By Associated Press
Birmingham, AL – Birmingham mayor Larry Langford urged city council members on Monday to quickly approve his proposed tax and business license increases. He said the city needs the money to survive.
But some council members said he needs to slow down and answer questions about the proposal. Council President Carole Smitherman said the council would not vote on the proposal until all members fully understand it.
He presented two draft ordinances at Monday's special meeting of the council's Committee of the Whole.
One ordinance would double all business licenses in the city. That would generate 19 million dollars for a dome stadium each year for 30 years and nine million dollars for the city's transit system.
The other ordinance would raise the city's sales and use tax one cent. That money would be used for economic development, streets and sidewalks, scholarships and police and fire improvements. The tax would expire in 2013.
The increases have been met with some resistance from businesses, but Langford said there would be no exceptions.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)