Commission prepares for sales tax proceeds

FLORENCE - Lauderdale County commissioners took care of several housekeeping matters Monday, including selecting a depository for proceeds from the newly enacted half-cent sales tax increase.

The commission unanimously selected First Metro Bank as the depository and then authorized AlaTax to handle collection of the half-cent sale tax increase.

AlaTax is the agency that collects the county's sales and use tax.

The half-cent sales tax increase went into effect Aug. 1 in Lauderdale and Colbert counties. Revenue from the increase goes to economic and industrial development in the Shoals.

The fund will be overseen by the Shoals Industrial Development Committee, which is made up of local elected officials from the two counties.

Commissioners also approved an agreement with St. Florian to maintain the municipalities' roadways.

Commission Chairman Dewey Mitchell said the roads are already being maintained by the county highway department, but the agreement will result in the county being paid to do the work.

In the agreement, the town agreed to give the county any leftover money from the 4-cent gasoline tax money that is being collected in the city as well as all future gasoline-tax money.

County officials said the gas-tax money is earmarked for roadway maintenance.

Mitchell said St. Florian officials approached the commission with the proposal.

In other unanimous action, commissioners: