Commission Recognizes Retiring Employee and Renews Contracts

COVINGTON COUNTY, Ala. — The Covington County Commission held its regular meeting on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, with all commissioners present.

Chairman Smith called the meeting to order and led the Pledge of Allegiance. Commissioner Courson opened the meeting with prayer.

Commission Honors Kiep Johnson

During the meeting, the Commission honored Kiep Johnson with a plaque and proclamation recognizing his 25 years of dedicated service to Covington County.

Johnson will officially retire effective September 1, 2026. Commissioners expressed their appreciation for his many years of service and contributions to the County.

Revenue Commissioner Discusses Property Taxes

Revenue Commissioner Chuck Patterson addressed the Commission regarding property taxes. Patterson explained why property taxes are increasing and provided information about how property tax revenue is distributed.

Members of the public interested in hearing Patterson’s complete comments regarding property taxes may visit the Covington County Commission’s YouTube channel.

Commission Approves Previous Meeting Minutes

Commissioner McGaha made a motion to approve the minutes from the June 23 and July 14 Commission meetings. Commissioner Weaver seconded the motion, and all commissioners voted in favor.

Organizations Present FY 2027 Appropriation Requests

Representatives from several civic, nonprofit and governmental organizations addressed the Commission regarding appropriation requests for the County’s FY 2027 budget.

Those appearing before the Commission included:

• Mrs. Jackson with Bethesda House
• Mrs. Sue Bass Wilson with the Covington Historical Society
• Mrs. Barbara Clark with the Old Three Notch Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution
• Lesa Rathel with the Covington County Child Advocacy Center
• Melissa King with the Covington County Full Tummy Project
• Sara Mixson with the Andalusia Public Library
• Sonja Godwin with the Andalusia Adult Activity Center
• Andrea Miller with Gardens of Andalusia
• Melissa King and Maggie Stoneback with the Andalusia Area Chamber of Commerce

Bethesda House opened in 2019 and serves women and children affected by human trafficking and domestic abuse.

Godwin reported that approximately 59% of the Andalusia Adult Activity Center’s clients reside outside the Andalusia city limits.

Miller discussed plans by Gardens of Andalusia to establish a recovery program within the City of Andalusia.

DHR Contract Renewed for CATS Department

The Commission considered renewing its contract with the Alabama Department of Human Resources for the CATS Department.

Commissioner Courson made a motion to approve the renewal. Commissioner McGaha seconded the motion, and all commissioners voted in favor.

Sanford Deputy Contract Renewed

The Commission approved the renewal of its contract with the Town of Sanford to provide a deputy for the Sanford area.

The contract covers the deputy’s salary and benefits. Training, a vehicle and fuel are not included in the agreement.

Commissioner Weaver made the motion to approve the renewal. Commissioner McGaha seconded the motion, and all commissioners voted in favor.

Inmate Housing Contracts Approved

The Commission approved the renewal of contracts with municipalities for inmate housing during FY 2027.

Under the agreements, the County houses and feeds municipal inmates. Medical expenses are not included in the contracts. No changes were made to the current rates.

Commissioner McGaha made the motion to approve the contracts. Commissioner Holmes seconded the motion, and all commissioners voted in favor.

Sheriff’s Department Travel Approved

The Commission considered an out-of-state travel request for the Covington County Sheriff’s Department.

The Sheriff explained that members of the department have attended the child advocacy conference for several years. This year’s conference will be held in Texas.

The District Attorney’s Office and the Child Advocacy Center will pay the conference expenses other than transportation to and from the event. The Sheriff stated that transportation expenses would be paid from his discretionary funds.

Commissioner Weaver made the motion to approve the travel request. Commissioner Courson seconded the motion, and all commissioners voted in favor.

Forest Service Payment Distribution Approved

The Commission approved the County’s 2026 Forest Service payment election.

Under the approved distribution, 85% of the funds will be allocated to schools and roads, while the remaining 15% will go to the County. The 85% allocation will be divided equally between roads and schools.

Commissioner Courson made the motion to approve the distribution. Commissioner Weaver seconded the motion, and all commissioners voted in favor.

E911 Board Vacancy Announced

Chairman Smith announced a vacancy on the Covington County E911 Board following the departure of Kyle Adams.

Applications will be accepted through Wednesday, August 5, 2026, at 5 p.m.

Engineer Department Authorized to Solicit Annual Bids

The Commission authorized the Engineer Department to solicit annual bids for several materials and services, including:

• Driveway materials
• Fuel
• Emulsified asphalt
• Heavy-equipment parts
• Seed and fertilizer for a six-month period
• Rock hauling

Commissioner Weaver made the motion to approve the solicitation of bids. Commissioner McGaha seconded the motion, and all commissioners voted in favor.

Commissioner McGaha also made a motion to renew the heavy-equipment parts agreement. Commissioner Weaver seconded the motion, and all commissioners voted in favor.

Commission Considers School System Projects

The Commission considered a request from Superintendent Guilford for in-kind assistance with projects at Straughn, W.S. Harlan, Fleeta and Red Level schools.

The proposed work included repairing a drainage ditch, pipe and erosion issue at Straughn; addressing erosion and rerouting water away from the playground at W.S. Harlan; and removing trees at Fleeta.

The school system would purchase the required materials. Materials for the Straughn project are estimated to cost approximately $16,500, while materials for the W.S. Harlan project are estimated to cost approximately $4,500. No estimate was provided for the tree removal.

Commissioner McGaha expressed concern about County employees removing trees near a school building. Commissioner Holmes shared that concern and noted that the County also has numerous roads requiring attention. She asked whether the school projects could be completed during slower winter months.

Commissioner Courson stated that he did not have a problem with the County assisting as long as the work was completed during the Engineer Department’s available downtime.

Commissioner Courson made a motion for the County to assist with the requested in-kind services as scheduling and resources allow. Commissioner Weaver seconded the motion.

Commissioners Holmes and McGaha voted against the motion because it included the tree-removal project. Both commissioners indicated that they supported the remaining projects.

Chairman Smith broke the tie by voting in favor of the motion, approving assistance with all of the requested work.

Community Dumpster Locations Announced

Karen Sowell informed the public that the County’s community dumpsters will be located in Buck Creek and Babbie during the month of August.

Next Commission Meeting

The meeting was adjourned.