Frequently Asked Questions
1. I don’t want anyone telling me what to do.
In any society we have rules and regulations, whether Federal, State, or County. Without them we would not have the freedoms that we enjoy today. Incorporation does not mean that the freedom we have will be taken away. Many of the smaller towns around us have few regulations. They have only enough to protect the citizens in the town limits. Who wants to have apartments, junkyards, or even hog parlors built next to their property.
2. What happens if a municipality annexes property close to I-65 in Autauga County?
This is an area that the citizens in Pine Level need to be concerned about. The Alabama legislature may decide to repeal a 2021 law that limits planning jurisdiction. Planning jurisdiction has been reduced to 1 and ½ miles but can be extended by growth. Cities have the ability to:
- establish ordinances to levy and assess taxes and/or fees within the police jurisdiction.
- ordinances to fix and collect licenses for any business, trade, or profession done within the police jurisdiction.
Municipalities also have the ability to establish Planning Jurisdiction. Alabama Code Title 11. Counties and Municipal Corporations § 11-52-30 states the following” Except as otherwise provided herein, the territorial jurisdiction of any municipal planning commission shall include all land located in the municipality and all land lying within five miles of the corporate limits of the municipality and not located in any other municipality.
While this applies primarily to new subdivision construction, cities have used this to try and require businesses to meet their planning standards.
A local example is Kendrick Farms at the Interstate. After buying the property and beginning the remodeling process, they were approached by the City of Prattville and informed that they were in the Prattville Planning Jurisdiction. The city told them that they had to add a sprinkler system in the facility and also install fire proof doors. Planning Jurisdiction is complicated and there is a lot of confusion about what is allowed and what is not.
While this applies primarily to new subdivision construction, cities have used this to try and require businesses to meet their planning standards.
A local example is Kendrick Farms at the Interstate. After buying the property and beginning the remodeling process, they were approached by the City of Prattville and informed that they were in the Prattville Planning Jurisdiction. The city told them that they had to add a sprinkler system in the facility and also install fire proof doors. Planning Jurisdiction is complicated and there is a lot of confusion about what is allowed and what is not.
3. I moved out here to live in the county, not the city.
So did many of us. However, whether we incorporate or not, the Pine Level area will continue to grow with new businesses, homes and apartments. By incorporation, we can at least have some control over the growth and a voice in what we want the Pine Level area to become. The Pine Level area has been rated by some groups as the top site for residential and retail development in Alabama. You will start to see a lot more development soon.
4. I don’t want to pay more in taxes.
None of us like to pay taxes. However, we will be paying much higher sales tax if another municipality annexes property in the area. Municipalities do not want to annex residential homes; they want to annex businesses. There is no debate, if we do nothing, we will have a municipality in our area. If this happens, we will be paying a higher sales tax and the tax dollars will go to that municipality. Pine Level will receive no benefit from those tax dollars. If we incorporate, we will have a lower sales tax and the citizens of Pine Level will determine how the money will be spent. Its impact will be in Pine Level, not Prattville or Millbrook.
5. What happens to Pine Level if a neighboring city extends their police jurisdiction to the 31/I-65 interchange?
The state legislature passed a law in 2021 that does not allow municipalities to extend their three-mile police jurisdiction. However, this was opposed by the Alabama League of Municipalities so there is the possibility the legislature will repeal this law in the future. If this law is repealed, and if a municipality is able to annex property in the 31/65 interchange, the three-mile police jurisdiction would reach to Pine Level Elementary School. Alabama State Law allows municipalities to:
Establish ordinances to levy and assess taxes and/or fees within the police jurisdiction.
Establish ordinances to levy and assess taxes and/or fees within the police jurisdiction.
6. I do not feel that I can trust any elected officials.
The way some elected officials behave and are seen through the media, it is understandable that you would not be able to trust elected officials. However, there are fine, upstanding people in the Pine Level area and you will have the opportunity to vote for the elected officials that you can trust once the town is incorporated.
7. Will the town have to take over responsibility for roads two years after incorporation?
As other towns in our county (Billingsley and Autaugaville) have done, we can enter into a contract with the county commission to continue to service the roads. We will receive approximately $70,000 per year from gas taxes based on our initial population. This amount will increase as the town’s population increases.
8. I have a farm with farm animals. Will the town take my animals away?
Areas can be zoned for farmland. Cities such as Montgomery, Millbrook and Prattville allow their citizens to raise a variety of animals. As one resident of Millbrook said “I have chickens, and around me there are goats, chickens, donkeys, pigs and more.” If you currently have livestock, the use of your property would be grandfathered in no matter what the zoning is. That means you can continue to keep livestock.