By Andrew Edwards
Elmore/Autauga News Staff Writer
On Tuesday, Autauga County Commissioners voted 4-1 to allow Chairman Jay Thompson to enter into agreement with the board of education for division of SSUT funds.
SSUT (Simplified Sellers Use Tax), or online sales tax, is a flat 8 percent sales tax charged to retailers in other states. This officially became effective on October 1, 2018.
In the two years since Alabama began collecting the online, out-of-state taxes, the state has amassed approximately $600 Million in extra revenue, according to the Alabama Revenue Department.
The state receives half of the tax – 75 percent of which goes into a general fund, while 25 percent is invested into education. The other half is divided 60/40 between cities and counties, based on population.
In 2019, Autauga County collected $455,000 in revenue from the taxes, says County Administrator, Scott Kramer. That number greatly increased in 2020, as the county collected $845,000.
Now, the commission’s plan is to shift 25% of the revenue generated from those taxes directly to the Autauga County Board of Education. The vote last Tuesday simply allowed Thompson to begin talks with the Board of Education. A more finalized vote will take place before October 1st, 2021, the start of the fiscal year, Kramer said.
Autuaga County School Superintendent Timothy Tidmore says that the extra funds would alleviate many of the county’s dollar issues.
“Funds would be used directly for student use, such as athletic teams, fine arts, and extracurricular activities,” Tidmore said. “It would mean a tremendous amount to the kids and teachers. That extra revenue would help fund those clubs when they normally would have had to do fundraisers. The kids will completely benefit from it, and at the end of the day, that’s what we’re all about.”
Tidmore says that he and Thompson have already begun talks discussing the allocation of funds throughout the county’s schools.
Thompson, like Tidmore, says the money will be put to good use.
“Part of the Commission’s function is to improve the quality of life in Autauga County for our residents and K-12 education is the foundation for workforce development. Our teachers are giving every day to our children, while reaching into their own pockets to provide additional financial resources for their classrooms and school programs,” Thompson said.
“By designating these funds, the Commission is filling a gap while helping to alleviate the stress our educators and families are experiencing to fund school programs. The Autauga Commission is honored to enhance our continued support of our educators and children in Autauga County as we all strive to ensure the success of our schools and children.”
District 1 Commissioner Rusty Jacksland says that he voted yes because of underfunding.
“I voted yes because Autauga County is one of the lowest funded school systems in the state. Out of 139 districts poled in the state, Autauga ranked 136 for overall funding. Anytime our schools can receive funding, it is an overall positive for our communities. I support this measure because I believe in our students, teachers, and staff. I will do all I can to help make our communities better,” Jacksland said.
District 5 Commissioner Larry Stoudemire was the lone no-vote. He said that his goal as a commissioner is to help create revenue for the county, but that he’s unsure how this particular money would be spent.
Since Amazon began participating in the infant stages of the SSUT program back in 2016, the state has collected a total of $881,663,764.19 in those taxes (as of Dec. 31 2020).
