Understanding the local amendments before Election Day

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[Photo Credit: Element5 Digital from Pexels]

When you get to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 6 some counties will see local amendments on the ballot. Here’s a look at what residents of Alabama’s largest counties need to know about the amendments:

Calhoun County

On the ballot: PROPOSED LOCAL AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE (1) Relating to Calhoun County, proposing a local amendment to Amendment 508 of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, authorizing the operation of bingo games for prizes or money in the county; and to prohibit any bingo permittee or licensee from operating bingo near a residential area. (Proposed by Act 2017-81)

  • Vote: Yes/No

What it means: If passed, the amendment would ban bingo halls from operating within 3,000 feet of any residence.

On the ballot: PROPOSED AMENDMENT NUMBER TWO (2) Relating to Calhoun County, proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, to provide that any territory in Calhoun County outside of the corporate limits of a municipality would not be subject to the police jurisdiction or planning jurisdiction of the municipality if the municipality is not located entirely in the county and to provide an exception for the City of Oxford. (Proposed by Act 2018-17)

  • Vote: Yes/No

What it means: If passed, the amendment would restrict cities that straddle the county (Southside, Glencoe, maybe Piedmont) from being able to exercise police jurisdiction within the county. Only cities that lie entirely within Calhoun County would have police jurisdiction in the county.

Jefferson County

On the ballot: PROPOSED LOCAL AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE (1) Relating only to the City of Homewood in Jefferson County, proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, to provide that existing limits on the amount of ad valorem taxes payable on various classes of taxable property in any one year would not apply. (Proposed by Act 2018-166)

  • Vote: Yes/No

What it means: If passed, the amendment would allow Homewood, Ala. residents to vote on raising property taxes above the state lid at some point in the future.

Madison County

On the ballot: PROPOSED LOCAL AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE (1) Relating to Madison County and the areas outside the corporate limits of any municipality, proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, to authorize the county commission to adopt ordinances or resolutions to prohibit excess noise, to regulate, limit, and control excess noise levels, and to control public nuisance caused by excess noise levels in the unincorporated areas of Madison County and to authorize penalties not to exceed the penalties for a class C misdemeanor. (Proposed by Act 2018-167)

  • Vote: Yes/No

What it means: If passed, residents unincorporated areas, rural parts of the county would be subject to penalties if they make too much noise. Right now, they are able to be as loud as they want. Areas like Huntsville and Madison are not included in the amendment.

Mobile County

On the ballot: Shall Mobile County in the State of Alabama be authorized to issue from time to time and in one or more series its Pay-As-You-Go Road, Bridge and Drainage Facilities Bonds, not exceeding $60,000,000 in principal amount, for the purpose of raising funds for the construction and improvement, or either, of hard surfaced roads, hard surfaced bridges, and surface water drainage facilities, or any thereof in the county, which bonds shall bear interest at a rate or rates to be fixed when they are sold, not exceeding twelve percent (12%) per annum, payable semiannually until their respective maturities, and shall mature and become payable on December 1 in the aggregate principal amount of $6,000,000 in each of the years 2022 through 2031, and shall the said county be authorized to continue to levy annually a special tax, on all taxable property in the county, at a rate not exceeding six and one-half mills on each dollar of the assessed valuation of such property, for the purpose of paying at their respective maturities the principal of and interest on the said bonds and all other bonds at any time outstanding which may be payable out of or constitute a charge on the said special tax, all pursuant to the provisions of Amendment 18, as amended and modified, to the Constitution of Alabama?

  • Vote: For/Against said proposed Mobile County Pay-As-You-Go Road, Bridge and Drainage Facilities bonds and the said proposed continued levy of the said special tax

What it means: If passed, the amendment will allow Pay-As-You-Go work to be completed within the City of Mobile including the :

  • Improvement of Zeigler Blvd. to allow traffic to increase to 20,000 daily moving from the rural and suburban parts of Mobile into the downtown area.
  • Widening of McGregor Ave. and constructing a new roundabout at Dauphin St.
  • Resurfacing Airport Blvd. from McGregor Ave. eastward to Western American Circle
  • Resurfacing of Hillcrest Rd. from Cottage Hill Rd. northward to Grelot Rd.

In the county area, projects include:

  • Extending the widening of Zeigler Blvd. from Schillinger Rd. to Tanner Williams Rd.
  • Widening McDonald Rd. from I-10 to Old Pascagoula Rd.
  • Building a new road to connect McDonald Rd. at Old Pascagoula Rd. to McFarland Rd. at Three Notch-Kroner Rd. This new road will allow traffic traveling down Snow Rd. and McFarland Rd. to have direct access to I-10.
  • Resurfacing Three Notch-Kroner Rd. from Dawes Rd. to McDonald Rd.
  • Resurfacing Padgett Switch Rd. from Half Mile Rd. to Hwy. 90.

In total 67.9 miles would be added or improved.

Montgomery County

On the ballot: PROPOSED LOCAL AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE (1) Relating to Montgomery County, proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, to allow the members of the Montgomery County Commission to participate in the Employees’ Retirement System. (Proposed by Act 2018-388)

  • Vote: Yes/No

What it means: If passed, the amendment would allow the members of the Montgomery County Commission to participate in the Employees’ Retirement System that is part of the Retirement Systems of Alabama (RSA). 

Morgan County

On the ballot: PROPOSED LOCAL AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE (1) Relating to Morgan County, proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, to propose a local constitutional amendment to provide that effective beginning the next term of office the annual salary of the Sheriff of Morgan County would be $5,000 less than the annual salary of the chair of the Morgan County Commission and to provide that all allowances or amounts received by the sheriff for feeding prisoners would be deposited in a special account and used only for that purpose. (Proposed by Act 2018-92)

  • Vote: Yes/No

What it means: If passed, the amendment would put an end to local sheriffs being allowed to keep any money they have left over after providing food for the jail inmates in their custody.

Shelby County

On the ballot: PROPOSED LOCAL AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE (1) Relating to Shelby County, proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, to require that the members of the county board of education and the county superintendent of education be elected by the qualified electors of the county residing outside of the corporate limits of any city with a separate board of education. (Proposed by Act 2017-151)

  • Vote: Yes/No

What it means: If passed, the amendment would remove residents of cities with their own school systems (i.e.:  Hoover, Pelham and Alabaster) from voting on the Shelby County Board of Education superintendent and School Board members.

Other counties

To see sample ballots for all Alabama counties, click here.