Infignos Media - Education, housing important topics at Thursday public meeting

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Education, housing important topics at Thursday public meeting

Friday, July 19, 2013

(WDNG) - One Anniston city council member wants church leaders to lead efforts in education and community development. Anniston Ward 2 council member David Reddick held an open meeting at the Wiggins Community Center on Thursday evening and invited area ministers and residents to lead the discussion about Anniston’s future.

More than a dozen residents discussed community issues, including education and housing issues. Reddick is trying to build community support for his efforts in increasing funding to the Anniston City School System. Reddick said that money from two different tax hikes dating back to 1993 was originally designated for city schools but has instead been going to the city’s General Fund.

Teacher Jacqueline Brown attended Thursday’s meeting and said the school system has changed drastically since returning to education in 2012 after an eight year hiatus.

“Children are not disciplined the way I think they should be,” Brown said. “When I say ‘disciplined,’ I don’t mean cruel discipline, I mean taking the time to even talk to children.”

Reddick said he wants the council next Tuesday to vote on ensuring money from two city-wide tax increases passed in 1993 and 2002 will go to the Anniston City School System and not the city's General Fund. He says that the Anniston school system budget is roughly half of where it should be and has not received any money from the tax increases over the past two decades.

Reddick also expressed concern about potential changes to the Carver Library which include removing some books and replacing them with 25 computers. He said the changes approved by library officials did not consider community input and may make certain literature more difficult to find. “It was never a question to the community,” Reddick said.

Residents also considered changes to public housing first introduced by the public at the council’s spring listening tours. Reddick and others propose to see dilapidated housing across town renovated and filled with low-income residents that will be a part of programs to teach budgeting and financial responsibility. He foresees using money from the Community Development Block Grant to pay for renovations and implement an education program.

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Keywords: Anniston city schools,David Reddick,Wiggins Community Center,education,traffic,housing,Jacqueline Brown,Carver Library

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