Brownsville City Council Struggles with Trash Rates Increase
Photo by Lynn Bledsoe – Brownsville City Council: Melinda Vanmeter, Anthony Duvall Brownsville lawyer Marc Lovell, Mayor Ricky Simon, Jill Vincent, David Campbell, Lloyd Blanton and Justin Meredith review the cities bills. Far Left is Chief of Police Jeremy Hodges and far right is Utility Clerk Jennifer Hite.
Lynn Bledsoe
Gimlet Editor
Brownsville City Council held its regular monthly meeting on Feb. 5, 2025, with all council members present.
In bills to be paid, Mayor Ricky Simon stated that one of the garbage trucks had to be repaired at a cost of $4,900. The cost of having the side arm taken to be repaired was $750. He contacted local resident, Daniel Skaggs, to bring it back for $250, saving the city $500.
The council discussed the trash rates again. No action was taken due to the council wanting to be fair in the rate increase. The city operates trash services at a deficit now of almost $40,000 per year. The dump rates are going to increase so the city will have to increase rates in the near future. Several dumpsters have had items such as pallets, furniture, commodes, and other large items tossed in that are then covered with regular trash. These items continually cause damage to the trucks and costly repairs.
The city council then went into a closed session.
After the closed session, Ordinance #1a-25 Papa Court and Hwy 70 boundaries were tabled until the next meeting.
In police updates, Chief Jeremy Hodges said his department is in the process of hiring a part-time officer.
In Mayor’s updates, Mayor Simon announced that Scotty’s Contracting and Stone had selected Brownsville as one of the cities for the Spot the Pothole contest. Residents can take a picture of the pothole and submit it until Feb. 28. Everyone is allowed to go online and vote for the worst Top 5. If Brownsville wins, then Scotty’s will complete the repairs at no cost to the city. This applies only to city streets.
The meeting was then adjourned.
