WBHM Politics: When Retailers Close, Taxes Go Too
When you buy something at a store, that sticker price is not all you pay. There’s sales tax added on top. In Alabama, a portion goes to the state and a portion goes to local governments. For a small town with a big retailer, that can be major source of revenue. But when stores close, it can mean a hit to city coffers. It’s what happened in Fairfield when a Walmart closed in 2016. Irondale faces a similar situation after Sam’s Club announced in January it would shutter a store there.
We discuss how smaller cities and towns cope when a significant source of tax dollars disappears with Fairfield City Councilman Eddie Penny, Irondale Mayor Charles Moore and research analyst Megan Randall with the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center at the Urban Institute.
Listen here or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play or NPR One.
UAB building among Alabama’s first to feature ‘bird safe’ glass
Advocates hope the new glass will prevent window collisions, a leading causes of bird mortality.
Researchers look into community health impact of wood pellet production in rural Mississippi
Brown University and Tougaloo College students are testing for potential air and noise pollution near the Drax wood pellet plant in Gloster, Mississippi.
Alabama coal company sued for a home explosion is delinquent on dozens of penalties
Crimson Oak Grove Resources has been cited for 204 safety violations since the March 8 blast, many involving “significant and substantial” safety violations.
The United Auto Workers faces a key test in the South with upcoming vote at Alabama Mercedes plant
The United Auto Workers is aiming for a key victory at Mercedes-Benz in Alabama. More than 5,000 workers at the facility in Vance and nearby battery plant will vote this week on whether to join the UAW.
Gambling, ethics bills fall short as legislative session ends
Alabama lawmakers closed the books on this year’s regular legislative session Thursday. While Republican leaders passed many of their priority bills, perhaps the most talked about issue – gambling – died.
A look at what passed and failed in the 2024 legislative session
Alabama lawmakers have ended a 2024 legislative session that saw the Republican majority win approval for a number of their top priorities.
