Alexandria board adopts meeting-time ordinance, appoints police chief and approves personnel and finance changes

The Alexandria Board of Aldermen voted 4–1 to adopt Ordinance 2026-02, setting regular monthly council meetings for the fourth Tuesday of each month at 5:00 p.m. at Alexandria Town Hall and repealing conflicting code language, the board heard. The ordinance was read at the meeting and approved after a roll-call vote in which Bobby, Buck, David and Sherry voted yes and Debbie voted no.

The council also approved the appointment of Tommy as police chief. Tommy, speaking after the vote, said he had completed transition school at the police academy and pledged an open-door policy, telling the board, “I will have open door policy. Any concerns, come see me, please.” He added he planned to focus on problems the department has seen, including four-wheeler complaints.

Council members discussed several administrative and operational matters. A staff member reported last week’s cyberattack on town-hall computers that resulted in unauthorized Amazon orders routed to a New York address and a changed email address associated with some accounts; staff said they found no evidence that money was taken. The board reviewed a vendor proposal for proactive managed IT services at $797 per month and agreed to take the proposal to a workshop for further review.

On municipal finances and controls, the board voted to remove Beth and Rhonda as signers on the Wilson Bank Trust account and to add Jess as a check signer, with an expressed understanding among members that Jeff would not sign checks during the transition. Members cautioned that any changes to signers must be coordinated with the town controller to avoid disrupting payroll or interfering with grant-related balances.

Other actions approved included accepting a quoted vendor for replacement tires on a town truck and approving the use of a vehicle described in the meeting as “Elizabeth Park’s vehicle.” The board also moved the June meeting to Tuesday, June 16 at 6:00 p.m. to avoid conflict with the DeKalb County Fair and scheduled a June 8 workshop and interviews for police and attorney positions.

Members raised clerk pay during the financial segment. Speakers proposed a range of hourly rates during debate (examples from the discussion included $20, $22.50 and $25 per hour), but the meeting transcript does not clearly record the final approved dollar amounts or the administrative steps for implementation; the transcript indicates a motion and second were made on raises but the precise figures and effective dates were not specified.

Votes at a glance: • Ordinance 2026-02 (change meeting time) — Approved by roll call, 4 yes, 1 no. • Appointment of Tommy as police chief — Approved (voice vote). • Vehicle selection (Elizabeth Park vehicle) — Approved (voice vote). • Tire purchase (vendor selected) — Approved (voice vote). • Remove Beth and Rhonda as bank signers; add Jess as signer (with Jeff not signing) — Approved (voice vote). • Move June meeting to June 16 at 6:00 p.m. (to avoid DeKalb County Fair) — Approved (voice vote). • Appointment of Lisa as time recorder — Approved (voice vote). • Clerk raises — Motion made and seconded; transcript does not clearly record final amount or implementation details.

The board received several routine departmental reports, including public-works updates on sandbagging and zone-meter installations and a report that the fire department reimbursement had been received and deposited, according to finance staff. The meeting concluded after members made a motion to adjourn.

What’s next: The council referred the managed-IT proposal and several budget items to an upcoming workshop (scheduled for June 8) and set the next regular meeting for June 16 at 6:00 p.m. for further action.