Fairfax Town Council terminates municipal judge

Correction: A previous version of this article stated that Fairfax terminated magistrate judge Willard Branch. Although Branch is the magistrate judge for Allendale County, he is also the municipal judge for the Town of Fairfax. His position as municipal judge was terminated, not his position as magistrate judge.

At its January 16th monthly meeting, the Town of Fairfax voted to terminate municipal judge Willard Branch, hire a grant writer and discussed bringing back the town’s planning committee.

Termination of Willard Branch

Willard Branch is a magistrate judge in Allendale County, but also serves as the municipal judge for the Town of Fairfax. The council voted unanimously to “relieve Branch of his responsibility as judge with a 30-day notice. His services are no longer needed for the Town of Fairfax.”

Although his position as municipal judge was terminated, he remains Allendale County’s magistrate judge.

Sauls said the decision to terminate Branch was for job performance related reasons. In executive session, the council discussed finding a new municipal judge to fill Branch’s seat, however, Sauls said the council cannot release potential names yet.

Town budget & grant writer

Since the former mayor Dorothy Riley’s administration, the town has been operating without a budget. Since taking office in November, Sauls has made forming a budget the town’s top priority, a process he described in a December 29 interview with The People-Sentinel as “not going as fast as I’d like.” However, at the January 16 meeting, Sauls said the town’s financial situation is beginning to improve.

“Things are looking better,” Sauls said. “Our taxes are coming in, our water [bills] is coming in. We’re working on outstanding water bills and things like that.”

To form a budget, the town has to conduct an ­audit dating back two years, which Sauls estimated will cost $25,000 at a Jan. 6 meeting.

Many of the larger ­issues the town faces, like the lack of a grocery store and the need for infrastructure upgrades, cannot be accomplished without grants. Some of these grants come from federal sources and some come from state sources. However, in ­order to ­apply and compete for grants, the town must prove its financial stability by completing an audit and having a working budget.

After discussions in executive session, the town voted unanimously to create a grant writer position that will pay $1,200 per month for six months. The council has not yet ­decided who the grant writer will be.

Councilmember ­Phyllis Smart also spoke about the town’s planning committee, which has been dormant for several years and was responsible for planning the town’s long term economic trajectory. This trajectory will change as Fairfax braces for the housing, economic and population changes that will be brought on by Tin Thanh Group Americas’ tire manufacturing plant, which will be located on the outskirts of the town.

Smart said that the town will have applications open for seats on the planning committee for those with experience in economic development.

“We will have an application up soon to be able to apply for the committee,” Smart said. “You need to be able to do economic development and to help with that and develop the town.”

Other news

Sauls announced that the town has received bids on restoring the roof of the Fairfax Town Hall, which was built improperly and leaks frequently. The town is trying to get the building on the historical registry, however, since the building’s roof was recently repaired, it likely does not have the ability to qualify for the registry.

Sauls also said at the meeting that he has made contact with multiple grocery store chains, part of the town’s effort to get a grocery store in the Town of Fairfax.

Councilmember Tiffine Forester also shared ideas for building renovation that the beautification com­mittee is discussing.

“The beautification committee talked about having the buildings on the other side of 278 to be the same color to look unified,” said Forester.