Felicia Williams: What She and the Board of Aldermen Have Accomplished for the Town of Centreville

By Roscoe Barnes III, PhD

#FeliciaWilliamsforMayor 

Felicia Williams

NOTE: This is a continuation of my interview with Felicia William, who is running for mayor of the town of Centreville. In this post, she explains what she and the Centreville Board of Aldermen have done for the citizens of their community. She addresses such issues as financial management, service improvements, facility improvements, and personnel management.

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What did you accomplish in your previous position as alderwoman?

As Alderwoman, I used an inclusive style of leadership to bring parties together to work toward a common goal. Giving due consideration to the challenges facing our town today and into the foreseeable future, I believe that style of leadership will serve us all well.

 

During my tenure as Alderwoman, the Board of Aldermen focused on four main areas, Financial Management, Service Improvements, Facilities Improvements and Personnel Management. I am proud of the improving services that the town of Centreville provides and I appreciate the opportunity to highlight a few of those improvements. 

Financial Management:

 

Finances are really the base of everything, so that is a good place to start. When the Mayor and Board of Aldermen took the oath of office almost four years ago, our Town was in poor financial condition. In addition to delinquent employer retirement and sales tax payments, our town owed garbage collectors and gas suppliers $100,000 for past due bills and late charges and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) $35,500 for unpaid 2014-2017 taxes.

 

Here are some of the things that were done to ensure that the Town of Centreville maintains a strong financial position:

* Purged non-operational and non-owned vehicles from town’s insurance policy.

* Adopted measures to ensure accountability in internal spending practices.

* Changed our health insurance policy to provide for better coverage for employees and a lower cost to the Town.  This change resulted in a $10,000 savings.

* Acquired $857,000 in additional insurance coverage for town property at a cost that was lower than our existing payment.

* Audited garbage collection services and made adjustments to ensure that the Town was not overcharged.

* Restructured town finances and accounting procedures to comply with state law and sound business practices.

* Limited overtime expenditures.

* Established contingency funds as required by law and sound business practices.

* Established cemetery fund to ensure proper maintenance of the Town’s cemetery.

* Collected $16,400 in unpaid franchise fees dating back to 2016.

* Approved $40,000 grant from Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

*Completed Audits from 4 prior fiscal years; (2014-2015), (2015-2016), (2016-2017); (2017-2018; the 2018-2019 Audit is in progress at this time.

* Balanced the Town’s budget with no increase in taxes or utility services fees.

Service Improvements:

 

The Board of Aldermen and employees of the town of Centreville are committed to improving the services we provide. This commitment to continuous improvement lays the foundation for service improvements and policies that focus on our community and for us to realize the Centreville we all want and deserve. Towards these ends, the Board of Aldermen:

 

* Established practices to ensure legality and impartiality in providing utility services to residents and businesses.

* Developed computerized work order system to track customer complaints and completion.

* Adopted Ordinance to improve maintenance and appearance of town cemetery.

* Developed and implemented plan to remove dangerous trees from roadways.

* Worked with the county supervisor to help repair potholes in town streets.

* Implemented the Immediate Response Information System (IRIS) system for utility customers.

* Provided uniforms for utility service and street department personnel to ensure that they are readily identified as Town employees.

* Developed the Town of Centreville’s Website.

* Updated the Town’s email address cityclerk@centrevillems.org.   

* Renamed street to honor the sacrifice and contributions of Centreville native Anne Moody.

* Implemented a policy for adjustments in water and sewer bills due to cold weather damaged pipes.

Facilities Improvements:

 

The town of Centreville’s facility improvements vary in scale and type which range from resolving small maintenance issues to space renovations. These projects also provide opportunities to improve accessibility so that programs and services are available to everyone.

 

Below is a list of improvement projects approved by the Board of Aldermen.

 

* Installed up-to-date security surveillance system in town hall.

* Installed emergency generator at the town hall to ensure continuous operations during power outages.

* Installed safety partitions in police department and town hall to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

* Replaced air conditioning unit in town hall.

*Made repairs to the restroom, flooring and emergency exit door of the town hall.

* Entered into a maintenance agreement for the repair and painting of the town’s water towers to maintain the quality of our water supply. The downtown water tower has been cleaned and painted and the town hall water tower has been cleaned and is being prepared for painting.

* Approved maintenance contract for emergency generators that operate water services in the event of a power outage.

* Updated computer system for utility services, police, court and clerical personnel. 

* Purchased vehicle for Utility Services Department.

* Coordinated with State Representative to acquire vehicle for the police department through State Homeland Security Grant.

* Relocated police department providing for reduced operating expense and increased efficiency.

* Installed WIFI in civic center to increase local training opportunities.

 

Personnel Management:

 

Personnel management involves the administrative tasks that address the hiring and compensation of employees. Its objectives are to recruit, train and retain the quality workforce necessary for the town of Centreville to meet its goals. As part of its personnel management, the Mayor and Board of Aldermen:

 

* Developed a comprehensive personnel policy manual for Town employees.

* Established hours for police department personnel to increase accountability.

* Established pay scale for police department personnel

* Implemented the Senior Community Service Employment Program for seniors 55 years and old older.

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ROSCOE BARNES III, Ph.D., is a writer, chaplain, historian, and former newspaper reporter. He is the author of more than a dozen books and Gospel tracts. For more information about his work and history, see his Personal Profile here or visit his website: http://www.roscoebarnes.net. Connect with him on Twitter (@roscoebarnes3) or by email: roscoebarnes3@yahoo.com.