The Piedmont Ministerial Association came to the city council meeting Tuesday night to voice its opposition to the possibility of electronic bingo in Piedmont.

Council members listened while Rodney McInnis, pastor of Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Piedmont, offered up his argument against the gaming machines.

"I know that our cities are facing revenue shortfalls," said McInnis. "As a citizen and a Christian it's kind of disturbing that we would look at legalized forms of gaming as a golden goose egg to fix our shortages."

Debra Jones, an Anniston attorney and recent candidate for House seat 40, spoke about the council's consideration of an ordinance that would allow them to test the legality of the electronic bingo machines. The council is considering such an ordinance that lawyers for the city and the prospective bingo investors have said would likely go to the Alabama Supreme Court for a decision.

"As a citizen of this district I know from being a lawyer that the Supreme Court of Alabama has just ruled that those gaming machines are totally illegal," said Jones. "They will not be legal, and right now the law of this land is that they are in fact illegal. If you draft an ordinance that you know from the onset is illegal just for the purpose of allowing gambling interest to test it through the Supreme Court, I think that's a waste of the taxpayers' time and money.

"We do not need this kind of attention. What we need is for people to see that we have the top thirtieth school in the state of Alabama. One of the top 30 schools in the United States of America. That's the kind of publicity that this city needs. Please do not draft and pass an ordinance that would be a black eye to this district and this city."

Piedmont City Attorney Ron Allen and Doug Ghee, an attorney for potential investor Mark Echols, are working to draft an ordinance for consideration by the council. Piedmont Mayor Brian Young was out of town for Tuesday night's meeting, but Young has stated that if the council decides to pass the ordinance, it would be followed by a moratorium disallowing the machines until their legality is proven in the courts.

In other business, the council said that due to likely increases in utility bills caused by recent cold weather, the city will make attempts to work with residents who cannot pay their bills.

Police Chief Steven Tidwell presented the yearly police activity report.

The council also announced that beginning next billing cycle all utility bills will be paid at the water-gas building on South Center Avenue. Residents may pay their bills at the water-gas building either by walking in or by using the drive-thru.

The council appointed Sandy Ford to the board of Piedmont Health Care. It also paid bills totaling $442,374.40.