Vina council votes to ask for 1 cent sales tax

By Staff
Rebecca James Franklin County Times
VINA – Vina Town Council voted Monday night to approve a proposal to increase sales tax countywide 1 cent to help with economic development in Franklin County.
The Franklin County Development Authority has requested the Franklin County Commission to approve a 1-cent general sale/use tax in the County in an effort to establish the funding of economic development in Franklin County to be collected and administered by the Franklin County Industrial Development Committee.
The increase in sales tax revenue could total close to 1.6 million dollars to be used towards economic development.
"This is an extra little incentive we can use to put Franklin County on the top," said Mitch Mays Executive Director of the Franklin County Development Authority. "This fund will relieve the pressure off of the counties and city."
All of the revenue generated by the tax will be distributed to the Franklin County Industrial Development Committee and will be placed in a segregated account.
"I see this as the most logical way to get the funding we need," Mays said. "This will put us in a great position because this will be specifically for economic development."
The members of the of Franklin County Industrial Committee will consist of one appointee from the County Commission, the mayor of Vina, the mayor of Russellville, the mayor of Red Bay, the mayor of Phil Campbell, and the mayor of Hodges.
The Franklin County Industrial Development Committee will control all disbursement of funds, and funding can only be requested by the Franklin County Development Authority.
Pending the approval of the bill from all other town and city councils in the county, the bill will be sent for approval to the county commission, after which it will be sent to the Alabama legislature for their approval.
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