MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama voters approved 31 of the 32 local constitutional amendments on the Nov. 3 ballot, rejecting only a proposed school property tax in Henry County, according to unofficial returns from the Alabama Secretary of State’s Office.
The local amendments were on ballots in 26 counties. They covered a range of county-specific matters, from property taxes and probate courts to sewer regulation and retirement benefits for local officials. Local amendments are decided only by voters in the counties they affect, and results are not final until certified.
Senior property tax freezes pass across the state
The most common measure was a property tax freeze for older homeowners. Voters in Blount, Chilton, Clarke, Colbert, Covington, Cullman, Fayette, Franklin, Henry, Lamar, Lawrence, Limestone, Monroe, Morgan, Perry, Walker and Wilcox counties approved amendments that would freeze the assessed value of a qualifying homeowner’s property for taxpayers 65 and older. Several passed by wide margins. Cullman County voters approved theirs with 92.5 percent support, Fayette County with 91.8 percent and Franklin County with 91.1 percent.
In Mobile County, a similar measure passed with 80.8 percent support. The Mobile County amendment also raises the income limit for an existing senior homestead exemption to $50,000. South AL News explained the ballot language before the election, including that the exemption could first be claimed beginning Oct. 1, 2027, based on a property’s value as of Oct. 1, 2026.
The measures generally let homeowners 65 and older freeze the assessed value of their primary residence if they have lived there at least five years. Henry County requires 10 years of residency. The freezes do not eliminate property taxes. They prevent increases in assessed value from raising the tax bill on a qualifying home; millage rate changes and the value of later additions can still change what an owner pays.
The one measure voters rejected
The only local amendment to fail was in Henry County. It would have imposed a temporary property tax of 3 mills on property south of Sandy Creek to pay for public school projects in Headland. Voters rejected it, with 60.8 percent voting against.
Other local results
- Madison County: Voters approved an amendment placing certain privately owned sewer systems under the jurisdiction of the Alabama Public Service Commission, with 62.7 percent in favor.
- Morgan County: Voters approved a requirement that probate judges be licensed to practice law in Alabama to hold the office.
- Walker County: Voters raised the age limit for the county probate judge to 75.
- Covington County: Voters approved two amendments, one allowing the probate judge to exercise equity jurisdiction in probate cases filed in the probate court and another allowing the sheriff to sell abandoned, stolen or unclaimed property.
- St. Clair County: A measure allowing municipal mayors to participate in the Employees’ Retirement System of Alabama passed narrowly, with 52.5 percent support.
- Etowah County: Voters approved an amendment changing restrictions on municipal annexation, with 54.7 percent in favor.
Alabama’s constitution leaves many county-level decisions, including local taxes, to the Legislature, so changes often require a constitutional amendment approved first by lawmakers and then by voters in the affected county. Local amendments of this kind are listed separately from the statewide amendments, which were not part of these figures.
