SB252 Alabama 2021 Session

Updated Feb 26, 2026

Low Interest

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Will BarfootSenator
Republican
Session: Regular Session 2021
Title: Elmore County, co. engineer, terms of employment by co. commission, provisions for employment at will deleted, Sec. 45-26-130 am'd.
Summary: SB252 changes Elmore County rules for hiring, paying, and supervising the county engineer, and adds budgeting, bonding, and emergency provisions.
What This Bill Does
It requires the Elmore County Commission to appoint and employ a qualified county engineer who serves at the commission's pleasure. It lays out the engineer's duties over road, bridge, and ferry maintenance and construction, staff supervision, record-keeping, and compliance with commission orders. It sets budget and pay controls, requires a bond, provides for office space and equipment, and allows an emergency road supervisor if no engineer is available, with ongoing county commissioner oversight of roads.

Who It Affects
Elmore County Commission and the county engineer: they define appointment, salary, budget, bonding, duties, and supervision.
Residents of Elmore County and users of its roads, bridges, and ferries: they are affected by how roads are maintained and projects are carried out under these rules and oversight.

Key Provisions
Applies only in Elmore County.
The commission shall appoint and employ a county engineer or chief engineer who is a thoroughly qualified professional engineer; the engineer serves at the pleasure of the county commission.
Duties include employing and supervising necessary staff, performing engineering and surveying, maintaining maps and records, keeping accounting records for the road system, and constructing or modifying roads only when ordered by the commission; roads, bridges, and ferries are to be managed as a county unit.
The county commission fixes wage scales for labor and cannot be exceeded by the engineer in employing staff.
The commission sets the engineer's salary, payable in monthly installments from road and bridge funds.
Before starting, the engineer must post a surety bond payable to Elmore County; bond amount and surety company are set by the commission; premiums are paid by the county.
The county provides the engineer with an office, supplies, equipment, utilities, and transportation; the engineer is custodian of county road equipment and inventory, with required records.
Expenditures by the engineer are limited to funds appropriated for engineering; the commission fixes the annual budget for road/bridge/ferry work and may increase the amount within legal limits.
The engineer must submit written requisitions for materials; purchases follow applicable law.
In an emergency where no engineer is available, the commission may hire a competent road supervisor with the same duties until a qualified engineer is employed.
Each county commissioner must inspect roads in their district and report citizen suggestions or complaints to the commission, assisting with right-of-way and public relations.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 23, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Elmore County