Personal affairs, elections
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Food for Thought
Judge of Probate Richard Dean
It is January again, and time to take a moment to review your personal affairs. I am not going to spend a lot of time on this subject; however, I will pose a few questions you need to not only think about, but also make changes if needed.
Did anything happen this past year that created a need for you to update your will, life insurance policy beneficiaries, or investment beneficiaries? What about who has, or might need, access to your bank accounts if you are incapacitated? Do you need to create or update a power of attorney? If you have a living will, are the people you designated to make decisions on your behalf still capable of making those decisions?
While you are thinking about this, take a look at your driver’s license to note when it expires. You can renew them up to six months before the expiration date. Also, check your automobile tags to verify the month you need to renew them and make a note on your calendar.
This list only scratches the surface, but if you spend a few minutes thinking about these items, other things might come to mind on which you might need to take some action. With that said, let’s move on to other topics.
Do you realize we are only 39 days away from the March 5 major-party primary election? Absentee voting is already in full swing in the judge of probate’s office. This year is a presidential election year. Both the Democratic and Republican parties have multiple candidates seeking their party’s nomination as that respective party’s candidate to appear on the November 5 general election ballot.
The Republicans have more contested primary election offices than do the Democrats, but the general election will have a full ballot. There will also be one Constitutional Amendment and one Coosa County only referendum on the primary ballot.
The Coosa County only referendum ballot language appeared in the January 12, 2024, “Coosa County News.” The referendum is to let the Coosa County voters decide if they will authorize the Coosa County Commission to levy a $15 fee on most motor vehicle tags/tag renewals to pay for a county-operated ambulance service. County commissioners are planning to hold some public meetings to discuss this referendum, get the facts to the people and answer citizens’ questions. Commissioners and others have attended Neighborhood Watch and other meetings around the county to educate the citizens regarding this tag fee for the ambulance service.
The fee will apply to all vehicles, including trailers, licensed to travel on roads and highways except for commercial vehicles as defined in Alabama Code §32-6-49.3 (basically, tractor-trailers). The fee will not apply to boats.
About three years ago, the County Commission requested ambulance service providers come to the Commission to present proposals for operating a full-time (24-hour, seven days a week) ambulance service in Coosa County. Four ambulance services appeared to have an interest, and three appeared at the meeting.
After looking at the statistics (runs, coverage area, population, etc.), only one ambulance service provider came back to the Commission and thought it might be feasible for them to operate an ambulance in Coosa County. The Commission was told the county would have to guarantee approximately $800,000 per year, either in ambulance runs or county funds, to make the service viable.
This almost killed the idea of Coosa County providing a full-time, countywide ambulance service. However, Representative Ed Oliver (who represented Coosa at the time) and some commissioners continued to work the possibility of a Coosa County Ambulance Service. Rep. Oliver obtained funding from Gov. Ivey to purchase an ambulance and test the concept of a county-operated ambulance service in Coosa County.
When the County Commission received the American Rescue and Recovery Act (ARPA) funding, the Commission set aside funds to operate the ambulance for approximately one year until this referendum to fund the ambulance could be placed on the ballot.
It is estimated it will cost approximately $350,000 per year to operate Coosa’s full-time ambulance service. The tag fee will raise an estimated $240,000 per year. The $110,000 difference is expected to be obtained from collections from customers and/or their insurance companies.
All funds, every penny, collected by the Coosa County One-Stop Licensing Office (operated by the judge of probate) from the tag fee will be disbursed each month to the County Commission General Fund. The Act specifically states that all funds collected from the tag fee will only be used to operate the ambulance service. The Coosa County One-Stop Licensing Office will receive no funds from this fee.
The Act also provides that if, at any time, the County Commission ceases operation of the ambulance service, the tag fee will be automatically terminated the first day of the second month following the termination of operations. No exceptions. This fee cannot by law continue to be collected if the County Commission is not providing an ambulance service.
There is a lot of information floating around about the proposed tag fee. Some of it is accurate, some of it is misinformation, some of it is just misinformed. I strongly urge each of you to read Act 2023-151.
To see the language of the Bill, go to the secretary of state’s website. Select “Records,” select “Legislative Acts,” select “Act Number.” Then, enter “2023” in the first box and “151” in the other box. Click on “Search” to see information about Representative Ben Robbins’ Bill. Click on “View Image” to see the complete text of the Bill.
The text of the Bill is only three pages, double-spaced. The other three pages are introduction, signatures, routing of the Bill through the legislature, etc. The entire Bill will take about three minutes to read and is not full of legal jargon.
Bottom line: If the fee passes, Coosa County will continue to have a full-time county-operated ambulance service. If the fee fails to pass, Coosa County will most likely (99.9%) terminate the service when the ARPA funds end. That is not bluster; it is just fact.
Now to wrap up this column. You will find both the Democratic and Republican Party sample ballots in this “Coosa County News” edition. Both ballots have the Constitutional Amendment and Coosa County referendum language on them, as well. Remember, for whatever you are casting a ballot: Do your homework, make your decision, and cast your vote. The outcome of the election is what you must live with; make sure your vote is for the outcome with which you can live.
As always, this information is meant to inform and not to advise. Until next month; stay safe, take care, and God bless!
