OZARK: RSN wrote a article about the pay of Ozark Police Department officers.Later I spoke with Ozark Mayor Charles Ward and we discussed the issue.
Ward has been a law enforcement officer all of his life going from a Trooper to Colonel over the entire Alabama Department of Public Safety, then to Chief of Police in Ozark and later Mayor of Ozark. Ward took office on November 3, so he has not been Mayor for a year yet.
The morale of the Ozark Police Officers is currently low because of the pay. Ward told me that he was working on he pay situation. Ward said that he thought he had ti worked out but ran into some problems. But if people will be patient and the officers will be patient, for a SHORT period of time, Mayor Ward hopefully will get satifactory solutions.
About the house being painted: that is a grant specifically for the house to be painted. The money has to be used specifically used for the house to be painted and any left over money has to be returned. Not from Mayor, but in less than a year he has to deal with cards left him when administrations changed. In fact, Alabama Legislature needs to change elections and when administrations take over. Budgets are approved in September and administrations change in November. So the first year a new administration has to live with the budge the prior administration passes. However, the current adminsitration did pass a budget in September. So they should have addressed the salaries then. But there might be some things they are left with handling from the prior administration. The Mayor and I did not talk about that but I know it just because of being around government.
HOWEVER, Mayor Charles Ward said he is working on the plan and will be getting it addressed shortly. The City of Ozark Council has a odd set up. In Dothan the Mayor votes, but in Ozark the Mayor acts more like a City Manager and can not vote. So some of this responsibility is on the council. RSN Words and not of Ward’s. A one time grant from Governor Kay Ivey could help. And you have one of the most powerful legislators in Alabama, Steve Clouse, which could be called on. And Kenneth Boswell, the former Enterprise Mayor who is over ADECA which could help with a one time grant. So there is some state help available for a possible one time grant. The answer is NO unless you ask.
Now, to the entire Ozark Council and Mayor, this needs solving SOON!!! And the Mayor has told me he is working on a solution.
DALE COUNTY
The Dale County Commission gave a life changing raise to the men and women in law enforcement with Dale County Sheriff Department. Dale County operates on property tax and SSUT Tax only, and all sales tax goes to the schools.Houston County, who is broke, gets property tax, sales tax and SSUT Tax. So the Dale County Commission does a good job in management of the funds available. And they addressed the pay with the Sheriff Department.
In fact, under the leadership pf Chairman Steve McKinnon and the Dale County Commission, they have upgraded the fleet of the Sheriff Department. Updated the Coroner Office with equipment and vehicles to make sure the deceased are treated with dignity and respect, and the Coroner, John Cawley, has the tools to treat the deceased with dignity and respect.
