By Ray King
A special called meeting of the Jefferson County Quorum Court in an effort to adopt a 2025 budget ended like the regular meeting Monday, with the proposed budget failing to win approval.
An effort to suspend the rules and read the proposed budget by title only failed so Chief Deputy County Clerk Tiffany Lowery read the budget document for the first time, but it got no further than that first reading as Justice of the Peace Alfred Carroll began what were almost continuous objections, singling out parts of County Judge Gerald Robinson’s $34.3 million budget.
An effort to get a majority of the JP’s to vote yes on that first reading, which would have allowed suspending the rules on a second reading and moving the ordinance to a third and final reading failed with Justices of the Peace Reginald Adams, Alfred Carroll, Cedric Jackson and Reginald Johnson to vote no and Brenda Bishop Gaddy to say she was confused.
Voting yes were Justices of the Peace Dr. Conley Byrd, Jimmy Fisher, Ted Harden, Danny Holcomb and Patricia Royal Johnson. Justices of the Peace Roy Agee, Melanie Dumas and Margarette Williams were absent.
Nine yes votes were necessary to move the legislation on.
After the meeting, Robinson talked about what had transpired.
The Quorum Courtroom was standing room only and a large number of county employees listened while standing in the hallway.
Among them was Sheriff’s Department Operations Commander Major John Bean who said every member of the department showed up for work Wednesday, knowing they were not going to get paid.
He was asked what he thinks will happen Thursday now that the budget was not approved.
Sheriff Lafayette Woods Jr., will be a guest on the Oldies 1013 Morning Show beginning at 8:05 Thursday morning.
