Fifty-five residents of Marengo, Sumter and Greene Counties attended the Leadership Marengo-Sumter-Greene Government Session Thursday in Montgomery. The government session included city and county government discussion panels, meeting the Lieutenant Governor of Alabama, as well as taking a tour of the State Capitol building and visiting the Civil Rights Memorial.

This is the tenth year that the Marengo Leadership has taking this trip to Montgomery, but this is also the first time that all three groups have gone together.

Kelly Smith and Becky York both from Demopolis attended the event. Smith said the trip was a lot of fun and very informative. Smith also said she got to meet a lot of new contacts during this event.

“”During the panel discussions, we learned what the city and county governments could do for us. We also heard from a lot of different city and county officials during the session,” Smith said.

York was the co-chairman for this event and was also on the steering committee. She said the reason they put this event on is because it allows people to compare issues that are affecting their counties as well as the counties surrounding them.

“This year’s event was one of the best ever because this was the first time we’ve been able to get all three groups together,” York said.

York said a group of around 40 people left from Robertson Bank on a bus headed towards Montgomery. The first session the group attended was a county government panel discussion that included Marengo County Commissioner Ken Tucker and Marengo EMA Director Kevin McKinney, Greene County Commissioner Chip Beeker and Sumter County Engineer Anthony Crear.

They discussed many different topics with the group involving EMA, E-911, and work on the Marengo County Courthouse.

The next session was another panel discussion on city government that included City Councilman Woody Collins and Parks and Recreations Director Mark Pettus, the Mayor of Livingston Tom Tartt and the Mayor of Eutaw Raymond Steele.

Collins talked about the growth of Demopolis with projects such as the Sportsplex. Tartt discussed the improvements been made to Jaycee Park in Livingston.

Tartt said he was asked to present on city government and what it can do for the people.

“There was a really good turnout for this event. I really had a good time meeting everyone,” Tartt said.

After the last panel discussion was over, they got to meet the State Auditor Beth Chapman as well as the Lieutenant Governor Lucy Baxley.

Their trip also included a tour of the State House and Capitol. They also visited the Civil Rights Memorial.