The biggest cities in Alabama have a problem: their budgets are built on a world of taxes on in-person sales. And while in-person sales make up 90% of all transactions in Alabama, that percentage is likely to erode over time.
Their concern is real. As more people shop online, local sales tax revenue is flattening. And without that revenue, cities can’t reinvest in infrastructure and other vital services. So what are their options?
Most would say they have two choices:
Tighten the financial belt
Raise revenue through other forms of taxation more in line with the modern world
But Walt Maddox is pushing a third option—one that solves his city’s problem at the expense of almost everyone else. He’s steering Alabama’s largest cities toward a plan to raid the tax revenue of small towns and counties.
How? By spreading misinformation and quietly building support for a change that would dramatically reshape the way Alabama’s online use tax is shared.
If his plan succeeds:
Most Alabama shoppers would pay more for online purchases
All Alabama shoppers could see their online purchases shared with the state
Small towns and rural counties could lose nearly all of their local online use tax revenue—overnight
It’s a complicated issue. But it matters more than most people realize.
📺 Watch the video to understand what’s really going on—and please share it with your friends, family, and community.
