The Selma Times-Journal

An effort to find funding for the Selma-Dallas County Public Library continues with a meeting set Wednesday

between The Dallas County Commission and the Selma City Council.

Mayor James Perkins Jr. called the meeting in a letter sent Thursday.

“Dear Friend of the Library,” Perkins’ letter reads. “Thank you for your continued support of the Selma-Dallas County Library.

As a result of last week’s meeting, the Dallas County Commission has agreed to meet with the Selma City Council to discuss additional funding for the library to subsidize the library’s utility bills.

This meeting will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2005, at 5 p.m. in the Vaughan Room at the Selma-Dallas County Library.

This is not an open meeting.”

Prior discussion about the library’s utility situation has taken place in city council meetings and in a public forum held Dec. 19.

The law requires an open forum when decisions are made about how taxpayer money is spent.

Alabama statutes read:

“The courts have held that public access to public bodies generally extends to the entire decision-making process from discussion or debate and formulation through adoption and enforcement; otherwise public meetings could be held only to ratify decisions made in secret.” Dale v. Birmingham News Co., 452 So. 2d, 1321 (Ala. 1984).

“It’s not a meeting where the public is welcome to interject, really.

That’s what the mayor meant,” Councilwoman Jean Martin explained.

“The public could come if they were interested – I’m just not sure how exciting it would be.”