Photo by Leah Ingram Eagle
Shelby County Manager Chad Scroggins gives an update on the county during the Oct. 25, 2022, Shelby Chamber luncheon at the Pelham Civic Complex in Pelham, Alabama.
Shelby County's leadership team has changed significantly in the last 12 months, County Manager Chad Scroggins shared with the Shelby County Chamber last week.
David Willingham took over as the county engineer after Randy Cole retired with 31 years with the county. Scott Holladay is now the chief engineer, and Clay Aderholt is the assistant county engineer, Scroggins told chamber members in his annual county update at the Pelham Civic Complex on Oct. 26.
Additionally, Christie Pannell-Hester stepped into the role of chief development officer and has two new team members in Patrick Anderson (inspecting services) and Josh Osborne (planning services). Trey Gauntt is the facilities and general services manager, Brandon Hamilton is over environmental services, and Mike Asdale has taken over as director of the Shelby County Emergency Management Agency.
“In Shelby County, we are focused on quality of life,” Scroggins said. “We can improve quality of life in a few ways, such as providing people a place to work, a good education system and good public safety. The other piece is recreational opportunities; those things make folks want to come to Shelby County.”
Shelby County’s population grew by 3,900 people over the past year to 226,902, Scroggins said. The county also has the lowest unemployment rate in the state, (1.8%) and the county’s 1% sales tax generated $42 million per year, he said. Property values in the county also increased by $478 million, Scroggins said.
Shelby County ranks first in the state in household median income ($78,889), per capita income, unemployment rate, education rate, home median price and health outcomes, Scroggins said.
The county expects to receive $166 million in revenues in fiscal 2023, which would be the largest amount of revenue in history, he said. The county plans to spend $186 million, but that includes money that has been saved over time that will be used to invest into assets in the county, including adding a new pod at the Shelby County Jail, he said.
“We budget extremely conservatively and budget in case there's a downturn in the market or inflation that has recessionary issues that follow," Scroggins said. "We do that because if we save more, it will go into savings for future projects. We are going to spend less than the budgeted number, so it’s able to make us stay extremely tight on expenditures going out and how we collect going in.”
Scroggins said the county received $42 million in federal money from the American Rescue Plan Act and plans to invest that money in infrastructure projects that will last at least 20 years.
Recent projects
Scroggins said one of the things of which county officials are most proud is their ability to take services to people.
"We wanted to be able to combine services where it’s most convenient to do everything you needed to do in the county in one location," he said.
In November, the county opened a new 47,000l-square-foot County Services Building on U.S. 280 for $14.5 million, which was about $2 million less than the architect's estimate because the county sought bids right when the COVID-19 pandemic was starting, Scroggins said.
Mobile Medical Unit: The county utilized an opportunity to go after grant funding to provide a mobile medical clinic and partnered with the Community of Hope Clinic to go into communities during pandemics or vaccination opportunities. It can also be used for everyday medical needs and can go to the rural portions of the county to provide medical services to the underserved.
Dunnavant Valley Park opened on Shelby County 41 in May 2021, and the county purchased the former Mt Laurel organic farm in August 2021.
Double Oak Park will officially open with a ribbon cutting on Nov. 10 at 4 p.m. The 750-acre park is located between Shelby County 41 and Shelby County 43.
The county also has established an email address by which people can report any problems or suggestions: eyes@shelbyal.com.
