Council Approves $6.1M In Northport First Funds For School Grants, Downtown WiFi, & More

NORTHPORT, AL —The Northport City Council Monday night unanimously approved the allocation of $6.1 million of revenue generated by the city's 1-cent sales tax, which is under the moniker of Northport First Funds.

Education is one of the three dedicated "buckets" for funding, which puts constraints on how the funding can be spent.

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The largest portion of the funding — to the tune of $350,000 — will be parceled out among Tuscaloosa County School System schools within the Northport city limits. This total for each school is largely unchanged from the current amounts budgeted for the fiscal year at present, with Tuscaloosa County High School once again set to receive $90,000.

One earmark that is unique for the upcoming fiscal year, however, will require that, of the $90,000 given to TCHS, $20,000 must be set aside specifically for purchasing choir robes.

What's more, the resolution passed Monday night will see $65,000 allocated for public WiFi services in downtown Northport.

Patch previously reported when the city awarded more than $600,000 in grants to its local schools from the 2020 and 2021 budgeting periods combined, something viewed by the Council as "unprecedented."

The total allocation in the first round of funding during that cycle was then boosted from $300,000 to $350,000.

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