Court cost increase, lodging tax supported by commission

By Michelle Mann
Published: October 13, 2009

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Legislation to increase court costs to help support local schools and operation of the county jail and legislation to impose a lodging tax in Coffee County will be supported unanimously, county commissioners agreed Monday.

Commissioners voted unanimously to support the two bills that will be sponsored by state Rep. Terry Spicer in the Alabama Legislature’s next session.

The court cost bill will provide for assessment and collection of $20 additional court cost in all criminal and civil cases including juvenile and traffic courts and municipal courts in Coffee County. Civil cases, including child support and domestic relations cases,will also be assessed the $20 increase.

According to Spicer’s bill, $18 of the $20 increase will be distributed to the Coffee County General Fund for operation of the Coffee County Jail in New Brockton. Two dollars will be distributed in equal portions to the Coffee County Board of Education, the Elba City Board of Education and the Enterprise City Board of Education to be used to fund school resource officers and for school security needs, according to the bill.

There is no lodging tax in Coffee County and a second bill to be introduced by Spicer will impose a county lodging tax which applies to any hotel or motel. The proposed tax, if passed, will be 6 percent of the cost of the room or rooms, according to the bill. This tax, according to the bill, “shall not apply to rooms, lodgings or accommodations supplied for a period of 30 continuous days or more in any place.”