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By Carey Reeder | Managing Editor

The City of Clanton held an overview of its recent financial audit at its council meeting on June 23, and a clean opinion was issued to the city. Katie Schmidt, a senior manager at Jackson Thornton, provided the audit overview for the council and public that did a deep dive into the city’s finances over the last fiscal year.

Clanton has received hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants over the last fiscal year that required a more in-depth audit that included a review of those numbers. Jackson Thornton was selected as the firm to do that in-depth audit, but it is also important for the city to get a different set of auditors look at the financials to ensure all things are compliant.

“Our opinion was we issued a clean opinion, which is the gold standard, and that is what you want,” Schmidt said. “(Clanton) has a very, very strong reserve, one we do not see very often.”

Schmidt and her team spent two weeks sorting through the city’s invoices and receipts in a full audit. The city’s general fund budget beat its actual budget by $1 million, which was attributed to additional sales tax revenue the city generated by economic growth, improved investment strategies, budgetary controls and extensive financial planning.

“That is something to be very proud of, and something we do not see often,” Schmidt said.

Additionally, the audit review pinpointed public safety, public works and central government services as the top three spending priorities of the city this fiscal year. While the city built a $1 million surplus in its budget, it was simultaneously increasing services for its residents that included the establishment of a full-time fire department staff, the purchase of a city-owned ambulance and extensive improvements to the city parks systems.

Currently, the city has a reserve that is equivalent to its annual budget, which means in a worst-case scenario Clanton could provide the existing level of services to its residents for a full calendar year even without collecting any additional funds.

“This is an independent verification that public funds are being reinvested for the public good,” Billy Singleton, Clanton City Councilman, said. “That is unprecedented for this city, and in fact, most cities in Alabama and this nation. I hope our residents recognize and appreciate the financial strength of our city. A budget is not a one and done event, it requires the attention of multiple people each and every day.”

Other details from the audit included that the city’s largest source of revenue is sales tax revenue, which increased by nearly $300,000 since 2023. The city’s water and sewer department could operate for four months without adding revenue due to the reserves it has built up. This is largely due to the water revenue charges for service that increased by around $250,000 since 2023. The water and sewer department also received $762,000 in grants for much-needed improvements to its infrastructure.

Also, at the council meeting, a small recess was held to hold a public hearing for three zoning changes within the city limits. The first, owners Donna and David McCary are requesting land at 1003 Seventh St. S. to be rezoned from M-2 (heavy industrial district) to R-1-B (single family residential) to make it compliant for the current use of the land.

The second, owner Bradley Carroll with Vantage Development is requesting land at 1807 Yellowleaf Road to be rezoned from R-1-B (single family residential district) to RT (townhouse residential district) to build one-story townhomes for elderly residents.

“It will not be a family deal, it is not breeze-way apartments, it will be individual townhomes and they will all be one-story,” Carroll said.

Vantage currently owns the Estates at Kendal in Clanton and purchased land across the road from the apartment complex. The rezoning will turn a small portion of that land into an opportunity to build 56 townhomes for elderly residents.

The third, owner Rodney Thrift with Might Through God Apostolic Ministry is requesting land at 1106 First Ave. to be rezoned from B-3 (neighborhood business district) to R-3 (multi-family residential district) so they can provide the land to Habitat for Humanity for new homes to be built.

No one spoke against any of the three rezoning requests, and they were read for the first time later in the meeting. They will be read again for the second time at the next Clanton City Council meeting and voted upon afterwards.

Also, during the meeting, the council approved:

• The appointment of Susie Ellison as the elections manager and absentee manager, and Lisa Taylor as the assistant absentee election manager for the 2025 Municipal Election.