SPORTS
OPINION: AMENDMENT TWO GIVES PARKS A FIGHTING CHANCE, PAGE 4.
Ole Miss honors Alex City native.
THURSDAY
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Page 10. Lighting the way for Alexander City & Lake Martin since 1892 September 29, 2016
Vol. 124, No. 195
www.alexcityoutlook.com
City still holding on new budget By MITCH SNEED Editor
Alexander City has not passed budget for the upcoming fiscal year, but Mayor Charles Shaw said he believes they are in better shape than the previous two years. State law mandates that cities have a new, balanced budget in place by Oct. 1 each year or vote to continue under the existing budget until a new fiscal budget
is adopted. On Sept. 19, Shaw told the city council at its regularly scheduled meeting that he anticipated having the budget complete by Sept. 22 so that budget work sessions could be scheduled for the council to review the numbers and ask questions. To date no budget meetings have been scheduled and no specially called meeting has been set to vote to continue with the current budget. Continuing with
the existing budget be considered at Monday’s regular meeting. “We are supposed to have one approved by Oct. 1, ready to go in place on Nov. 1,” Council President Jim Spann said. “It was my understanding that the mayor was handling the budget. That’s what we were told, but as of now we haven’t seen anything.” Being late with budgets is nothing new to this council.
Last year the council didn’t pass a budget until Dec. 7. In 2014, the passage was even later, passing the new budget on Dec. 28. In 2013, the council was only slightly past the deadline, approving a budget on Oct. 7. Shaw said Wednesday that the final departmental projections are done and See BUDGET • Page 5
County considers $14.4 million budget
Tutu 2.2 fun run set for Tuesday By DAVID GRANGER Staff Writer
By MITCH SNEED Editor
If you should see a runner dressed in a tutu over the next several days, it may be a budding ballerina late for a class. Or it could be someone in the midst of a dress rehearsal for the Third Annual Tutu 2.2, a fun run, jog, walk – whatever the participant’s chosen pace – set for Tuesday, Oct. 4, at 6 p.m. on the Russell Medical Center campus. “It’s a good community event to kick off October,” said Susan Foy, marketing director at Russell Medical Center. It’s a good cause and we have some participants who run, but most of them walk. We’ve even had some participate in wheelchairs and, of course, our furry friends are welcome, too. “The most important thing is the event is centered around Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but the run itself is really to honor all cancer patients – the ones that are still with us and fighting the fight and the memory of the ones who have already left us. We even have some cancer survivors who participate.” Foy said that the money raised See TUTU • Page 5
Cliff Williams / The Outlook
LMRA t-shirt finalists are, left to right, Kandalyn Gregg, Natalie Colley, Katie Waldrop, contest winner Anna Grace, below, Sanquavious Young, Steven Kim and Jay Harrell. Back row are Stephens teachers Ann Goree and Debbie Griffith and LMRA President John Thompson.
TINY DESIGNER LMRA t-shirt will feature Stephen’s third-grader’s art
By DAVID GRANGER Staff Writer
Six Stephens Elementary school artists waited patiently for John Thompson to point out which one of their drawings was the winner of the Lake Martin Resource Association’s sixth annual t-shirt contest and would be featured on the t-shirt to be handed out to volunteers at this year’s Renew Our Rivers cleanup of Lake Martin in November. But first, their teacher, Debbie Griffith, told them what an honor it was to be among the group of finalists. “This was not easy,” said Griffith, a veteran art See DESIGN • Page 3
Girl Scouts turns girls into valuable women
The Tallapoosa County Commissioners will meet this morning at 9 a.m. to consider a proposed budget that includes $14.4 million in expenditures, an amount that is almost identical to the Fiscal Year 2016 budget. County Administrator Blake Beck said Wednesday that the county saw basically flat revenues, with just an overall increase in revenue of 1 percent. With that in mind, commissioners will consider a budget that holds a tight line on spending. “There have been little changes in our revenue, so therefore we don’t have the luxury to add much in any additional spending either,” Beck said. “So what we have proposed is basically flat with last year. There are a few things that change, but we will wait until the commissioners have a chance to weigh in on it before we talk too much about those things.” The proposed budget does not include any across the board cost See COUNTY • Page 3
Horseshoe Bend Homecoming 2016
Lake Martin
Lake Levels
486.59 Reported on 9/28/16 @ 7 p.m.
By DAVID GRANGER Staff Writer
The United Way of the Lake Martin Area partners with 27 agencies that serve the local area in a variety of important ways. Each year, United Way holds a major fundraising campaign to raise money that is disbursed among those agencies. For the next several weeks, The Outlook will briefly profile each of those 27 agencies. Today, we feature the Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama. What is the Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama? Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama, Inc. (GSSA) builds girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. It is the leadership training ground for girls and See GIRL SCOUTS • Page 5
LACEY HOWELL 256.307.2443
laceyshowell@gmail.com 5295 Highway 280, Alex City, AL
Today’s
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Cliff Williams / The Outlook
Horseshoe Bend High School senior Brandon Sharpe packs sand in a bucket for part of the senior float Tuesday evening.
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54708 90050 USPS Permit # 013-080
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