Former Alabama secretary of state offers Houston County help to secure federal funds for equipment and infrastructure

John Merrill, former Alabama secretary of state and director of public policy for civil engineering firm Wagner Engineering, told the Houston County Commission at an administrative meeting that his firm can help the county secure federal funding for law enforcement equipment and other infrastructure and would do so under a contract with fees not to exceed $50,000 over one year.

The proposal matters because county officials said local funds do not cover all law-enforcement needs. Merrill said Wagner’s strategic-services team works with members of Congress and their staff to present projects and has secured equipment and infrastructure funding for other municipalities. He cited a past project that delivered five squad cars, two fully loaded SUVs, digital fingerprinting equipment and scan equipment with a combined retail value he stated as about $530,000 while the municipality’s out‑of‑pocket cost was less than $130,000. “That’s almost like stealing when it comes to what your payment would have to be,” Merrill said.

Merrill described Wagner’s work as identifying a community’s needs, preparing presentations and making personal visits and phone calls to congressional offices, rather than as conventional grant writing. “We’re not a grant writer, mister commissioner,” he said, adding that the firm will prepare the application materials and can assist with grant administration if the county requests it. He told commissioners the firm has 19 offices in six states and one in Washington, D.C., and said only two of the 10 projects his team submitted since he began working in the role were not funded.

During a question-and-answer exchange, commissioners asked whether the firm also performs the construction or procurement work; Merrill said Wagner will not insist on performing construction or vendor work if the county prefers another firm. Merrill also offered that if a project is not funded in the current funding cycle, Wagner would assist with a reapplication for fiscal 2027 “at no cost to the county commission, period.”

The chairman said the commission will review the proposal further. Merrill offered to prepare a sample contractual agreement for the commission to review and said he would provide contact cards to commissioners. Commissioners asked staff to take a closer look and indicated the item may be scheduled for further consideration at a subsequent meeting.