State Senate votes to advance property tax increase for Vestavia

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Vestavia Hills residents could soon be voting on whether or not to raise their property taxes after the Alabama Senate voted on Thursday to advance legislation authorizing the school system to hold a referendum on raising ad valorem taxes.

Senate Bill 63 (SB63) is sponsored by State Sen. James T. “Jabo” Waggoner Jr., who chairs the powerful Senate Rules Committee.

“This is on behalf of the Vestavia Hills Board of Education,” Waggoner said on the floor of the Senate. “As you know, we have one of the better school systems in the state. They are asking for 9.4 mills.”

Sen. Rodger Smitherman said, “It is a tax bill, and I am going to vote for the bill.”

“We did the same for Center Point,” Smitherman said. “With Center Point, we did that with street light cameras. What concerns me is that Birmingham does not get the same consideration. I had the same bill for the city of Birmingham, but I did not get the same consideration.”

Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton said, “Thank you for bringing this bill. Education is important. I applaud you for bringing this and doing what is best for the school children in your district.”

SB63 would authorize Vestavia to increase the rate at which ad valorem taxes are levied and collected by the city on all taxable property situated within the city. If passed, the bill would raise the maximum rate to $3.54 on each one hundred dollars ($100) (35.4 mills on each dollar) of assessed value.

The city presently levies and collects the Special Tax at a rate of $2.56 on each one hundred dollars (25.6 mills on each dollar) of assessed value.

The increase is subject to the approval of a majority of the qualified voters residing in the City who vote on the proposed increase at a special election called and held for that purpose.

Singleton said that the Alabama Farmer’s Federation (without naming them) had opposed a rural tax referendum with “Vote No” signs because they don’t want to pay higher taxes on their farmland and forest land. Whether or not they will oppose this tax increase remains to be seen.

SB63 was passed by the Senate in a 16 to 0 vote.

SB63 is a local bill. It is customary practice in the Alabama Legislature for members who do not represent the county affected by the legislation, in this case Jefferson County, not to oppose other members’ local bills.

Waggoner is the dean of the Legislature, having served in the House of Representatives for five terms from 1966 to 1984 and nine terms in the Alabama Senate from 1990 to the present.

The legislation now goes to the Alabama House of Representatives for their consideration.

Thursday was Day 4 of the 2023 Alabama Regular Legislative Session.

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