Pickens County VFD Tax Referendum Bill Heads To Alabama Senate

TUSCALOOSA, AL — State Rep. Rodney Sullivan's time in the Alabama legislature is winding down, but the Republican from Northport hopes to see one of his last pieces of legislation make a substantial impact for his constituents in Pickens County.

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Sullivan is the sponsor of House Bill 154, which calls for a referendum vote in Pickens County to let residents decide how the county's ad valorem tax revenue will be used.

If Sullivan's measure is successful at the ballot box, it would see that tax revenue distributed to volunteer fire departments in Pickens County for fire protection purposes, in addition to being used to finance other necessary emergency services.

This would include the purchase of medical equipment, rescue equipment, medical supplies and the delivery of emergency medical services.

If passed, this could drastically improve the capabilities of first responders in a county that is primarily rural, with municipalities that struggle to the generate the necessary revenue to fund their own services.

The bill passed through the House chamber Thursday with 65 votes in favor, none opposed and 31 abstentions. It will now cross over to the Alabama Senate for debate and consideration.

If passed by the Senate and signed into law by Republican Gov. Kay Ivey, the measure will appear on the General Election ballot on Nov. 8 for voters in Pickens County.

Sullivan told Patch on Thursday that he believes the bill will easily receive the needed support to pass through the Senate and head on to the governor's desk.

"The current language [for the county ad valorem tax] is so restricted that the volunteer fire departments can’t properly use their funds," he explained. "This will ease that. They can’t even buy a blood pressure monitor currently. In my opinion, this will be extremely beneficial down the road and will benefit every citizen of Pickens County. Our volunteer fire departments do an incredible job and this is another tool to help them better serve the county."

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