SYLACAUGA, Ala. – The new Sylacauga Mayor and City Council members were introduced and sworn into office by Taylor Pharr and Robert Rumsey prior to their organizational meeting. They are as follows: Mayor Dr. Matt Hubbard, District One Council Greer Wright Bisignani, District Two Council Tiffany Nix, District Three Council Nate Brewer, District Four Council Tim Vincent, and District Five Council Laura Barlow Heath.
The first order of business for the new Council was to elect a Council President. Tiffany Nix was elected on a split vote of 3 to 2. Nate Brewer proposed an amendment to the agenda to limit the terms for Council officers to one-year with annual elections, which was approved on a 5 – 0 vote.
Tim Vincent was selected as Council President Pro Tempore on a 3 to 2 vote.
On a unanimous vote, the Council approved Ordinance 2181-16, which established the Rules of Procedure for the City Council. They followed with approval of a measure to ratify the appointments of the various current City employees to their respective positions at their current rates of pay established and fixed for each such employee in accordance with the City’s pay plan, which may be amended from time to time by the Council.
The Council ratified existing depositories of public funds and monies of the City of Sylacauga including Cadence Bank, Renasant Bank, Regions Bank, First Bank, US Bank, First Bank of Alabama, and any other banking or financial institution currently holding City of Sylacauga funds.
Resolution 79-2025 was approved, designating signatories for checks on City of Sylacauga bank accounts and for conducting other financial transactions on behalf of the City. Another related Resolution, 80-2025, failed to get approval to authorize the use of a facsimile signature of Mayor Hubbard for checks drawn on City of Sylacauga bank accounts.
An amended Resolution 81-2025 was approved, appointing Edwin Livingston, Jr. as City Attorney to serve at will for no more than a term of four years. Laura Barlow Heath and Greer Bisignani voted for the appointment, but against the amended version of the resolution.
Resolutions 82-2025 and 83-2025 were approved appointing Matthew West as Prosecuting Attorney for the Municipal Court, along with Dean McConatha as Public Defender for the court. A third related resolution that would have appointed Baylee McDonald as Public Defender was tabled until the next meeting to give the new Council time to study her resume.
That work session and Council meeting, originally scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 4, was rescheduled for Thursday, Nov. 6, with the work session at 5:00 p.m. and the regular meeting to follow at 6:00 p.m.
