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Tag fee in, L-P board gives the OK
Gov. Bob Riley inked a bill last Friday that will provide revenue to help purchase a site for a new wood products plant in Clarke County. The Clarke County law will increase vehicle tag fees by $25 annually for the next decade. Vehicle owners 65 and older will be exempt from the fee. The revenue will help purchase an industrial park site where Louisiana-Pacific plans to build a $150 million oriented strand board (OSB) mill. The nearly 1,200-acre site just south of Thomasville has room for other industries or businesses. County officials and economic development leaders hope there will be enough money to purchase other industrial sites and to promote industrial recruitment too. Clarke County committed approximately $6.65 million of the total $17 million incentive package to lure L-P. The plant is expected to directly employ 130 people and to create an additional 300-plus indirect jobs. The Louisiana-Pacific board of directors also signed off on the initial plans to build the OSB mill in Clarke County. Company officials have been in town for the past two weeks working with local property owners to redevelope a downtown office building for use while construction of the plant is underway. It is expected to take two to three years to have the plant operational. When it opens, the plant is expected to employ more than 130 and represent an investment of nearly $200 million. Other Bills approved Local legislation that has been signed by Gov. Riley include two bills for Washington County. One will divide income from a 1999 Washington County tobacco tax equally between the Washington County Parks and Recreation Board and the St. Stephens Historical Commission. The money has previously been earmarked exclusively for the county parks board but when St. Stephens lost its state funding last year this proposal was offered as a way to help it. Another Washington County bill will reallocate income from a 1993 county tobacco tax. Previously, Exceptional Children, Inc. in Chatom had been receiving 10 percent of the tax. Under the new law, Exceptional Children will get 20 percent and the Washington County Parks and Recreation Board will receive 80 percent.
Buy beer on Sundays in Wilcox A Wilcox County bill has been signed into law that will permit Sunday alcoholic beverage sales. Other local bills approved by legislators include a bill to give the Wilcox County probate judge a $7,500 annual expense allowance. A Choctaw County bill exempts the Choctaw County revenue commissioner from losses due to “good faith” errors up to $4,500. Many state bills as well as the general fund budget failed approval in the just-ended legislative session. The House approved budgets and the Senate overrode Riley’s veto of the education budget and failed to adopt a general fund budget. Legislators will have to return to Montgomery for a special session to deal with the budgets. The special session will cost taxpayers over $400,000.
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