Title 45

(a) The Lawrence County Commission may adopt a new county personnel system for county employees pursuant to the authority granted in Amendment 909 to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, now appearing as Section 43.02 of the Official Recompilation of the Constitution of Alabama o…

The Lawrence County Commission, or any succeeding county governing body performing the functions of the county governing body in the county, shall employ a county engineer, who shall be a thoroughly qualified and competent civil engineer, possessing all of the qualifications as s…

The county engineer shall be appointed by the county commission from a nomination made by the Director of Transportation. If the nomination is not acceptable to the county commission the Director of Transportation shall be requested to make additional nominations. Should the Dire…

It shall be the duty of the county engineer to do all of the following: (1) To employ, supervise, and direct all assistants as are necessary properly to maintain and construct the public roads, highways, bridges, and ferries of Lawrence County, and he or she shall have authority …

The county engineer is designated as the person authorized to make written requisition upon the duly designated purchasing agency, for all articles, materials, supplies, and equipment necessary for the maintenance and construction of roads, bridges, and ferries in Lawrence County…

It shall be the duty of the county commission to fix, from time to time, in accordance with prevailing economic conditions, the various scales of wages or salaries to be paid for labor necessary in the maintenance and construction of roads, bridges, and ferries, and the wage or s…

The county commission shall fix the amount of the salary of the county engineer, payable in equal monthly installments from the road and highway funds of Lawrence County. (Act 79-738, p. 1310, §6.)

Before entering upon his or her duties, the county engineer shall make and enter into a surety bond in the amount of five thousand dollars ($5,000) payable to Lawrence County, conditioned for the faithful discharge and performance of his or her duties as such engineer, and for th…

The county engineer shall report on a day to day basis to the chair of the county commission and shall report regularly to the county commission as a whole. (Act 79-738, p. 1310, §8.)

The county commission shall furnish the county engineer with an office at the courthouse, or elsewhere, at the county seat, and all necessary office supplies, and shall furnish him or her with necessary transportation in connection with his or her duties under this article. (Act …

The county engineer shall be the custodian of all road tools, machinery, supplies, and equipment of Lawrence County, and he or she shall be accountable for the same, at all times. The county commission shall furnish the necessary storage facilities in which to keep the tools, mac…

The authority of the county engineer shall be limited to the expenditure of such funds for the purpose of construction, maintenance, or repairs of public roads, bridges, and ferries of Lawrence County as may be set aside and appropriated by the county commission, as hereinafter p…

The county engineer shall make written requisition to the chair of the county commission for all materials, machinery, equipment, and necessary supplies needed for the construction, maintenance, or repair of the public roads, bridges, and ferries of Lawrence County. The requisiti…

It shall be the further duty of the county engineer to inspect all materials, machinery, equipment, and supplies, purchased by Lawrence County for use on public roads, bridges, and ferries, when the same is delivered, and the same shall not be accepted and paid for without its fi…

In the event an emergency should arise, in which it would be impossible for the county commission to employ an engineer, as hereinabove provided for, then, in that event the county commission shall employ a competent road supervisor who need not be an engineer, but, when so emplo…

The county commission is prohibited from authorizing or performing any work on private property with the exception of work performed on church, school, or cemetery property. Any violation of this article shall be a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than five hundred do…

The County Commission of Lawrence County is authorized, when the need exists, to provide protection against forest fires in Lawrence County by participating in the Alabama Forestry Commission’s fire protection program in the manner hereinafter specified. (Act 81-846, p. 1522, §1.…

(a) After the Lawrence County Commission has determined that such a need does exist in Lawrence County, the county commission, in the manner hereinafter specified, may provide for a financial charge or tax to be paid by the owners of forest lands located in Lawrence County for th…

The need for a financial charge or tax to provide forest fire protection within the county shall be determined by the county commission after a public hearing is held thereon. Notice of the public hearing shall be given by the county commission for a period of two consecutive wee…

Any financial charge or tax fixed as provided in Section 45-40-140.02 shall be payable at the same time and in the same manner as county taxes and the owners of the forest lands, as herein defined, shall make report of same to the Tax Assessor of Lawrence County at the time fixed…

The County Commission of Lawrence County is authorized to appoint agents and delegate authority to individuals to search out forest lands in Lawrence County, determine the area and owners thereof, and report same to the Tax Assessor of Lawrence County who shall be authorized, aft…

The tax herein imposed shall be due and payable to the State Department of Revenue, and, when collected, shall be paid by the Lawrence County Tax Collector to the Treasury of Lawrence County. All monies collected in accordance with this part shall be spent in participating in the…

The County Commission of Lawrence County is authorized to remove the financial charge or tax after the county commission has determined that the financial charge or tax is no longer needed. The county commission shall hold public hearings to determine whether or not the financial…

This part shall apply to Lawrence County. (Act 93-533, p. 878, §1.)

The Legislature declares that all volunteer fire departments, including volunteer fire departments that have emergency medical technicians that are members, are organizations that are public in nature and serve to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of the cou…

For the purposes of this part, the following words have the following meanings: (1) COMMERCIAL BUILDING. Any building that houses one or more separate business enterprises that purchase and display a business license applicable to each business enterprise. In the case of a commer…

The governing body of Lawrence County is authorized, in its discretion, to levy, in addition to any and all taxes or fees levied prior to the effective date of this part, a fee in the amount of twenty-five dollars ($25) per year on each dwelling and commercial building in Lawrenc…

The fee provided in this part shall be levied, collected, administered, and enforced as closely as possible at the same time, in the same manner, and under the same requirements and laws as state ad valorem taxes. Any exemption of property from ad valorem tax shall be recognized …

In order to be an eligible volunteer fire department for purposes of this part, a volunteer fire department shall be certified under the Alabama Forestry Commission guidelines and a member in good standing of the Lawrence County Firefighters and Rapid Responders, Inc. (Act 93-533…

Funds disbursed to eligible volunteer fire departments pursuant to this part shall be expended only for fire protection and emergency medical services, including training, supplies, buildings, capital improvements, equipment, insurance, professional services, and dues. The funds …

Upon the dissolution or abandonment of any eligible volunteer fire department, any remaining funds derived from this part or any assets purchased with any funds derived from this part shall be transferred to the county association. Act 93-533, p. 878, §8.)

The personnel of volunteer fire departments and emergency medical technicians that are members of volunteer fire departments funded as provided for in this part shall not be considered employees, servants, or agents of the county and the members of the county commission and the e…

For the purposes of this part, the following words have the following meanings: (1) COMMERCIAL BUILDING. Any building, structure, or other improvement to real property used for a commercial or business purpose. If there is more than one business, occupation, or enterprise occupyi…

(a) A fire district in the county shall provide fire protection services within its service area for fires and related emergency incidents that are not the primary responsibility of law enforcement or emergency medical services. (b) The county commission may request the county as…

(a) A fire district may be created when the board of directors of a volunteer fire department submits a request to the county association to incorporate the department as a fire district, and the county association forwards the request to the county commission with a recommendati…

(a) The geographical boundaries of a fire district shall be the existing service area of the volunteer fire department as defined by the Lawrence County E-911 District on October 1, 2025. (b) In any case in which an unincorporated area is within the service area of a municipality…

(a) The number and selection of the fire district board of directors and officers shall be governed by this section unless requirements are adopted by the county association pursuant to Section 45-40-142.01. (b) The existing members of the board of directors of the volunteer fire…

Subject to any limitation or restriction adopted by the county association pursuant to Section 45-40-142.01, a fire district shall be a public corporation with powers that include, but are not limited to, all of the following as necessary to accomplish its purpose of providing fi…

The Legislature declares that a fire district organized under this part protects the health, safety, and welfare of the public, thus providing a governmental function, and shall not be subject to the following: (1) Liability for any tort committed by any director, agent, servant,…

(a) Funds, including fire service fees, shall only be expended by the fire district for fire protection and emergency response purposes, which may include vehicles, equipment, clothing, supplies, training, and insurance. (b) Funds may not be expended for food, fundraising events …

(a) A fire district shall manage and account for its funds in compliance with all of the following: (1) Section 45-40-142.07. (2) The current Volunteer Fire Department Financial and Compliance Guidelines of the Department of Examiners of Public Accounts. (3) The standards establi…

(a) A fire protection fee may be levied by a fire district for the purpose of funding fire protection services to each dwelling and commercial building in a fire district. (b) A fire district may not levy a fire protection fee unless the fee has been approved by a majority of the…

(a) Any election that may be necessitated by requirements adopted by the county association pursuant to Section 45-40-142.01, or any election authorized by Section 45-40-142.09, may coincide with a general election, or may be a special election, which shall be held on a date not …

(a) The powers and obligations of any fire district existing in the county on October 1, 2025, as specified in its certificate of incorporation, bylaws, existing contracts, and debts, and as provided under Chapter 89, Title 11, shall not be affected or impaired by this part. (b) …

Any individual serving as chief of a fire district created pursuant to this part, at the request of the State Fire Marshal, shall provide support and assistance in carrying out the duties imposed by Article 1, Chapter 19, Title 36. (Act 2025-185, §14.)

The individual firefighters who serve as personnel of fire districts in the county, regardless of whether the fire district is created pursuant to this part, shall not be considered employees, agents, or servants of the county, and the members of the county commission and the emp…