By By John Dilmore Boone News Service
A three percent sales tax to be levied in the unincorporated areas of Escambia County will be collected starting in June.
The way was cleared for collecting the new tax when the measure was recently approved by the State Legislature, and signed by Gov. Bob Riley.
The county hopes to raise $800,000 with the new tax, money that will be put toward road and bridge repair, as well as funding for the county's volunteer fire departments.
The three percent hike will take effect in the county's totally unincorporated areas.
There will be a 1.5 percent increase in areas immediately outside municipalities – areas not inside the city limits, but within the cities' police jurisdiction.
The three percent and 1.5 percent tax increases will not apply to goods sold inside Brewton, East Brewton, Flomaton or Atmore. In the places where the increases do apply, the new taxes will only be levied on general merchandise.
This does not apply to automobiles or agricultural machinery.
The county commission voted unanimously Monday to request that the Alabama Department of Revenue begin collecting the tax on the county's behalf beginning June 1.
In other action Monday, the commission:
*Approved the appointment of Joey Shell to the county E911 Board, to serve out the term of Robert Knowles, who resigned his position on the board after moving.
*Voted to purchase new mapping software for the tax assessor's office from Delta Computers, at a cost of approximately $33,500.
*Approved acceptance of a grant from ALDOT, in the amount of $112,000, to provide industrial access for the Tri-County Peanut Company.