The Chilton County Commission gets a lot of flack from residents for the decisions it makes, but it’s one thing to disagree and another to ignore the truth.

I have attended meetings regularly for nearly two years, and one thing I do know is that the current crop of commissioners is committed to talking, and that is the first step to working out problems.

Not long after the new members of the commission were elected in November 2016, they initiated a schedule that would make it easier to have work sessions, so that issues could be discussed in-depth prior to the Monday’s meeting.

Wrong decisions are always going to be made no matter who is sitting up there, they are human after all, but work sessions seem a lot more effective and allow for less of a chance for a regrettable decision occurring.

The most recently approved “vicious dog” bill is an example of something that was talked about for weeks and was able to get sorted out during the work sessions.

The bill will now be presented to the state, and if it gets approved, once more it will be on the ballot in November 2018.

I have heard from conversations with people that dogs are a problem in the county, and in some cases, the dogs travel in packs and can be not only a nuisance but also a danger to residents.

It was made perfectly clear that the bill was not a leash law and was designed to help prevent serious injury from being attacked by a dog.

Originally presented by Commissioner Jimmie Hardee and finalized by County Attorney Fletcher Green, it was a bill with the sole purpose of protecting the people of Chilton County in mind.