Sen. Gerald Allen Proposes Creation Of New Metro Elected Body To Govern Tuscaloosa County

TUSCALOOSA, AL — As the 2022 regular legislative session winds down, State Sen. Gerald Allen has filed a constitutional amendment proposing the merger of the Tuscaloosa County government and the municipal governments of the City of Tuscaloosa and the City of Northport into an urban-county form of government.

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SB 344 received its first reading on the Senate floor on Tuesday and was referred to the Senate's Local Legislation Committee for consideration.

Allen, a Republican from Tuscaloosa, said in the piece of legislation that the proposal aims to facilitate the operation of local government, to prevent duplication of services, and to promote efficient and economical management of the affairs of local government.

Additionally, the amendment would only go into effect if approved by voters in the City of Tuscaloosa and the City of Northport.

The amendment says the legislature, by local law, may provide conditions for the merger to form an urban-county form of government. If the measure passes, an advisory council on Metro Government would then be established to form a charter for the Metro Government of Tuscaloosa County, including the establishment of a Metro Council of Tuscaloosa County.

The advisory council would then see four members appointed by the Tuscaloosa County probate judge, while the mayor of Tuscaloosa would appoint four members and two by the mayor of Northport. The advisory council would then elect a chair and hold regular public meetings.

In terms of costs, the operations of the advisory council would be funded 50% by Tuscaloosa County, 40% by the City of Tuscaloosa, and 10% by the City of Northport.

Once a charter is formed, it would then be put on the general election ballot in 2026 for voters to consider. The legislation says the charter would then provide for an election of the Metro Council.

• Any zoning in the unincorporated area of the county prior to 2042 may only be authorized by local law to be implemented by an elected zoning board.
• The legislature may not otherwise expand the authority of the Metro Council to zone any property outside of the corporate limits of the City of Tuscaloosa or the City of Northport through a unified planning and zoning board until the year 2043.
• The election of the Metro Council would be nonpartisan.
• The Mayor of Metro Tuscaloosa County would be elected by voters of Tuscaloosa County, while the Metro Council would be elected from single-member districts in the county apportioned based on population.
• The mayor shall be full-time position, while the council will serve on a part-time basis.

It remains unclear how much support this measure will receive from the Tuscaloosa County legislative delegation or the elected bodies across the metro.

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