Council hears update on blight removals; councilmembers to meet with staff to review departmental budgets

City staff reported progress on ongoing blight-removal work in Talladega and council members described plans to review departmental budgets to address shortfalls.

The update matters because blight-removal operations involve city resources and public-property outcomes, while the planned budget reviews are positioned as part of efforts to align spending with revenue. Staff said the contractor working on blight removal was completing roughly 2½ to 3 properties per day, and Councilman Denny described a plan to sit down with Councilman Dickerson and city staff to examine departmental budgets.

According to the transcript, the speaker credited city inspector JJ for work on the blight projects and said the contractor was averaging about 2 to 3 completed jobs per day. Councilman Denny told the council he had spoken with Miss Phillips, Mister Warren and others and that he had court permission related to the plan; he said he and Councilman Dickerson would meet with Miss Phillips and department heads to "go through the budget to make sure they're getting what they need" and to determine needed adjustments. The transcript does not specify the court order or permission Denny referenced, nor does it list dollar amounts or specific budget line items.

No formal budget amendments or votes were taken at the meeting; the actions described are planning and direction for follow-up meetings between council members and staff. The record shows the council thanked city workers and urged local residents to patronize new businesses; those items were ceremonial and separate from the blight and budget discussion.