BAY MINETTE — Finances seemed to be the topic of the day at the Bay Minette City Council meeting Monday night.

The work session included a presentation by Joy Jolly with Municipal Securities on the city's debt obligations, credit rating and current options. Jolly said the city’s credit rating is in the “A” category, in good shape as far as debt and debt capacity.

District 2 Baldwin County Commissioner Ed Bishop later updated the council on the county’s similarly positive credit outlook.

“We have a double-A rating,” he said. “No county has a higher borrowing rating than Baldwin County. We can borrow money without problem, we’ve got things under control and we look good on the books.”

Immediately following Jolly's presentation, the issue of borrowing was raised when the 2010 capital needs list was jointly presented by Finance Officer Joe Landenwich and various department heads.

Joseph Hall, supervisor of parks and grounds, told the council his department was going to need two new tractors — a boom mower and a bat wing, before summer.

Hall said the three tractors currently being used are over 20 years old and have been repaired so many times, the next repair may cost more than the tractors are worth.

"We need to trade now before one blows up, and they're real close to that," he said.

Vehicles were the other top requests, with Bay Minette Police Chief Michael Rowland asking for five new cars.

"We haven't bought patrol cars in three years. Two years ago we bought a vehicle for the SRO and we got a used Explorer for our detectives," he said. "We are in dire need of patrol cars. We just hired six new officers, two are out of the academy and three are about to go. They will be returning and needing a vehicle."

Rowland said one vehicle was involved in an accident last Friday during heaving rains, and can be fixed but will take several weeks to be put back into service.

"Another one was wrecked several weeks ago and it was totalled," he said.

Rowland said that the best purchases are through the state auction and that he needed four patrol cars and one for administration, which includes the detectives.

Bay Minette Fire Chief Phil Bryars said he is also in need of a new vehicle.

He said the vehicle used for the Fire Prevention Program is beyond repair and another truck needs to be purchased.

"I would like to buy a 4-wheel drive for me because I often have to go where a 2-wheel drive can't. Then we will make my current vehicle the fire prevention truck," he said.

He said he had budgeted for new turnout gear, which now will not have to be purchased.

Lamar Hadley, supervisor of the streets and public works, was not at the meeting but made a request through District 1 Councilman Danleigh Corbett.

"He needs a new truck and a new limb truck," Corbett said.  He explained that the current limb truck had been spliced together from two different vehicles.

The total amount of capital needs, all of which were budgeted for, equals $329,000. Landenwich said that did not include the tractor trade-ins.

Landenwich suggested taking a loan to make the purchases, but District 2 Councilman Mike Phillips questioned that action.

Mayor Jamie Tillery recommended having a special-called finance meeting, at which time Landenwich could present all options on paper for comparison. The meeting is set for Monday at 8 a.m. in the City Hall conference room.

Finally, Baldwin County High School Principal Johnny Cabanis and Lester Smith, human resources director for Baldwin County Public Schools, spoke on the upcoming referendum and what will happen if the tax passes versus if it does not pass.

"We're looking at 103 teacher cuts even if the tax does pass, and 268 if it doesn't pass," Smith said.

Smith said the current budget shortfall began during the 2007-2008 school year, requiring the dismissal of 127 people at the end of that academic year. During the 2008-2009 academic  year, the school system lost another $12.5 million, which Smith said the system absorbed through retirees and others vacating positions.

By the end of the year, though, it was not enough, and another 346 employees were let go.

When this school year began, proration and falling property taxes yet again hit the school system, causing a drop of $7.5 million.

He told those present that the money raised from the penny tax would be used for the children. "If we don't (pass the referendum), the ones hurt will be the kids," he said.

Cabanis spoke on BCHS’s current personnel crisis.

"In 2007, Baldwin County High School had approximately 1,250 students. In 2010, Baldwin County High School has approximately 1,250 students," he said. "In 2007, we had 90 teachers. In 2010 we have 65 teachers.

"If we lose more teachers, the classroom population goes up," he said.

He said the workforce has been cut so drastically that he and other assistant principals have been serving lunch because there are not enough cafeteria workers to process 1,250 students in the amount of time allotted for lunch.

"And now we're looking at losing eight more. It's hard to fathom what will happen," he said. "Band will be cut drastically, there will be no chorus. Science, social studies, math and English will continue, but will have classes of 40 or more,” he said.

He said the cuts could put the honors program in danger as well.

Tillery suggested residents get all the facts by talking to others, visiting the schools and attending meetings.

"Cast your vote based on accurate information and decide what is best for you, what is best for your children and what is best for your city," she said.

Finally, the council voted to move the March 15 meeting to March 22 because of a lack of quorum on the originally scheduled date.