Council Backs Mayor's Promise

The Mobile County School District can finally take Mayor Sam Jones' annexation promise to the bank.

This morning the city council put their stamp of approval on a $2 million commitment made last August.

Some council members expressed frustration saying the mayor should have told them about the promise before making public. Nonetheless, they voted unanimously to pay the school district a half-cent sales tax lost when the city annexed part of Theodore and Tillmans Corner.

"It was vital for us to go ahead and even reluctantly adopt the mayor's position as ours because the city's reputation is at stake," said Councilman Clinton Johnson.

Wade Perry, a spokesperson for the Alabama Education Association, says he's pleased with the council's decision. "Whatever kind of power struggle they were having, whether it was with the school board or with the mayor, it was not right to get the school employees and the teachers caught in the middle of it," said Perry.

The council made one amendment to the Mayor's original proposal. Instead of agreeing to a five year commitment, the council agreed to one year and said they'd re-evaluate their financial situation after that.