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Tuscaloosa County Home Rule Charter (2010)
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The county commissions may vote on a Tuscaloosa County Home Rule Charter in 2009 in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. The commission is currently considering two options under limited home rule.
- enable home rule to allow the commission to restrict noise, junk and litter in the police jurisdictions that surround municipalities and not in the rural parts of the county
- enable home rule to allow the commission to restrict noise, junk and litter throughout the entire county
If adopted, the charter amendment would prevent the need for a county nuisance ordinance. It would, however, require offenders to show up in municipal court because it would be a county, not city law.[1]
However, some county residents are already gathering signatures to bring the issue to referendum in November 2010.[2]
History
In a November 2006 referendum, residents in unincorporated areas of the county approved granting limited home rule powers. Under the approved limited home rule the commission can adopt ordinances to restrict and abate nuisances like noise, litter, unsafe structures and eyesores. However, home rule did not include raising taxes or adopting zoning regulations. It was approved by a vote of 56% to 44%.[2]
Supporters
Some county residents on the other hand, are calling for a referendum on the issue. Supporters argue that the proposal impinges on their property rights and that in 2006, in which the same issue was approved by voters in unincorporated areas, was unclear and vague.[2]
Danny Hembree, co-chair of the Tuscaloosa County Property Rights Alliance, said that they are working on a referendum for 2010. “We’ve got a petition drive going and have about 900 of the approximately 3,700 names we need on it, and I feel confident we can get another vote on this thing,” said Hembree.[2]
Opponents
Most opponents of a referendum live in the city of Holt, where they have a history of junk cars and unkempt lawns. Commissioner Gary Youngblood, Holt representative, said, "I don't want to refer to Holt as a terrible place, but they've got terrible messes."
Commissioner Reginald Murray, a proponent of home rule regulations, said the reason that the county is discussing home rule is primarily because the Alabama health departments are not doing their jobs to crack down on certain health and public safety nuisances.[3]
Footnotes
