McKinnon discusses polling house closings with local council

Dale County Commissioner Steve McKinnon discussed the potential closing of the Level Plains Community Center as a Dale County District 2 voting house during a Feb. 19 meeting of the Level Plains City Council.

According to McKinnon, the possibility of closing several of Dale County’s 23 polling places has been proposed during working sessions of the Dale County Commission.

McKinnon said that list includes the Level Plains Community Center, a voting house in Clayhatchee, Rocky Head 2 near Fort Rucker and other locations throughout Dale County.

“This will have to be voted on by the commission,” McKinnon said. “From everything I’ve heard, we don’t want to do it.”

McKinnon said if the Level Plains voting house were to close, residents of Level Plains would be rezoned to vote in Daleville.

“That would create 7,800 people trying to vote in one location,” McKinnon said.

Councilmember James Bullinger expressed concerns over the potential wait times that number of voters could create. 

“During the last election we had more than a two hour wait at our location alone,” Bullinger said. “Residents working in Enterprise would have a hard time getting to Daleville in time to vote as well.”

McKinnon said he’s received several phone calls in opposition to the closing.

“We have some voting houses in the county that aren’t in the best of shape,” McKinnon said. “Some don’t have restrooms or are not handicap accessible, but this location is fine.”

McKinnon said he was unsure as to when the potential closing would be officially brought before the commission.

McKinnon also presented a check for $1,500 to the Level Plains Volunteer Fire Department.

McKinnon presented the check on behalf of the Dale County Commission, who voted unanimously to appropriate the funds to the LPVFD.

In other news, McKinnon announced Dale County would be repaving Dale County Road 1 from Rucker Boulevard to Highway 84 using funds from the Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program.

McKinnon said the county would also be repaving Joe Bruer Road in the late spring using a chip seal method.

Chip seal is a pavement surface treatment that combines one or more layers of asphalt with one or more layers of fine aggregate. Chip seals are typically used on rural roads carrying lower traffic volumes.

Following the regular meeting, the council held its first town hall style meeting, which gave residents in attendance the chance to address council members and Mayor Bruce Grantham directly.