Letter to the editor | Amendments to give communities control

Four state amendments that will give control of local government to the communities involved will be on ballots in November. State amendments 3, 4, 5 and 6 resulted from a statewide nonpartisan commission chaired by former Gov. Albert Brewer.

Amendment 3 restricts legislators from forcing all voters in the state to vote on an amendment that affects only one county. In the first vote on a local amendment, legislators will decide if the amendment has merit. If they approve the amendment, then they will vote on whether it will be on the ballot of only the county affected. 

This is a change from current practice in which a single legislator voting against the merits of a local amendment forces it to a statewide vote.

Amendment 4 gives components of local government to the communities by allowing counties to establish programs, policies and procedures related to county government. 

The amendment will not allow counties to increase or levy new taxes, nor will it allow counties to amend or repeal an existing local law. 

This is a change from current practice in which local governments must rely on the Legislature, through constitutional amendments, to establish programs and procedures related to county government. 

Jefferson County is exempt from this amendment because of legal activity still pending about the sewer rate schedule, but the amendment will be on Jefferson County ballots even though it won’t apply to Jefferson County.

Amendment 5 will simply modernize the language in the Constitution by renaming the “departments” of governments into “branches.”

Amendment 6 provides that two-thirds of the Senate must vote to approve an impeachment, a change from the current constitutional language which does not specify the percentage required for impeachment. 

Amendment 6 also will bring the Constitution in line with current practices by limiting the list of those who may be impeached to elected officials, removing an appointed position from the list.

We hope your readers will vote “yes” on all these amendments.

Alabama Citizens for Constitutional Reform

► Brunson White, Vestavia Hills

► Lenora Pate, Birmingham

► John Northrop, Homewood

► Nancy Ekberg, Vestavia Hills

► Kate Nielsen, Mountain Brook