To the Editor:
First let me introduce myself. I am The Town of Colony Councilman Melvin Hammond (Finance) and have been a councilman for two and a half years.
This is in support of Mayor (Donnis) Leeth.
The other candidate, Curtis Johnson, is running for this office, but the following reasons (are) why I feel he does not need to hold this office:
In November 2017, the tornado shelter was complete and what was left was to complete the paperwork to get $41,000 the Town had put before the shelter was built. This was entrusted to Mr. Johnson to file the paperwork. In January 2018, while going over the books with the town clerk, it was discovered that paperwork had not been filed. But, after making a few calls, it was found that the mayor was taking care of the matter that day. That day is when I decided all checks and paperwork would go through me.
Prior to my taking over the position as Finance, a purchase of a $35 food warmer unit had been made and when money was allocated for something else, it was used to install a 240W socket to run this purchase, which still remains in one of the Education Complex rooms, still not working because it needs parts.
In 2018, the Education Center roof started leaking. Every time it rained, it would flood the hallway. In the end, I as the Finance Councilman finally decided to do Councilman Johnson’s job, and found someone to fix the roof.
Colony, during the end of 2018, received a water bill of $3,000. For a few months, we would shut the water off at the street. When we failed a health inspection, it was decided that we needed to find someone to find out why. I again took over Councilman Johnson’s job and contracted a plumbing company to help us figure out why. I also ended up employing a leak detection company to find the leak. We ended up fixing a toilet. The leak company couldn’t find any leak.
In January, we hired a plumbing company to find why the Community Center was leaking. Other councilmen again took over another project that Councilman Johnson was to have had done but made no effort to do. That project was finished in May 2018.
Since then, with the cooperation between the mayor, Desperation Church from Cullman and people from the Colony, each first Saturday of each month since June, (have) made an effort to remodel the Community Center, and will be painting in there the first Saturday in September. At no time has Councilman Johnson made an appearance to give them a hand in preparing the center for uses. But he wants to be mayor. If he couldn’t do his job as a councilman, how can he do his job as a mayor?
Mayor Leeth and the present council, with the help of (Town Clerk) Ms. Pat Ponder, have moved this council in the fact that we now have a tornado shelter, Dollar General, and a Community Garden through a grant from Morehouse College. This mayor goes out to the agriculture field and actually picks the garden product he brings through the Colony for the residents. His connections within the county (have) helped the Colony move forward. Where the Colony used to be spend, spend, the Colony has adapted the stance that the city is a business and should be run like a business. The only thing we regret is more people don’t come out to the meetings unless it’s to gripe.
