Mobile weighs splitting new sales tax dollars among council districts

Mobile leaders are weighing how to divide millions of dollars in expected new revenue, and the debate over who controls the money is anything but settled.

At the center of the discussion is a proposal to set aside roughly $21 million of an anticipated $31 million in additional revenue from the city’s recently approved penny sales tax, splitting it evenly so that each of Mobile’s seven council districts would receive about $3 million for capital improvements. Backers say the money could go a long way toward fixing sidewalks, clearing ditches and addressing flood-prone intersections that residents complain about year after year.

The City Council was scheduled to take up an amendment to the tax’s September extension at its Tuesday meeting. Even if approved, any changes to the existing ordinance would not take effect until Oct. 1, 2015, giving the city time to plan how the dollars would be spent.

How the Proposed Fund Would Work

The measure, sponsored by Councilmen Fred Richardson and C.J. Small, would let individual council members petition the full council for specific projects in their districts. That approach differs from a straight discretionary fund, which could be spent without a vote of the full body. Supporters frame it as a way to keep spending transparent while still directing resources to neighborhood needs.

The idea has already cleared one hurdle. The council’s three-member finance committee voted 3-2 on Nov. 14 to recommend the proposal for approval, though the split vote reflected the broader disagreement among council members over the plan.

Richardson signaled he was ready to move quickly if the measure passed. He said he intended to reach out to residents of his district after the holidays, scheduling community meetings so constituents could tell him directly which issues mattered most to them.

Divided Opinions on an Even Split

Not everyone on the council has embraced the even, district-by-district division.

Mobile’s City Council has seven members, each elected from a single district. That is why an even split would give every district the same share of the money.