Mayor Dearl Hilyer commended his department heads last night during the town’s council meeting because the town reduced its operating costs significantly.

“We did great in December,” Hilyer said. “We’re not spending like we did before. This was a month where we needed to cut back so we didn’t have to borrow money.”

The council also hired Errick Smitherman as a part-time police officer, paid membership dues to the Chilton County Chamber of Commerce and gave Thorsby First Baptist a year to buy property the town now owns behind the old senior citizen’s building.