By 16 votes, Pine Level chooses to become a town
PRATTVILLE ‒ In a squeaker vote that was decided by just 16 ballots, the Autauga County community of Pine Level is now a town.
The incorporation vote was held Tuesday, and complete but unofficial results show 59 yes ballots cast compared to 43 no ballots. The votes will be canvassed by Friday, said Probate Judge Kim Kervin.
It was a closer vote than many observers were expecting.
"I thought it was going to be closer to 70 percent for and 30 percent opposed," said Ken Hollon, one of the original petitioners. Hollon doesn't live in the town that he helped to form, but his family has roots in the area going back generations.
Next up is a census of the town boundaries, and then Kervin will call a municipal election.
Since the anticipated population of the Town of Pine Level will be about 400, it will have a mayor-council form of government with five council members and a mayor, according to the Alabama Bar Association, citing state code.
Municipalities under 12,000 population have that form of government, where the mayor serves as presiding officer of the council. The mayor can vote on matters before the council, or reserve their vote to break ties, according to code.
The first election will have the mayor and council elected at large, according to the Alabama League of Municipalities. That makes sense since there are no council districts. Candidates must be eligible voters living within the boundaries of the town for a minimum of three months.
The cost of the election and census will be paid by the original petitioners of incorporation, Kervin said.
Once the government is in place it can establish council districts and go about handling the business of a town.
Holon expects the government to deal mostly with annexation requests from people and neighborhoods who want to join the town, at least early on. It can also go about establishing laws or any tax codes.
This community about 15 miles north of Prattville has seen tremendous residential growth and, as the adage goes, retail follows rooftops. Near the U.S. 31 and Autauga County 40 intersection several businesses, including Piggly Wiggly, Dollar General and Ace Hardware have sprung up.
State law requires a minimum population of 300 before a community can seek incorporation. The current area of Pine Level that is seeking the move has a population of about 400. There are 314 registered voters in the area proposed for incorporation, said Kervin.
The proposed boundaries can be reviewed on the website www.pinelevelalincorporation.com. The area centers on the U.S. 31 and Autauga County roads 40 and 107 area. It is north of the Central Alabama Electric Cooperative property, which is not in the proposed boundaries, and south of Pine Level Elementary School, which is also not in the proposed boundaries.
The proposed boundaries cross south of Interstate 65, just north of the I-65 and U.S. 31 exit. The proposed boundaries include all of Graham Ridge subdivision but exclude the two mobile home communities in the area.
Pine Level is Autauga County's fourth municipality, joining Prattville, Autaugaville and Billingsley.
Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Marty Roney at mroney@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: By 16 votes, Pine Level chooses to become a town
