Photo courtesy of The Shelby County Chamber
Shelby County Manager Chad Scroggins provided an update on Shelby County to a sold out crowd at the Pelham Civic Complex on Oct. 25.
The luncheon, presented by The Shelby Chamber of Commerce, included an 86-slide presentation, highlighting recent trends in Shelby County, county staff and plans for the future.
Scroggins said the county staff of 615 employees is dedicated to serving others.
The county, which was on the verge of filing for bankruptcy in the 1990s has come a long way in a short period of time, Scroggins said.
“It had to do with the leadership that stepped forward in the 1990s that led us out of where we were to where we are today,” he said. “That, along with comprehensive planning in the early 2000s. I’m thankful that our staff has the ability to stand on the shoulders of all the work that was done in the 90s.”
Scroggins said that all the county government does is take the resources of the [235,000] people of the [808 square miles of the] county and combine them and collectively serve them with those resources.
Shelby County is the only county in the state of Alabama that has nine county commissioners and the districts are broken up by about 25,000 people in each district.
“This gives us a more diverse array of thoughts of how we want to better manage the county and drive it into the future,” Scroggins said.
The county boasts the lowest unemployment rate in the state (1.8%) along with the highest labor participation rate. The county also leads in every category from per capita income ($42,106), median household income ($82,592), highest education rate (44.8%), median home price ($235,500) and first in health outcomes (how healthy the population is). Shelby County has the least amount of people without insurance and people in poverty.
“We have a lot to really be proud of and it takes everyone to meet these numbers,” Scroggins said. “This makes delivering the state of the county to you very easy.”
The county is first in Alabama, but the state doesn’t lead the nation. Scroggins said the goal is to try to be the best the county can be statistically, not in Alabama, but among all of our peers in other places.”
Budget revenues projected for FY24 total $86 million:
- Public safety: (sheriff’s office, EMA, juvenile development services, volunteer fire) $41,544,559
- Highway department: (county roads and bridges) $24,913,937
- Water services: $21,082,499
- Landfill: $9,198,427
Since October 2022:
- The Shelby County Comprehensive plan was approved in March 2023
- Qualified for Community Development Block Grants to receive Urban County Designation
- Park and Recreation Grant program increased to $500,000
- Initiated the most expensive highway project (I-65) in county history with partners Alabaster, Calera and 58 INC. to expand the interstate from exit 238 in Alabaster to exit 231 in Calera.
- Awarded the second largest building project in the county history- A $27.5 million expansion project at the Shelby County Jail.
- Opened Double Oak Park (879 acres)
- Added 24 hour ATMs for tag renewals
- Assisted in turf and track projects at Oak Mountain High School and Chelsea High School
- The tourism department has recruited or enhanced dozens of projects
Scroggins shared that what makes Shelby County different is that it’s managed on a cash basis and there is no debt associated with any projects.
“We save money until we have the funds to do the project,” he said.
