Counties disagree over group’s direction

By By Leada Gore, Hartselle Enquirer
After months of controversy, Hartselle is opting to end its association with the troubled North-central Regional Council of Governments or NARCOG.
With Decatur joining Hartselle in leaving the group, half of the population served by the organization - and the accompanying federal funds they receive - are no longer under NARCOG’s control.
Hartselle’s City Council passed an ordinance Tuesday night severing its relationship. No services will be affected, according to Mayor Dwight Tankersley, who is also president of NARCOG’s board of directors. NARCOG oversees a range of economic and social functions, including grants, aging programs, regional planning and the Metropolitan Planning Organization. It represents Cullman, Lawrence and Morgan counties as well as cities such as Cullman, Decatur, Hartselle, Moulton and Priceville.
The defection comes on the heels of the retirement of long-time executive director Ron Matthews after allegations of improper reimbursements and the hiring of Neal Morrison. Morrison is a former State Legislator and an employee of Wallace State Community College.
Both Matthew’s leaving and Morrison’s hiring were split along county lines. Earlier, Morgan County’s delegation, which includes incoming NARCOG board chair and county commission Chair John Glasscock, voted to dismiss Matthews after questions were raised about his travel expenses and reimbursements. The board, led by the Cullman delegation, voted to allow him to retire.
Last week, the split became even more apparent when members of the board’s personnel committee made a salary recommendation for the recently hired Morrison. The personnel board, comprised of Bob Francis of Hartselle, Moulton Mayor Ray Alexander and State Rep. James Fields of Cullman, voted to go with a consultant’s recommendation and set Morrison’s salary at $84,074, with raises coming after six and 12 month reviews. Board member James Graves, chairman of the Cullman County Commission, suggested the salary be set at $95,121 with automatic six month and 12 month raises. He also proposed Morrison be allowed to keep his sick leave and vacation time he had accumulated at Wallace State.
The board later voted 11-9 for the higher salary and allowed him to retain the sick and vacation time. The 11 “yes” votes all came from Cullman county.
Those moves left Hartselle no choice, Tankersley said.
At the time of the vote, the board did not know how much sick leave or vacation time Matthews had accumulated at Wallace State, Tankersley said. Morrison starts his new job Oct. 22.
Tankersley said the money, most of which is in the form of federal grants, NARCOG receives for Hartselle and Decatur will still have to be spent in this area. He’s hoping the Morgan County Commission, which could also opt to leave NARCOG, will serve as the managing agent for the funds.
Hartselle pays $4,207 per year in dues to NARCOG. Decatur and Morgan County pay an additional $33,700. The three also account for some $1 million in funding for the organization’s $7 million budget.