By Staff
The jury is still out on the amount of good that a December city sales tax reprieve will bring Atmore, but we, once again, want to thank our city leaders for recognizing the need to do something dramatic in the wake of the announcement of job losses in the area.
While the tax break may not bring 500 new jobs to the area, thereby helping us get people back to work, it will, at least, restore some confidence to an economy dealt a serious blow by plant closings and job relocations.
The move by the city is a strong one that speaks volumes about what we are willing to do here to provide residents with a strong economy. At great expense, the city embarked on this bold new track and by doing so, made history as the first city to do anything like this in modern memory.
The results of the decision may not have made registers ring with dollars from outside the area, but the story attracted attention in Mobile, Birmingham and on National Public Radio as the story was circulated among readers and listeners throughout the state and nation.
Such a thing cannot do anything but help get word out that Atmore is alive and kicking, even if we are shaken up about the loss of jobs.
And when word gets out that there's a progressive town near a coastal area with four-lane interstate access that has an available workforce, something good is bound to follow. While the rewards may not be immediate and the dividends may not be great, the publicity will serve entice businesses to take a second look in our direction, at least. And once they do, our leaders have demonstrated that they possess shrewdness and a willingness to accommodate that will be hard to ignore.
The latest story that has broken has come from National Public Radio. Though The Atmore Advance has not had success in confirming the times and dates of the broadcast, numerous people have called into our office here and have told us that they heard the word over their car radios while listening to the news.
In this time of hope, we can all be expectant that something positive will happen, that some business will key in on the story, that some leader will hear of the situation and encourage someone to take a long second look our way.
National media blitzes aside, we would like to encourage you not to let a good opportunity pass you by.
Throughout the Christmas season, the city has been alive with the hustle and bustle of business transactions and Main Street has been well traveled as people seek Christmas bargains.
But the best news is that the tax break isn't over yet. We still have time and opportunity to take advantage of the situation by shopping for those after-Christmas bargains for a few more days. Until midnight when the calendar rolls over to a new year, we can all take advantage of an automatic three percent discount when we shop in Atmore. Some places may offer additional savings.
Make something good happen here. Spend your dollars locally and help your community, your family and yourself in the process.