Hanceville has added $119,000 in revenue this year from the City’s half-cent sales tax enacted in December. / W.C. Mann
HANCEVILLE – Mayor Kenneth Nail has not spent much time discussing with the Hanceville City Council his offer to receive any Confederate monuments the city of New Orleans is willing to give up; he cites a law that bars mayors from privately soliciting support from council members. On Thursday, he addressed the issue during the portion of the council meeting reserved for his remarks.
Nail noted the amount of publicity the matter has generated, and stated, “Our intent is always to honor the city, and not put the city in a bad light. Our intent is to uplift people and celebrate people’s struggles, and celebrate history. We can’t forget our history. But if we should get a positive (response) from New Orleans, I will come back to the council before anything is done.
In light of recent news from New Orleans that Mayor Mitch Landrieu might put the monuments up for sale to the highest bidder, Nail added, “I’ll be honest with you; I don’t think, about some things I’ve read the last few days, that it will ever happen. I would not ask the council, nor the taxpayers of Hanceville, to go in debt to buy something.”
Met-South
Nail announced that site preparation has been completed for the construction of the new manufacturing facility of Metrology South (Met-South). County and city crews finished work Saturday, and the site passed inspection Wednesday. With only a task of placing gravel on the parking area, the mayor was ready to call Met-South owner Don Jesse.
“They called Mr. Jesse and told him they are ready to build,” said Nail. “There’s no doubt they’re ready to start building but I don’t know exactly when they’re going to start.”
Nail also pointed out that the project has come in under budget, so Hanceville should be able to receive full reimbursement from the state for its costs.
The council also passed an amended resolution concerning Met-South’s tax abatement, correcting the company’s legal name to Metrology South. The original resolution, previously passed, granted Met-South a 10-year exemption from:
- State and local non-educational ad valorem taxes
- Construction-related transaction taxes, except those levied for education
- Mortgage and recording taxes
Budget
The council voted to amend the City budget to account for the expenditure of $4,500 to replace the library’s HVAC unit, and to add $119,000 in revenue this year from the City’s half cent sales tax enacted in December. The tax revenue had not been figured into the originally approved budget.
Community yard sale
One of the biggest topics of discussion during the meeting wasn’t even on the agenda. The council heard a request for, and informally approved plans for, a community yard sale July 13-15. Space for vendors will be available around Veterans Park on a first-come, first-served basis; and local citizens will also be able to hold yard sales on their own properties.
Supporters hope that the community yard sale will grow and become an annual event that will draw visitors from out of town.
The Hanceville City Council meets the second and fourth Thursdays of each month in the Hanceville City Hall auditorium at 6:30 p.m. with work session at 6 p.m. The public is invited to attend.
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