Vote expected today on sales tax

FLORENCE -- Lauderdale County commissioners are expected to vote today on a proposal to create an incentive fund for economic development in the Shoals.

Commissioners will review a resolution that would lead to asking their representatives in the state Legislature to introduce a measure that would increase the sales tax in the county by a half-cent.

Money generated from the sales tax would be earmarked for economic development projects.

The resolution, which is the same as one passed in Colbert County last week, calls for the creation of the Shoals Industrial Development Committee to oversee proceeds from the sales tax.

The committee would consist of 10 elected officials, four from Colbert and four from Lauderdale.

Members would be the four Quad-Cities mayors, a Florence council member, a member of the Colbert commission, the chairman and another member of the Lauderdale commission. In addition, the smaller incorporated towns in Colbert and Lauderdale counties will have a member.

In addition to earning approval from the Colbert Commission on a 4-1 vote. the proposal has been endorsed by the nearly 400-member Shoals Home Builders Association.

"We applaud this positive move forward and the investment in our future it represents,'' association President Mark Reid stated in a release.

The board said the proposal approved by the Colbert County Commission contained a "fair mixture of oversight and incentives, and offers a mechanism by which the Shoals can compete in today's economic recruitment environment.''

Lauderdale County Commissioners D.C. Thornton, Larry Irons and Ronnie Brown, along with chairman Dewey Mitchell, discussed the issue during a work session last week. Commissioner William Smith was out of town and did not attend.

"I've had a few calls about the issue, but people for the most part realize it takes these incentives to get industry into an area,'' Irons said.

Mitchell said the resolution puts specific limitations on how the money can be used, including:

/n providing inducements for recruitment of new industry.

/n acquisition and development of land to be utilized as industrial parks.

/n construction of buildings for lease to industries.

/n support for expansion of existing industry in the Shoals.

/n funding operations of the Shoals Economic Development Authority.

The resolution specifies that no more than 10 percent of the annual revenue generated by the sales tax can be used for SEDA operations.

"Incentives are the name of the game, and if we're going to compete and bring in industry, we've got to have this,'' Thornton said.

"This is not just something for today, but looking down the road. This will help generations to come,'' Irons said.

County Administrator Jenoice Bevis said the resolution is on today's agenda and will likely be voted on.

Tom Smith can be reached at 740-5757 or tom.smith@timesdaily.com.