Alabama mayors asking citizens to vote yes for Amendment 11

Alabama’s mayors are urging citizens to vote yes next month on an amendment they believe will help improve economic development across the Yellowhammer State.

Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle and Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange Thursday joined forces advocating for support for Amendment 11. Together they met with economic developers to simplify the details of the amendment for voters.

“All we have to do is vote yes for Amendment 11 and it helps make Alabama better. It helps us compete and win against other states,” said Strange.

Amendment 11, also known as the 21st Century Manufacturing Zone Act, is one of 14 amendments that will grace the Alabama election ballots this fall. It will provide local governments throughout Alabama an innovative tool to facilitate the recruitment of large economic development projects while utilizing the enhanced tax revenues from a project to fund the costs associated with bringing that business to the community.

At Thursday’s event Strange went on to explain the competition is no longer happening between Alabama cities, but rather the state is fighting with its neighbors for businesses and jobs.

“Bottom line, it would really give us an opportunity to be more competitive when we’re competing with other areas and other states as far as locating a new business into Alabama,” said Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Chairman Horace Horn on Thursday.

Both mayors and economic developers said simply the amendment “puts the financial responsibility back on the industries and protects your taxpayer dollars.”

The bill for the amendment passed unanimously in the Alabama House and Senate.