Mayor’s Corner

Clarion Top News

Wednesday, 18 October 2023 11:40

Scottsboro Mayor Jim McCamy recently sat down with me to discuss what’s going on in the City of Scottsboro. McCamy began by reporting that the City Council recently passed 90 percent of the budget. As required by law, only 90 percent can be passed initially. The remaining ten percent will be passed at a later date this month. The budget included a $1.25 per hour pay raise across the board for all employees of the city. The Street Department and Sanitation Department did require some high dollar items in their budget. However, that is to be expected with the sort of equipment used by each department. McCamy reported each department had a good budget for the upcoming year. McCamy stated that the more the city grows, the more detailed the budget will need to be.

Additional funding for family health coverage was also placed into the budget. This will allow family coverage to be offered to employees at a rate of $400.31 per month, a substantial decrease to the prior cost of family coverage. McCamy explained that several employees are already taking advantage of the lower cost. An increase in for Fire Fighter Paramedics was also given and a $500 shift differential was given for employees of the Scottsboro Police Department. “This is a significant increase in employee benefits. It helps get us more in line with similar sized municipalities, and will help make Scottsboro more competitive in hiring and retention of employees across the City,” stated McCamy.

McCamy stated that County Park and Highway 72 intersection is complete and the intersection at Highway 35 and Crawford Road has been widened. He also stated that some timing tweaks have been made to the lights at the intersection of Veterans Drive and Micah Way. The frontage road from Micah Way is in progress. “Although we need the rain, the recent dry spell has allowed the contractor to make excellent progress,” said McCamy. Currently the road is being dug, gravel has been placed and guard rails have been installed along the road. McCamy thanks Trinity Baptist Church for their cooperation throughout this frontage road project.

Anyone who drives by the pickleball courts can see that they are continuing to remain full. McCamy explained that due to the number of people playing pickleball, some people have begun using the tennis courts to play when the pickleball courts are full.

The Dunkin Donuts building is moving forward quickly. McCamy is excited to welcome the business into the city of Scottsboro. He also stated that there has been a lot of interest in businesses coming into the city. McCamy said, “We will continue to do everything we can to help businesses come to Scottsboro and to recruit businesses into our city.”

When asked about the Willow Street Corridor recommendations, McCamy stated that the recommendations aren’t back yet. He said that he is looking forward to seeing those results and recommendations, which are expected to be reported back in the near future.

McCamy also said that he and his office continue to press TVA regarding solutions for the Tennessee River grass. McCamy stated that the issues have an impact on access to the river and on tourism.

“Everything seems to be running smoothly in the city. We just enjoyed the BBQ festival this past weekend. There are also a lot of events coming up for our citizens to enjoy. This Friday, Scottsboro City Schools will celebrate Homecoming. The Homecoming parade will begin at Collins Intermediate School at 2:45 p.m. and run north on Broad Street ending at the Jackson County Square. The Homecoming game will kick-off at 7 p.m. Friday night at Trammel Stadium. On October 24, Heartlite Hospice will host their Veterans event from 6:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. on Laurel Street. On October 27, the Art Society of Jackson County will host a Witches Ride and Block Party on the inside of the square. On October 28, the Scottsboro Public Library will host Book or Boo from 9 a.m. until noon. On Halloween, the Rec-Com will host a Halloween Fall Festival from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m. and the City of Scottsboro will host Halloween on the Square from 5:30 p.m. until 8 p.m. Also, on November 4, the Jackson County Jubilee Trade Day will be held on the square from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m,” said McCamy.