By Morgan Bryce
Editor
Mayor F.L. “Bubba” Copeland and the Smiths Station City Council were all smiles after hearing the annual audit report from Larry Young, a senior partner of the Columbus-based accounting firm Albright, Fortenberry and Ninas LLP.
Young thoroughly covered each detail of the report with the council. The most notable statistic was the nearly 14 full months of operating expenses covered by the city’s current financial reserves, which far exceeds the 3 to 6 month average of most municipalities in Alabama.
“We are happy to give the city of Smiths Station a clean report on its annual audit. Everything here is ‘fairly presented,’ which means all the financial paperwork presented requires no changes or corrections,” Young said.
Following Young’s remarks, Copeland took a moment to thank the city’s Chief Financial Officer Shelby Branton.
“Ms. Shelby, you are a one-woman department and this clean report would not have been possible without you. You don’t know how much your efforts mean to our city,” Copeland said.
The council heard a second reading of an annexation petition and pre-zoning of property found on Lee Road 293 owned by Allyson Patten and voted to approve this measure. The property is now classified as R-1 residential, single family.
In other business, the council:
-approved the renewing of annual contract with Parks and Recreation Assistant Larry Hart
-approved a resolution authorizing Copeland to accept bonds on behalf of the city and
-approved the general and environmental fund budgets for December.
The Smiths Station City Council meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month with a work session that regularly begins at 5:30 p.m. E.S.T. followed by the regular meeting at 6 p.m.
Meetings are held within the council chambers of the Smiths Station Government Center, which is located at 2336 Lee Road 430. For more information, call 334-297-8771 or visit www.smithsstational.gov.