RickJourney's Blog

Firing a shot at Jefferson County lawmakers, JeffCo Commission President Bettye Fine Collins warned today of cuts in county services.

At least one lawmaker already calls it an effort to push the county's responsibility off to someone else.

Collins statement today says without the legislature agreeing to "restructure" the penny Education sales tax to handle the Sewer Bond Debt crisis, operating budgets for Environmental Services and Roads/Transportation will be cut millions. Read her full statement here.

Collins warns satellite courthouses at Green Springs and Forestdale will be closed and the Center Point and Gardendale sites will cut back to three days a week.

Collins says the legislative delegation "wants all (her emphasis) the power and none of the accompanying responsibility." She goes on to call the legislative delegation a "plantation form of rule."

State Rep. Rod Scott (D-Fairfield) warned of the potential for cuts on the HumpDayReport Wednesday. Still, he and Rep. Paul DeMarco (R-Homewood) stress lawmakers are against raising taxes to solve the crisis. Watch the interview here.

DeMarco tells me this afternoon "there is some tone deafness from the County Commission. The people have said they want no new taxes and user fees. This lays squarely on the shoulders of the county commission."

DeMarco says "this is the commission members trying to push the responsibility elsewhere."

DeMarco meets this afternoon with the two commissioners backing bankruptcy, Jim Carns and Bobby Humphreys.

Carns tells FOX6 News he will still push for a bankruptcy vote before the Commission next week, despite a three vote majority (Collins, Smoot, Bowman) opposing it.