City moves forward on proposition election
By JIMMY GALVAN Managing Editor

Despite the protests of councilman Randy Sayers, Jasper's city council approved the wording on Ordinance No. 21108-4 for sales and use tax for street repair and maintenance.

The passing of the ordinance means it would be placed on a May 2008 city election ballot subject to approval by city of Jasper residents.

The election would be placed on the ballot in an "A" and "B" part. The A portion deals with the wording of decreasing the current effective rates of sales and use tax for purposes of economic development and using it to pay the costs of maintenance and repair of municipal streets, subject to the prior pledge of onehalf of one percent of the sales and use tax for economic development to pay principal of and interest of the JEDCO Sales Tax Bonds Series 2001.

The B portion of the ordinance deals with the adoption of a sales and use tax in the name of the city of Jasper from onequarter of one percent to the rate of one-half of one percent to JEDCO for the promotion and development of new and expanded business enterprises taking effect on July 1, 2012.

Jasper Mayor David Barber said both portions of the ordinance would have to pass for it to be effective.

"I would assume that if the attorneys had approved this whole heartedly, (their letters) would not have a lot of negatives in them," Sayers said.

Sayers pointed to several statements made by attorneys Neil Thomas and Joeseph Morrow. Sayers read Thomas's letter in which he stated "the statutory authorization for the proposed ballot language is not clear," and "because of the close relationship between the Corporation and the City, it is conceivable that a court would treat the city's agreement to deliver the tax as a direct contractual agreement from the city to the bondholders… the potential impairment of those contracts by the 2008 election may allow bondholders to claim that that the election unconstitutionally impairs their contract with the Corporation and is therefore void."

Sayers also said a letter from JEDCO attorney Gary Coker stated that he was against the measure as well.

But Barber said that Sayers was taking sentences out of context and that the attorneys supported the wording in the ordinance, which was approved by council.

In other business, council approved an option that would allow the Jasper Lakes Area Humane Society to proceed with plans to build an animal shelter in Jasper and then donate the building to the city when completed.

The blueprints for the building would have to be turned in to the city before the building could be built.

Council tabled any action on an ordinance that would have prohibited skateboards and similar devices on city sidewalks.

Jasper Police Chief Todd Hunter said he had received numerous complaints over the issue and presented the ordinance to the council.

Sayers asked Hunter to document complaints received this month and present the ordinance at next month's meeting for consideration.