Bill To Require TUSCO Voters Approve Any Sales & Use Tax Increases Clears Alabama Senate

TUSCALOOSA, AL — A piece of legislation has cleared the Alabama Senate that, if passed, would prohibit the levy of any additional sales and use taxes in Tuscaloosa County unless approved by a majority vote of the electorate.

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Sponsored by State Sen. Gerald Allen, a Republican from Tuscaloosa, SB 188 was first introduced in the Senate in April and initially referred to the chamber's Local Legislation Committee. It now heads to the Alabama House of Representatives for consideration.

The amendment would also require publication of notice of the referendum and public hearings.

“My top priority as a state senator representing Tuscaloosa County and its municipalities is protecting and advocating for my constituents,” Allen told Patch. “With this bill, the goal is to enforce a more effective checks and balances system for Tuscaloosa citizens, particularly as it pertains to tax increases on their hard-earned dollars."

Additionally, the amendment would also require that any referendum be placed on the General Election ballot, as opposed to allowing for a special election.

As Patch previously reported, this amendment would not apply to lodging taxes, which are considered business privilege taxes.

The measure could pose major problems at the local level, especially considering sales tax initiatives such as Elevate Tuscaloosa and Northport First — both large-scale funding mechanisms made possible through the city councils in both municipalities approving 1-cent sales tax increases.

Elevate Tuscaloosa is a City of Tuscaloosa initiative approved in April 2019 that aims to invest $500 million over 30 years into numerous projects.

Across the river in Northport, the City Council in August 2019 also approved and implemented its own 1-cent sales tax increase, with the revenue dedicated to infrastructure, education and recreation.

After the amendment was introduced in April, elected leaders in Tuscaloosa County lamented that this measure would remove the ability of local elected bodies across the county to levy sales and use tax increases by a vote of the governing body.

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