Governor Bentley Statement Regarding Jefferson County Commission Decision to Accept Sewer Debt Settlement

MONTGOMERY– Governor Robert Bentley today issued the following statement after today’s meeting of the Jefferson County Commission.

“I commend the members of the Jefferson County Commission for their difficult decision to move forward with a negotiated settlement. The vote today was the result of months of hard work and deliberation by the commissioners. It may have been easier for the Commission to file for bankruptcy, but this settlement will result in a much better deal for the ratepayers and citizens of Jefferson County and for the state, with more than a billion dollars in debt reduction for the county.

There is a lot left to do to make the settlement work, but Jefferson County now has a framework in place to solve a longstanding local issue that has a significant statewide impact. I look forward to continuing to work with county commissioners and legislators in preparation for a special session of the Alabama Legislature so that we can pass laws necessary to move forward with the settlement and to address the county’s general fund budget issues.”