By Adam Smith

The North Jefferson News



State Representative Allen Treadaway has never shied away from voicing his opinion about mismanagement at the state and county level.

The legislator, who represents north Jefferson County’s 51st district, spoke at the Gardendale Senior Center Friday about the Jefferson County Commission’s financial crisis and how it could affect county programs, from senior centers to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.

A veteran officer with the Birmingham Police Department, Treadaway predicted the county could run out of money by month’s end and several services would be affected, including law enforcement.

He said taking more deputies off the street would impact the sheriff’s office and the law enforcement agencies of surrounding municipalities. He predicted slower response times and more departments sharing the burden of protecting residents.

He also balked at the county commission’s recent request to release non-violent inmates from county jails.

“There’s no such thing as a non-violent offender,” he said. “Some folks who create havoc in our community need to be locked up. If they’re in a state prison, they definitely need to be there.”

On Friday, a Jefferson County Circuit Court hearing was held in which the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office sought a restraining order against the county commission. The commission has asked Sheriff Mike Hale to cut his department’s budget by $5.1 million, a move that Hale has publicly said would take officers off the street and endanger the lives and property of residents.

In addition to law enforcement cuts, Treadaway said residents may also see deeper cuts in other services like road maintenance.

Gardendale Mayor Othell Phillips, who was in attendance, said he and other mayors had been told by the commission that county-funded road projects would be halted. However, he said he and other mayors in the Jefferson County Mayoral Association had decided to work together on road maintenance and other issues like storm cleanup when necessary.

The county’s debt crisis deepened after being unable to pay back more than $4 billion in sewer debt and worsened after courts ruled the occupational tax unconstitutional. Further court decisions denied the county access to collected occupational tax funds.

The county has slashed its budget by 33 percent since April, laying off workers and cutting the hours of other workers back to 32 hours per week. The cuts also meant the shuttering of satellite courthouses throughout the county, including the Gardendale location.

Treadaway said despite the gravity of the situation, he’s hopeful a plan to repair the occupational tax can be hatched when Jefferson County’s legislative delegation meets on July 15.

“I’m not trying to throw darts at Jefferson County because it’s the same on the state level,” he said. “I’m hoping we can fix these issues in a fair and equitable way.”

In the meantime, Treadaway said the cuts are likely not over and county funds to senior centers may also see a 33 percent reduction.

Gardendale Senior Center Director Peggy Hoback Clark said such cuts would have a detrimental effects on senior centers, especially if it affected its meal program. Jefferson County’s senior citizens are eligible to receive one hot lunch per day at any of the senior centers with a $1 donation.

However, Treadaway has applied for grant funding that if awarded, he would split among senior citizens in his district.

“We’re all trying to avoid bankruptcy, but it may be the only option available,” he told the group. “Otherwise, you, I and my five children will be paying this debt and we don’t owe it.”