editor
On Tuesday, Sept. 15, the Gadsden City Council met for its regularly scheduled meeting to amend its budget for fiscal year 2027 and transfer a reported $75,000 to the Gadsden City Schools Board of Education from a miscellaneous payment account.
District 1 Councilwoman Tonya Lynn Latham, who introduced and backed the amendment, explained that the adjustment would put the funds back into “very needed programs that service young people after school.”
“After a few serious concerns of not being able to continue programs that are vital to our young program, we were able to see how to give these funds back to the Board of Education in order to continue those programs — after-school tutoring especially,” Latham stated. “We are glad to see this come forward today.”
“Hopefully, in the future, we can have those necessary conversations with [the Education and Recreation Committee chair] to see where our school system is and really hear from the superintendent about [those concerns],” she added.
Mayor Craig Ford was not present during the meeting, but a representative from his office stated that “there was some miscommunication during the conversations about the budget between the superintendent and mayor.”
“This is just an attempt to make it right,” the representative stated. “We are putting a plan in place to make sure that we do have open lines of communication between all involved.”
District 2 Councilman Steve Smith also expressed his approval for the amendment, stating, “It is never our intention as a council to ever bring any kind of loss to our school system.”
The amendment was put in for immediate consideration, and the council unanimously approved it.
In other new business, District 6 Councilwoman Dixie Minatra also introduced a resolution to approve a Special Events Alcoholic Beverage License for Artober Fest, which will be held on Thursday, Oct. 15 from 5 to 8 p.m. The resolution, which was put in for immediate consideration, was unanimously approved.
The council also:
- Approved the minutes of the previous meeting.
- Ratified payment of accounts for the week of Sept. 4 through Sept. 10.
- Held two public hearings for and ultimately approved two resolutions authorizing the annulments of Margie Street and Nancy Avenue, of which all affected property owners had petitioned for.
- Rezoned 7.2 acres of the front road portion of 1651 J.R. Countryman Highway, which totals 26 acres, from the traditional residential category to the highway commercial category. The remaining acreage will be developed as a residential subdivision consisting of approximately 60 lots, as proposed by the property owner.
- Approved issuance of a Specialty Retailer of Consumable Hemp Products License to Meldi 1808, Inc.
- Authorized a community policing agreement with the Greater Gadsden Housing Authority, continuing a longstanding agreement between the seven public housing facilities.
- Read a resolution authorizing a memorandum of understanding with Gadsden State Community College, a mutual aid agreement between Gadsden Police Department and the college for the department to provide assistance during emergencies and other special circumstances. A substitute resolution was also introduced to change the terms from one year to four years, and the substitute resolution was ultimately approved.
- Approved a contract with the Humane Society Pet Rescue and Adoption Center to shelter animals impounded by Animal Control in the amount of $10,691.67 per month, beginning Oct. 1. A substitute resolution was also introduced to change the terms from one year to four years, and the substitute resolution was ultimately approved.
The next city council meeting will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 23, at 10 a.m. due to the upcoming runoff election in District 1 between incumbent Tonya Lynn Latham and newcomer LaMont Kyle on Sept. 22.
