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Columbiana mayor highlights $25 million RAISE bid and presses state on delayed sewer payments
Summary
Mayor David Mitchell told the council the city submitted a $25 million RAISE grant request for a major project estimated over $26 million and warned that state delays in releasing already‑appropriated funds have left the city with roughly $700,000–$1,500,000 in contractor invoices outstanding.
Columbiana Mayor David Mitchell reported that the city submitted a RAISE grant application requesting the maximum $25,000,000 to cover a project he said was estimated at more than $26,000,000.
The mayor said the application includes allowable overhead charges and local matching that reduce the city’s direct outlay. “The amount we asked for was the full amount of $25,000,000,” Mitchell said, and he described a de‑minimis overhead provision that allowed the city to include roughly 15 percent in administrative costs — an amount he estimated at about $3,200,000 — which pushed the cost estimate over $26 million before trimming other items and claiming a roughly $1,000,000 match.
The council also discussed an immediate funding problem: invoices tied to a local sewer contractor that the mayor said have not been paid despite appropriations. “We’ve got $1,500,000 worth of invoices, to be paid to that contractor,” Mitchell said, and later noted the city had recently received about $800,000 while roughly $700,000 remained outstanding. He said Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) told him the state has the money but has not released it, and he has asked legislative staff to press for disbursement.
Mitchell warned the federal RAISE pool shrank substantially for 2025, reducing available funding city‑by‑city: “When the RAISE grant came out, the funding for 2025, the pool of funding was $1,500,000,000. The current administration cut that $1,500,000 of funds down to a $150,000,000,” he said, noting the reduced pool makes competition for awards tougher and that he and staff will lobby congressional and federal staffers who have provided letters of support.
Why it matters: If the state continues to delay payments on already‑incurred work, local contractors may slow or stop operations, which could delay completion of the sewer project the RAISE application is designed to advance. The mayor said he had obtained letters of support from Senator Tommy Tuberville’s, Congressman Gary Palmer’s and other offices and plans to continue outreach ahead of anticipated award decisions around June.
What’s next: Mitchell said the city will continue to follow up with state and federal contacts and that council and staff will monitor contractor timelines as they await remaining disbursements.
