Council Votes 5-2 for Sales Tax Increase, Ending Six Weeks of Political Theater
Mobile's council approved a one-cent sales tax increase on a 5-2 vote. An analysis of how Mayor Sam Jones got what he wanted, what Gina Gregory extracted in return, and…
Gregory Signals Yes: Mobile Councilwoman Agrees to One-Cent Sales Tax in Deal With Jones
Councilwoman Gina Gregory announced she would supply the fifth vote for a temporary one-cent sales tax increase, in exchange for a written commitment to an efficiency study and a list…
One Vote Short: Mobile’s Sales Tax Standoff Hardens Into Political Chicken
With an $18.5 million deficit and a five-vote requirement, Mayor Sam Jones fell a single council vote short of a one-cent sales tax increase, leaving three members holding extraordinary leverage.
Mobile’s $18.5 Million Hole: Every Option on the Table, and None of Them Painless
Facing an $18.5 million shortfall, Mobile officials weighed pay cuts, a sales tax increase, a garbage collection fee and layoffs. Each carried a political price nobody wanted to pay.