TOWN PULLS FUNDING FOR DRUG TASK FORCE

Decision Budgetary, Says Councilman, But It Came After The Hiring Of A
Former Police Chief Who Was Fired Four Years Ago

Grove Hill has pulled funding from a tri-county anti-drug task force after
the organization hired a former police chief fired by the town four years ago.

"I guess it'll get to be a political mess," said Mayor Willie Welch,
elected after the Town Council fired Lem Dubose, claiming he helped a
friend's friend shake a drunken-driving charge.

Dubose maintained that his troubles started when he filed an ethics charge
against one of the councilmen. After the firing, he filed against the town
a federal lawsuit, which is still pending.

About three weeks ago, the Task Force One board hired Dubose as a drug
agent. A majority of board members, made up of police chiefs, were present
and the decision was unanimous, said board chairman Charles Burge, who is
also Jackson's police chief.

On Sept. 16, when council members passed Grove Hill's $1.14 million budget,
it had eliminated the $2,000 task force allocation at the recommendation of
the finance committee.

Finance Committee Chairman Travis McIntyre said the decision was a
budgetary one, because the town's revenue was down this year. It had to
eliminate other expenditures as well, he said, such as funding for an urban
forestry program and two mental-health agencies.
McIntyre would not comment on whether it was also motivated by Dubose's
hiring. He said he would not comment on Dubose until the lawsuit is over.

Welch maintains that Dubose's hiring had everything to do with the decision
to eliminate funding.

"They were adamantly against it," said Welch, who also sits on the finance
committee. Welch was not in office at the time of Dubose's firing, and said
he has no stake in the outcome. He said he will try to resolve the issue.

He said he could understand the council's response to the task force's
hiring. The task force did not check with city officials before hiring
Dubose, he said.

"It was kind of a slap in the face," he said.

Burge said Dubose, who was Grove Hill's chief for nine years, is well
qualified for the position.

Meanwhile, in response to the Mobile Register's questions, Task Force One
issued a statement last week touting its record. Its 117 arrests by August
were 10 percent above last year's arrests at the same time period, it
states. It covers Washington, Clarke and Choctaw counties -- about 62,000
people spread over some of the largest, most sparsely populated counties in
the state. It receives funding from state and county agencies and some
cities and towns.

"Without the financial support and cooperation of these agencies, Task
Force One could not exist," the release states. "We are grateful for the
support that each of the agencies have provided in the last twelve years
and look forward to working with them in the future."

Dubose said he regrets that anyone is getting out of the anti-drug effort
because of "hard feelings."

"It's hard enough fighting a battle on drugs without problems like this,"
he said. "I hope they wouldn't punish the drug task force and the rest of
the community because of me."