Vol. 14, No. 50
Thursday Sept. 22, 2022
Opelika, Alabama
FRED ERi CK-DEAN Covering Lee County, Alabama
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Young Leaders Program Sets New Class CONTRIBUTED BY THE OPELIKA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
PHOTO BY KENDYL HOLLINGSWORTH
OPELIKA — The Opelika Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce and congratulate this year’s Lee County Young Leaders Program class. Lee County Young Leaders is a county-wide program that aims to nurture and develop positive leadership qualities in high school students by giving them the knowledge, tools and contacts to become successful leaders in the community. This program begins in September and will have one session per month until April 2023. Sessions will cover topics and
BY KENDYL HOLLINGSWORTH KENDYLH@OPELIKAOBSESRVER.COM
LEE COUNTY — The Lee County Board of Education recognized District 7 Board Member Brian Roberson and approved the budget for fiscal year 2023, among other business, at its regular meeting Sept. 13. Roberson died Sept. 7 at age 48. He had served on the Lee County Board of Education since 2018, with his district covSee ROBERSON, page A3
See LCYL, page A3
“It is not permanent funding,” Sexton said at the meeting. “It is only temporary funding. In 2036, it goes away unless there is another vote, so to keep it even at the current level would require another vote.” The annual budget for SSFPD is about $565,000, and fixed expenses alone already account for about 87% of the budget. But with
just over 14,000 households to serve within the district, SSFPD’s budget is well below that of other comparable areas. According to the presentation, nearby Phenix City serves about 14,700 households and has a fire budget of over $6 million. Monroeville, Alabama, had the closest budget on the list at about $646,000, but with only about 2,100 households in its jurisdiction.
Sexton said an issue with the current fire fee is that it contains no provision to differentiate between residential and commercial, so large businesses are paying the same $50 a year as each single-family household. “There is an apartment complex in our jurisdiction that has 24 units in a single building, and they pay $50 a year for that entire buildSee DISTRICT, page A5
Auburn Receives Grant to Improve Water Quality PHOTO CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER
BY KENDYL HOLLINGSWORTH KENDYLH@ OELIKAOBSERVER.COM
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER
Smiths Station Fire Protection Seeks More Funding SMITHS STATION — Changes are likely on the horizon for those in the jurisdiction of the Smiths Station Fire Protection District (SSFPD). SSFPD held a town hall meeting Sept. 9 at Station 1 to discuss the need for an increased fire fee and the benefits that would bring to the community. According to Daniel Sexton, SSFPD deputy chief and public information officer, the current annual fire fee of $50 — paid by each owner of a habitable structure in the district — is not enough to meet rising costs and the growing needs of the fire protection district. The fee is approved by vote, and the current fee that was established in 2012 is set to expire in 2036.
Lee County School Board Honors Member
CONTRIBUTED BY CITY OF AUBURN
AUBURN— The city of Auburn’s Public Works and Water Resource Manage-
ment departments are teaming up to improve water quality in local creeks while engaging residents in maintaining See WATER, page A2
CONTENTS
OPINION ..................... A4 ENTERTAINMENT ........... A7 OBITUARIES ............... A14 RELIGION ................... A15 COMICS ....................... A16 SPORTS ........................ B1 POLITICS ..................... B9 CLASSIFIEDS .......... B14 PUBLIC NOTICES ........... B14 PUZZLES ..................... B15