SILVERHILL, Ala. — The Silverhill Town Council conducted routine business Monday night during meeting that was anything but routine for Council members, who fielded questions and sometimes criticism from residents.

Several residents came before the council on Monday night with questions ranging from budgetary concerns to right of way permits.

Much of the discussion stemmed around a request by resident Jim Langley, asking how much the council spent on donations per year.

Mayor Tim Wilson responded that the council set aside $3,000 for donations for the 2007-2008 fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30. So far, the council has given $2,970. Silverhill gave a little over $3,000 in the last fiscal year.

While municipalities are prevented from giving money to individuals, they can give money to school or civic groups. The majority of the moneys given so far this year have been to school groups, Wilson said.

Concern was expressed over the pay of Silverhill reserve police officer Stephen “Buck” Rogers. While Rogers received a cost of living raise when the council voted on the matter earlier this year, he had not yet received an evaluation raise after meeting his one-year requirement with the town recently.

Council members voted to give Rogers a $1 per hour raise during Monday’s meeting, but discussion centered around the Council’s promise to make Rogers a full-time officer when a position opened up.

“I just don’t understand how we can afford to give away money, but we can’t afford to give benefits to this man who puts his life on the line for this town,” Langley said.

The town employs two full-time officers, Chief Kim Wasdin and Officer Jimmy Clemmons. While money for a third officer was not alloted for this fiscal year, the Council is considering allocating money for a third officer in next year’s budget.

“Chief Wasdin needs to make a request to put this in the budget for next year and we will consider it,” Wilson said.

Other concern was expressed over municipalities donating money to various school groups.

“I’m not from here and haven’t been here long,” said one resident, “but where I’m from we never once came to a municipality to ask for money. We went out and raised the money ourselves. Is this what we’re teaching our kids? That they don’t have to work for their money, all they have to do is come ask for it and we’ll just give it to them.”

Wilson along with other council members expressed that the donations were intended to support the community, specifically the children of the community.

“What it all boils down to is supporting these kids because they are out future,” he said. “I assure you we have nothing but their best interest at heart.”

In other business Monday, Dalton Head came before the council asking to withdraw his request to rezone property from residential to business.

The property, which is located behind Head’s business, Silverhill Antiques, sits on three separate parcels, two of which are zoned business, but one of which is zoned residential.

Head said his request was merely to have the property currently zoned residential, rezoned to match the other to parcels.

A public hearing was held at the last council meeting July 21. Opposition to the requests was expressed at the public hearing.

“It hurts me that people were opposed to this, and I really don’t want to cause any trouble with my fellow residents,” he said. Head was unable to attend the public hearing, informing Council members that doctors found a tumor on his brain, but that it was not malignant.

“I would really like to postpone doing this until I am better able to answer the opposition,” he said. “Right now I’m just not up to it.”

Following his speech before the council, in which Head expressed his gratitude for the thoughts and prayers of the community, he received an ovation from those in attendance.

Council members informed Head that he had one year to come back to the council with his request without having refile.

In other business Monday, the council:

— Voted to write off bad debts in the amount of $475.83.

— Authorized the purchase of a printer for the courtroom at a cost of $330.

— Tabled a request to purchase advertising in the Baldwin County Fair tab. Town Clerk Bonnie McNeil informed the council that she was going to approach the Fair officials about running the ad for free because there were mistakes in last year’s ad.

— Tabled a request by the Central Baldwin Chamber of Commerce to purchase an ad in the upcoming Chamber magazine.

— Voted to support a request by the Baldwin County Commission asking for a donation from Baldwin County EMC to help with the county’s Bicentennial Park.

— Approved a contract with FEMA to provide debris removal in the event of a natural disaster.

— Tabled a request by the American Red Cross to donate $300 for disaster assistance.

— Approved a contract to provide utility bill payment assistance for the elderly.

— Approved a request by McNeil to send assistant clerk Patricia Bankester to a clerk seminar Oct. 29-31.