Commissioners Endorse Amendments 3, 4 and 14

Posted on: Oct 28th, 2016 | Announcements

By Jerry Carl, President, Mobile County Commission; Merceria Ludgood, Mobile County Commission, District 1; and Connie Hudson, Mobile County Commissioner, District 2 The November 8th ballot will include three critically important constitutional amendments that we urge the citizens of Mobile County to support ? amendments 3, 4 and 14. We want to provide a quick overview of what a YES vote for each of these amendments would mean for Mobile County. Voting YES for Amendment 3 would make it more likely that local citizens make decisions on local issues. It would create a two-step voting process for state legislators who vote on local constitutional amendments ? with the goal of making it harder for them to force local issues to a statewide vote. Amendment 3 would also put the question of passing local amendments in the hands of local voters. So even if a statewide vote is required, the proposed amendment could only be approved if the local voters support the amendment. Voting YES for Amendment 4 would allow county governments to carry out limited management and administration activities, but only in the following five areas: county personnel programs; community programs for litter-free roadways and facilities; public transportation; county office operations; and emergency assistance programs. Right now, counties must get permission from the Alabama Legislature to make these routine decisions. Amendment 4 does not grant counties ?home rule? powers, nor does it allow counties to levy taxes or fees. Finally, voting YES for Amendment 14 would correct a technical issue with how the State Legislature has handled routine procedural votes. If left uncorrected, hundreds of local laws that Alabamians ? and the residents of Mobile County ? rely on every day to support vital public institutions like our schools systems, volunteer firefighters, community hospitals and charities are at risk. Passage of Amendment 14 would not change anything and it would not create any new fees or regulations. However, if Amendment 14 fails to pass, the consequences would be long-term and detrimental for all 67 Alabama counties. It could trigger costly lawsuits, backlog the legislative process for years, and cost millions in taxpayer dollars for the Legislature to ?re-pass? these vital local laws. We encourage all voters to do their own research on these issues, as well as the other 11 proposed constitutional amendments that will appear on the ballot.