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Tax Increases: Shopping, Gas, Renting Even Dying Costing More In Atmore
February 17, 2011
Shopping, living, buying gas and even dying is becoming more expensive in Atmore thanks to new tax hikes.
The Atmore City Council has voted to raise many taxes and fees — including the city’s sales tax. Beginning April 1, sales tax will rise one percent — from 8 to 9 percent, along with increases in several other taxes:
- Atmore’s gas and fuel tax will jump from 2 cents to 3 cents.
- Lodging tax, such as that on motel and hotel rooms, will increase from 8 percent to 10 percent.
- Atmore’s rental tax on tangible items like vehicles, trailers and clothes will jump from 2 to 5 percent.
City officials said the higher taxes are needed in order to maintain city services despite money saving measures like purchasing used police cars and fire trucks.
The price of a lot in a city-owned cemetery was doubled, effective immediately, for residents within the police jurisdiction — from $450 to $900. For everyone else, cemetery lots are now $1,000. There’s also a $125 perpetual care fee, and a $100 burial permit fee.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
52 Responses to “Tax Increases: Shopping, Gas, Renting Even Dying Costing More In Atmore”
@Rob glad I’m not the only one hearing that on my scanner..
just curious when the Fireman had the Toy for Tots drive on the roof of Fred’s were was Atmore fire truck? I heard they wasn’t allowed to have it up there….
I agree with everyone except the City Leaders that are giving themselves a fat chunck of change in there Bank Acct.at the end of the year.. Atmore is a dead end street with nothing to offer but a Big Headache…I myself feel for the employees for The City of Atmore sounds like they are getting shafted every 5 min. by Howard Shell and the rest of the OLE TIMERS at city hall..Okay another Question?? Is POARCH Take’n over Atmore Fire District?? Seems like when I turn on my scanner and They have a house fire in Atmore,Poarch F>D> Is called before Atmore own FIREFIGHTERS make It to the trucks…IS it that Atmore dont TRUST their own?? Or is it because the Atmore Fire Chief has a son that is employeed with POARCH??This conduct should’nt be allowed by city officials.The solution for atmore is get rid of the”SHELL REGIME”..If the people dont stand up now ATMORE will be a retirement home before to much longer..
You are right firefly…..there was a guy who ran for commish who said he d fight for $$ for them roads but the insiders circled their wagons against him and told everyone to vote in a guy who was gonna go up there to brewton and get along……I listened to my preacher and voted for him thinking my preacher was right in that we needed to get along with them other commissioners…….biggggg mistake. I know both the guys who ran last time and I ain’t seen nothin done since the current guy got elected…..I wonder who will rjun for mayor council and commission next time
Rivercane is a bust! Atmore needs to sell that land back to the indians and let them develop it. Maybe let the city invest in the development. Atmore is not the only problem. The county is another problem. Some of the roads are in horrible shape. Robinsonville road is rediculous. And where’s the money to fix the roads that were washed out in the flood over a ( year ) ago?
We need new minds with fresh ideas getting things done.
People of Atmore…..we had better wake up! We are the only ones who can do anything about all this mess that is happening. Taxes, drugs, shopping, etc. I for one am guilty of not doing my part. I want a change and I’m for wiping the slate clean and trying something new. One thing for sure,,,,what we have isn’t working. I have been waiting for all the revenue from Rivercane to start rolling in. What’s the old say….wait until hell freezes over. Well, I’d rather try holding my breath. Okay, maybe not. Our “system” is broken!
Lets boycott Atmore . We will be going to Brewton.
@humm
Your so right…. I had to chuckle.
Old lady just said in another post that ” they will come up with a library
in Molino cause Look what they have now”. I thought I would die when
she said that. I guess she hasn’t been anywhere else and she thinks
there is something here. LOL
We didn’t have anything when we grew up, but we hung out at the local
pizza parlor and never caused any trouble. Now days there is no shopping
(unless you call the dollar store shopping). LOL Let alone some place
for kids to go except all night parties where they do drugs, booze and plan robberie, or some womans house on 29, which sounds to me serves the same stuff and more.
These towns are DEAD and getting DEADER by the minute. It’s also
beginning to sound like too many are happy with having nothing or nadda
for the kids, or the adults.
Everyone in ALL the towns could learn a little about being curteious to
the customers. They talk to each other or a girl will be talking to some
man and playing with their hair and you can’t even get directions.
Young kids today don’t know the meaning of the word courtesy or
listening let alone that the customer is always right. Too many are
rude and obnoxious and I am always polite to them.
I shop at the 9 mile publixs because of the great food, clean stores,
AND they are almost always polite. It’s very refreshing.
The prices are terrible. lol Then again what is good clean food
and polite service worth.
Let’s face it…new people need to be running this town…clean house folks! Without fresh faces and fresh ideas you will never see change. The people you have running the town are all talk and no action. Stop wasting money on projects that go no where. Just because ideas look good on paper doesn’t mean they are going to look good in real life. Example: RIVERCANE!! Come up with ideas that actually work and benefit the people.
Atmore is a go no where place. I grew up in Atmore and there is no way in heck I would ever consider moving back to Atmore. When I left there was nothing and now 10 years later, there is still nothing…it has actually gotten worse. The sign coming into Atmore says, “Old Friends and New Beginnings”. It should really say “Old Friends and Dead Ends”. Such a sad situation!
Hey “aroundtown”: Just ask any of the police officers in Atmore…the nickname for our fine city is “Little Pritchard”!
we have a vice-mayor that gets a hefty paycheck he rides around in a big gas hog truck.. i have personaly seen it in gulfshores.. those big white trucks can be seen all over the place out of town.. i know they are in meetings but i also know for a fact more times they are on family trips.. that wasted tax money.. the mayor doesnt want all the crimes reported thats a fact ask a newspaper
I agree with the other comments on here, we need a new mayor and a new city council.
Heck, I even take my kids to Bay Minette to play at the park. Atmore’s park is terrible, the toys are unsafe for kids!!!!!! Bay Minette has a great park with lots for the kids to do, not just some little, run down, tore up pieces of junk.
I have lived in Atmore for all of my life and until you get the “good ole boys ” from running everything notthing is going to change but the dolars going into their pockets. They are not interested in nobody but themselves. They talk a good show but as I can finally read in some of these comments people are finally seeing the truth.
To sista: I could not agree with you more…you pretty much hit the nail on the head…I remember when Rivercane was in the planning stages, I actually knew someone personally that worked on the steering committee…..It sounded great even looked beautiful on paper…then what??????????
Just another nail in the coffin for Atmore….I shop at Eastern Shore most of the time and yes the tax rate is at 10%, but at least I DO have choices in what I purchase instead of “settling” for what is available in Atmore. I personally do not have a problem with an increase in the tax base if I could justify the services that we as citizens are offered. Just wait till you see our new increases in Homeowner insurance…why….because our fire department lost some of their certifications…why…because we (Atmore) does not have the necessary equipment to keep up….Please notice that I did not refer to a problem with our firemen, only the resources they have available to them. Thank you Mayor Shell and all your councilmen…We do appreciate your constant concern for our community…..NOT!
Well, I didn’t know about this until I read it in the paper this morning! What kind of deal is that? The City Mayor and Council should absorb any loss. Why? Just take a drive down Hwy. 21 North to RIVERCANE. You buy something to keep the Indians from buying it and where has that gotten us? Where is the development? You can’t receive money from something that has not been given. Show me the MONEY! Show me the SUCCESS of Rivercane! If it was not for our Native Americans and Blacks in Atmore, we could close it down completely. I can say this because I am a white person. Let’s see a change!
Bay Minette’s tax is 10%, I work there so I know.
As for the sidewalks in Atmore, did the city pay for them? I assumed they got some sort of grant or something? I think the whole reason they redone them was to make them wheelchair accessible.
While I understand some of the reasoning for the sales tax increase, I think the city (or local media) should have been more open in communicating that this item was on the city’s agenda. Several people in town were surprised at this news, when some communication from City Hall regarding the steps that were being considered were going to be discussed and finalized would have helped mitigate some of this negative reaction to the vote.
Despite these issues, we as Americans need a better understanding that taxes on the whole (Fed, State, & Local) are all going to increase in the next few years due to one simple economic law: Taxes = Goverment Spending. That $14 Trillion in Federal Gov’t debt alone is creating a huge tax burden that will shift to future generations.
Next add the unfunded portions of the AL State Workers Health Fund, AL State Workers Retirement Fund, and you see where this is headed.
We need serious people to collaborate and create real solutions that help our local cities and communities return to viable organizations in the near future, or we may all be looking for new places to live.
Bay Minette sales tax = 9.5%
Live in Perdido but my 2nd home is in Dogwood park.
My wife and I did day trips in Atmore / no More
Good ol Atmore…where we spent thousands of dollars on sidewalks last year…for some reason or another…and all the walkers are in the dang street walking alongside the new walkway early in the AM…shining their flashlights in my face while I am driving down the street…like ” HERE I AM…DONT RUN OVER ME…”" Well get your rear on the sidewalks I say…well I am through…we spent that kinda money..now Atmore is reaching and grasping for straws…LETS BRING RODNEY OWENS BACK as mayor I say….. …
Raise those taxes …that I say
I dont buy here anyway
The mayor raising taxes as if Atmore is all about him. You have raised the water bill. The average water bill is now about $63.00. Does the mayor care??? Now you want to put a higher tax on gas,food,clothes,and lodging. You don’t care that we don’t make enough money to live as it is. People don’t even get raises on their jobs and you yet want to raise taxes just because you can. You may not answer in this world but one day you will have to answer for your wrong doing. How do you lie down and rest at night?? I wish not a single person had to bury their love ones in the cemetery in Atmore. You so quick to try and raise taxes but you don’t fix problems. Atmore,as long as we sit and allow this to go on it will forever happen. We have a voice let’s use it!!
Boycott the Shell regime!
I thought the citizens are suppose to vote on the sales tax hike?? Oh, this is Atmore and the Major and City Councilmans can do what they want. I hope as many people that can afford to shop away from Atmore do just that.
I don’t live in Atmore, but have ties there and over the years when I visit I have gone to WD & am appalled at their prices. A regular box of cereal is around $2.00 more than at Walmart in Ensley. The money saved on just a few items would probably more than buy the gasoline to go to Ensley. I’ve often said that I don’t know how a family can afford to eat buying groceries in Atmore.
Atmore has literally been dying on the vine for years. Industries haven’t been allowed there, hardly any decent shopping allowed in, restaurants continue to falter & close. The “old” Atmore money is slowly dying off. It’s a beautiful old town and could be prosperous again. Bring in more industry, try to get a handle on the drug problems, etc.
Take a ride to the tax free Winn Dixie in Cantonment, Hwy 29. Look around, it smells of freshness, multitude of choices on every product, (vice one name brand and the store you are in “generic” brand), and most important, it’s a very customer friendly store.
I quit this Winn Dixie in Atmore years ago, maybe once-twice a year I stop in (for what I don’t know). Still dirty, still the most horrific customer service, still barely has half of the merchandise of any “real” gorcery store.
Who would shop, excuse me, waste money in Atmore (except good ‘ol DC) would be a fool since the option to save $9-$10 per hundred in taxation is always available, the option of more produce or products to choose from is always available, and it’s all right down the road in the Sunshine State
You are not going to change things in this town until we as citizens let everyone who has ANY decision making responsiblites let the city counsel and the mayor know that they are beholden to ALL the people in this city. Not just a few groups and or well off families here. This town has needed young blood in this town for far too long. Not who is chosen by the few. As for the firefighters they are a good bunch of professional people. They just need someone to lead. You have volunteers at the Fire Dept. They have asked for training for over a year. Yes they have “in house training” but they also need professional training. One of the other Fire Depts. was/is having the training I am speaking of. Why can’t the Mayor or even the Chief pickup a phone and see if the ones who can attend go to it?
All you hear from the leadership is “we are waiting to see what the mayor says”.
These guys have been waiting on ID for over a year ,so when they do respond it will be easy for them to be identified . Real good thing that most of the police know them by sight. Why don’t the volunteers get paged out before anyone else? Guess you going to have to ask the leadership bout that. Although the Chiefs son works for Porach. ??? Poarch pays more to their firefighters AND their Police Dept . No wonder you got good officers and firefighters leaving to go out there. As for the higher taxes, somebody got to pay for the city’s mistakes. Do really think it is going to be the mayor or the city counsel? Wake up people we as a population are going to HAVE to make changes in the city goverment. Maybe get rid of some of the “dead wood at city hall” Maybe some people that are not afraid to make a few unpopular decisions.
What brought about the tex increase were citizens who were too lazy to get out and vote the old guard out. Everyone is complaining today that the city did this without giving the residents a chance to voice their opinion.
What did y’all think was going to happen when you have a mayor who doesn’t serve a term but who has a regim?
Furthermore, too many people in Atmore decide their politics based on who baked them a cake rather than taking the time to make a smart decision.
The chamber should stand up to the city for the negative effect it will have on business but they are too busy rubber stamping the shell regime.
Both newspapers in town are in the regimes hand and the everyday folks have no voice.
People should boycott all atmore businesses until the city repels the increases. If they want to raise revenue how about doing something to get businesses in here instead of running them out.
thats because of the younge kids, the ones that have been there a few years aren’t that way. it depends on how you look at it . that might be true with some of them but not the older ones.
nah, dying’s cheap, it costs the diers nothing. those who desire to bury them have options but I’m still reminded of the old adage: Don’t worry abut your funeral, after three days or so, SOMEBODY’LL bury you.
David for contentment
and for Freds
and for Chin’s
and for avoiding city-owned cemeteries
for myself
I completely DISAGREE that WD has friendly employee’s! EVERYTIME I go in there, they are too busy talking to each other about their personal lives and their boyfriends. (and complaining ALL the time about how lousy their job there is). I am sick of it! I don’t want to hear that crud when I go in there! It’s disrespectful! Where did common courtesy go? Kids these days have none!
I have been to the Atmore W/D and Food World since the ones in Brewton closed, and I have no complaints about either store.
Brewton’s tax (right now) is 8%, and East Brewton is 9%.
But the W/D and WalMart in Ensley are both great stores and offer a lot of things that the smaller stores don’t. And the WalMart in Ensley is quite a bit cheaper on items than the Brewton store. So even though it’s a bit of a drive and you use some of that gas that’s evidently now being made out of gold, we do go down and shop in Ensley.
You might think that food world is better than w.d
But wd is cleaner and the employees are not rude.
@ C W
I’m friends with several of the firefighters in Atmore and Poarch they all are respectful and honest men…I grant the the pay is higher in Poarch than Atmore ,however if you ask them I’m sure they will tell you that they loved working in Atmore and the pay wasn’t the main reason for leaving either…it was all the bull they had to put up with, Atmore lost alot of great Fire fighters..
@just curious
They should have more confidence in thier men for they are all great fireman and can handle their own,besides they done a great job before Poarch had a fire dept. don’t get me wrong thats great they work together just as they do with Poarch,Walnut Hill and surrounding areas thats what its all about helping each other, but just calling them to Atmore for a little brush fire or car fire thats just taking it a little over board..thanks to all the volunteers they do a GREAT job to!
I used to love Atmore, but now it’s just a joke. Would love to just move away…
@Just Curious,
Atmore doesn’t need more firefighters, everything north of Woods Rd is Poarch’s territory now, that’s why they say that. Atmore has lost some fire fighters to Poarch, because they can afford to pay better. Both departments help each other out if needed though. A friend of mine is a volunteer fire fighter, and he does help out every chance he gets.
I do agree with the council that Atmore’s streets need repaving, many of them are in terrible shape. I’m 31 years old and I can’t even remember the last time a street was resurfaced (except US 31). My point was that if we had better shopping choices to make people want to spend money here, we wouldn’t need to raise taxes.
One area everyone can save on, and has not been discussed, for I’m sure it makes many uneasy, is the process of burial. I think we are getting to the point where we have to realize embalming is ridiculous and the fancy coffins and vaults are unnecessary. Why do all those things? So the body will last a long time that will allow family to have it dug up if they want?
Look at the return to natural burials. No cost for embalming, coffins or vaults; simple cotton or paper bag or recyclable coffin is all they use. The places that do this keep a natural landscape and usually do some memorial of planting a tree and placing a small marker. It saves thousands of dollars.
Meant to say because none of us knew about this happening until it happened.Now everybody is complaining.Atmore has no jobs-no stores-the police arent hitting on crap.The mayor-well that is a story by itself.How do they think the people of Atmore can live with no raises -no jobs and everything going up?
Were the citizens of Atmore suppose to vote on this tax increase?Because know of us knew anything about this happening until it happened.We will be driving to ensley also.
Maybe they can use some of the money to hire more firefighters seems they must be short these days, or they just don’t have the confidence in their men one,for all I hear on my scanner when a call goes out is “Get Poarch in route” what happen before Poarch had a department? I think its great to have neighbors like Poarch to help out if its something they really need help on but a car fire or a little grass fire, I mean come on, if those men can’t handle that somethings wrong..and why don’t they call for their off duty men and volunteers first? just curious…
They need the funds to pay for RIVERCANE that is a sore spot and will never make it. Just wait until the Wind Creek get shut down for illegal slots and is now the undertaking of our Attorney General. Where’s the MONEY, now? I recently went into the City Hall to pay my utility bill and two females working there did not even acknowedge me. They were both talking on private phone conversations and laughing etc. Atmore could cut back on the personnel there and get rid of some of the police cars parked outside city hall. There were 12 cars parked there today not being used. Stop letting officers drive the cars home.
I will say Food World is a vastly improved place over the past few months. Mr. Brown and the other manager are very helpful, and they have good, nice employees (including several Northview kids). The sales prices are pretty good. I’ve noticed more and more cars in the Food World parking lot and fewer and fewer at Winn Dixie. I’ve had problems with rude employees at W/D. I just find the Piggly Wiggly to be dirty and nasty.
It’s cheaper to pay the tax on the groceries at Food World than it is to drive to Pensacola.
Atmore is a dead beat place. They keep taking everything from the taxpayer like, cannot even walk your dog in the park when you can in Washington DC and every other city in the US. We pay taxes but do not have sidewalks in our neighborhood. I do not go to any grocery store in Atmore. Go to Piggly Wiggly just across the state line and do not pay any food taxes. For other things make the drive to Ensley and shop Wal Mart. Then go to a nice restaurant for lunch. I live here but hope to move away soon as my property taxes increased when my home is still not repaired from Hurricane Ivan and Dennis. Wish I could sell for what they say it’s worth. Maybe Atmore will buy it from all the increases they are getting. Everything increases, even my health insurance, gas is high enough without the city tacking on taxes. Go to the simpler life, sell everything and live in a shelter.
For those of us in the McDavid/Molino area, we must drive somewhere to get our groceries. Century is out. So that leaves Atmore, the Grocery Advantage in Cantonment or Pensacola.
When it comes down to $9 for every $100 I spend on groceries, Atmore is going to lose my business. I’m going to the Grocery Advantage or Publix. No sales tax on food and saving $9 will buy my gas.
About the cheapest grocery store around is the Grocery Advantage in Ensley they are pretty good. Good quality of meat also.
You just can not get half the supplies you need in Atmore. Why not make that drive and you can find what you need @ 1 stop…The Wind Creek was going to save us all and bring much needed new money to Atmore?We have schools that need the Marines to come in and take control to clean up.So why waste money here when you do not see changes for the good…….
want be spending much money in atmore hiking taxes just hurt atmore more than ever as far as places to shop are eat they are lacking in this area
To CW I agree with you! There are some stores I enjoy, Burkes, Pebbles but our food stores are miserable! I shop Winn Dixie only because they are cheaper then Food World. THAT’S the only reason. I enjoy going to Brewton Walmart. I do try to spend money in Atmore when I can find something to buy, which isn’t as often as I would like.
It was shop Atmore first. Now it should be shop Atmore last. Time for new city fathers that can live within our means.
Atmore’s problem is lack of decent places to shop. Most folks drive to Wal-Mart in Bay Minette despite the 10% tax there. Heck, sometimes I even shop at the Winn-Dixie in Bay Minette just because I can’t stand the one in Atmore. I live here, but honestly I spend very little tax money here.
The higher the tax rate gets in Atmore…..The closer Wal Mart in Ensley gets.
How much are sales tax in Bay Minette and Brewton, like at Walmart?