By Mike Cason
January 9, 2002
Lt. Gov. Steve Windom
wants to change the state constitution to give county commissions
the power to seek property tax increases for education.
Property tax increases would still require voter approval,
but county commissions would no longer have to go to the Legislature
to put a proposal on the ballot.
“It’s putting the people back in charge, putting
power back on the local level,” said Windom, who is seeking the
Republican nomination for governor in the June primary.
Windom will push for passage of his home rule bill during
the legislative session that began Tuesday.
Windom wants a second change in the constitution that
would allow county commissions to address nontax issues in their communities.
For example, he said the Baldwin County Commission last year could
not pass a billboard regulation without first getting legislative
approval.
“It would provide a great deal of autonomy on local
affairs without having to come to Montgomery,” Windom said.
Windom said the two measures are steps toward constitutional
reform. He plans to propose a constitutional convention as part of
his campaign platform for governor.
Windom said there was a realistic chance the proposals
could pass this year. They would then go on the ballot for voter approval
in November.
Sen. Hank Sanders, D-Selma, said he supported the idea
of allowing counties to propose tax increases without the Legislature’s
approval.
“If the people get to vote on it, I don’t think
we should have to go through all the hoops you should go through,”
Sanders said.
Windom said local funding is where Alabama falls short
in education. A 1999 study by the Public Affairs Research Council
found that Alabama ranked 46th nationally in revenue per student,
at $5,272 a year. The state ranked 25th in state revenue and 48th
in local revenue.
Windom said the state needs a new constitution and that
he would propose a constitutional convention during his campaign for
governor. An elected delegate from each of the state’s 105 House
districts would attend the convention.
Windom said the convention should be set up with several
conditions: elected officials could not serve as delegates, delegates
could not accept campaign contributions greater than $50, and lobbyists
could not entertain delegates, or even “buy them a cup of coffee.”
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