Russell County fiscal court holds first reading to add $161,193 in grants, approves several fund transfers

The Russell County Fiscal Court on Aug. 11 gave a first reading to an ordinance amending the county’s fiscal year 2025–26 budget to include $161,193 in unbudgeted grant receipts and approved several interfund transfers by voice vote.

The ordinance’s first reading lists three grant additions totaling $161,193: a Crumb Rubber grant for $133,388, an Eli Fire Department grant for $20,805, and an ARC civics grant for $7,000. The court’s draft ordinance states the amounts “increase/decrease the receipts” for the affected funds and adds matching appropriations for those grants.

The court emphasized that this was the ordinance’s first reading and not final adoption. As read into the record, the amendment alters estimated revenues and appropriations to reflect the three grants; section text read aloud by court staff said final appropriations would be adjusted once the amendment is adopted.

Separately, the court approved multiple transfers and payments presented during the meeting. Recorded transfers and actions included: a transfer from the general fund to the jail fund (amounts noted in the record at different points as $175,000 and later $125,000), a transfer of $13,850 from the general fund to the LGEA fund, a transfer of $1,500 from the jail fund to the road fund (for road pair/repair restitution), and a transfer of $133,388 from the general fund to the grants fund to fund the crumb-rubber asphalt project. The court also voted to pay the regular monthly bills and to authorize a payment of $10,000 to the Russell County Ambulance/dispatch (recorded as “Russell County analyst board” in the minutes) for dispatch support.

Several transfers and payments were moved and approved by voice vote; motions and seconds were recorded for each transfer in the meeting minutes. The ordinance and transfers will appear on a future meeting agenda for final adoption or further action where required.

Proponents described the grant funding as targeted to specific programs (fire department equipment and local civic programming) and the crumb-rubber project as a capital grant for road materials. The court did not complete a final vote on the budget amendment; it recessed the item as a first reading, as required by local procedure.

Ending: The fiscal court’s next meeting will carry follow-up items, including the second reading and potential adoption of the budget amendment and any remaining paperwork needed to complete the transfers and grant agreements.