By Chris Yow
Editor
PINSON — The Pinson City Council passed their 2-cent sales tax increase Thursday night, meaning Pinson shoppers will now pay 10 cents per dollar spent in the city beginning Jan. 1, 2016.
An increase in the sales tax has been discussed a number of times, and the intention is to use the additional revenue to renovate the Rock School building and to provide better police protection. The options of how to provide the police protection are still on the table, including councilman Joe Cochran’s proposal to begin a city police force. The idea of a city police force has been kicked around by the council for a few months now, but no official solution has been reached. Another option for the city is to hire more contract deputies from the sheriff’s department with a commanding officer stationed in Pinson.
Pinson Mayor Hoyt Sanders said the first order of business, however, is the Rock School renovation.
“Phase one will be a renovation of the Rock School. The Rock and WPA portions for the library. Then we will continue to explore which avenue of the added law enforcement we pursue.
Step one is to provide a space for the library, so we can have that space for the added officers,” Sanders said.
The passing of the sales tax increase, according to current numbers, will increase the city’s sales tax revenue by double the current amount. Most cities surrounding Pinson also have a 10-cent sales tax, and the city does not believe the increase will deter local shoppers.
“As I stressed in our meeting, we have absolutely no shortfall. We have a strong balance, but this is for the future projects that have been outlined,” Sanders said.
With the new monies, Cochran proposed a $1 million renovation to the Rock School building to convert it into a new library for the city. Currently, Pinson has the 10th highest circulation in the county, and Cochran believes more space will only allow the library to increase productivity.
The current library would be a possibility for a new police station or headquarters for the local deputies assigned to the city.
“Step one is to provide a space for the library, so we can have that space for the added officers,” Sanders said. “We actually secured an architect to begin on a budget a few weeks back. We were working towards that on a parallel track.”
The city will likely hear from the architect in early 2016 according to Sanders, and he hopes the council will have the final numbers to vote on going forward with the project early next year.
“I think we could hear a report from the architect in early 2016, and then go from there,” he said.
The additional sales tax, after the renovation project, will then be used for either the formation of the police department or the additional deputies.