At a meeting of the Russell County Fiscal Court, magistrates and the county judge approved a package of routine items, including a second reading of a budget amendment ordinance and several transfers and grants, and they held an executive session on litigation with no action taken.

Highlights

- Second reading and approval of a budget amendment ordinance (Ordinance 2509) amending the 2025–26 fiscal year budget to recognize unbudgeted opioid fund carryover receipts of $662,505.25 and settlement funds of $101,992.27, with amended appropriations for opioid‑related liaisons, supplies, training, travel and an opioid reserve; total amended appropriations in the ordinance were stated as $764,497.52.

- Transfer of $20,805 from the general fund to grants to provide a local match for an Eli Fire Department FEMA grant to purchase a new tanker truck; the total FEMA award cited by staff was $450,000 with a 5 percent match.

- Transfer of $375,000 from the general fund to the jail fund for operating expenses and bond payment (annual jail payment).

- Preapproval to accept rescue‑squad grant dollars when received and a change to Halloween hours to 5–8 p.m. on Oct. 31.

- Acceptance of Irene Lane (0.112 mile) into the county road system (District 2).

- Executive session to discuss litigation; the court later announced “no action taken.”

Other routine approvals included minutes, payment of bills and monthly reports from the detention center and sheriff’s office. The detention center reported an average inmate population near 107–109 with receipts and expenditures noted in the detention report; the sheriff reported 503 calls for service in the month, 48 arrests and 90 prisoner transports for the reporting period. The fiscal court also agreed to pursue an ordinance establishing setbacks for industrial solar projects and directed the county attorney to draft language for a first reading and legal notice.

Where the money goes: the budget amendment listed appropriations from the opioid fund for liaison services ($55,000), office supplies ($2,000), conference and training ($2,500), travel ($1,000) and transfer to opioid reserve ($702,997.52), with total amended appropriations reported as $764,497.52. The jail transfer was described as the routine annual payment to cover operating costs and bond obligations.

Procedural notes: most approvals were made by voice vote with magistrates responding “aye” and no roll‑call tallies read into the record; the court described some items as second readings and noted required legal advertisement and a subsequent second reading where applicable.