About the Mobile Chamber
The Mobile Chamber is a private business organization with more than 1,700 members and the economic developer for the City of Mobile and Mobile County. The Mobile Chamber’s focus is to provide members with networking, marketing and professional development opportunities, expand jobs in the area, develop the local workforce, advocate legislative priorities and offer resources to help small businesses grow. Additional information is on the Chamber’s website, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.
Local businesses have a stake in amendments on the November ballot
The Mobile Chamber supports a “yes” vote on ratifying the recompiled state constitution, the four proposed amendments and one local amendment.
RECOMPILED CONSTITUTION RATIFICATION
Ratifies an updated and recompiled state constitution, which was drafted by the state legislature following voter approval of Amendment 4 in 2020. Similar subjects are now located together; racist language has been removed; repeated and repealed portions/language have been deleted; all amendments that deal with economic development are placed together; and local amendments are arranged by county.
AMENDMENT 1:
Known as Aniah’s Law, this amendment allows bail to be denied for the most serious of crimes. These offenses include capital murder, kidnapping in the first degree, rape in the first degree, sodomy in the first degree, sexual torture, domestic violence in the first degree, human trafficking in the first degree, burglary in the first degree, arson in the first degree, robbery in the first degree, terrorism, and aggravated child abuse of a child under the age of six.
AMENDMENT 2:
Allows local governments to use federal funding provided for broadband internet infrastructure and award such funds to public or private entities.
AMENDMENT 6:
Allows specific municipalities to use a previously established property tax to directly fund capital improvements on a pay-as-you-go basis in addition to using the revenue to repay bonds and other debt.
AMENDMENT 7:
Currently, the Alabama Constitution provides that some counties and municipalities may provide for financing economic and industrial development through public funds, issuing bonds, and leasing property or lending bonds to a private entity. Amendment 7 will give all counties and municipalities those same powers.
AMENDMENT 10:
This amendment provides that any voter-approved amendments on the May or November 2022 ballot will be incorporated into the new Alabama Constitution.
LOCAL AMENDMENT 1 MOBILE COUNTY:
Creates a judicial nominating commission in Mobile County.
The Mobile Chamber also supports a “Yes” vote on the referendum to address critical road and bridge projects within Mobile County. These projects are paid for by a 6.5 mills portion of the ad valorem taxes by Mobile County. The Mobile County 2022 Transportation Pay-As-You-Go Program totals $73.8 million for road and bridge improvements. $33 million of County funds and $4.8 million of federal funds have been selected for countywide road and bridge projects. The remaining $36 million of County funds have been divided equally among the three Commission Districts for road and bridge projects within all 11 municipalities and within the unincorporated areas of the County.
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