Berlin eyes expanded revenue potential as tax base grows

Benjamin Bullard, The Cullman Times, Ala.
·2 min read

Oct. 20—BERLIN — There's still some data left to be sorted out, but early post-Census numbers suggest that the Town of Berlin could see a significant future boost to its annual tax-based revenues — if, that is, the numbers play out the way mayor Patrick Bates believes they should.

At the town's regular council meeting this week, Bates said Berlin should be on track to soon begin receiving its share of Cullman County sales taxes collected from goods purchased locally via online storefronts. It's a new revenue stream Bates said the town should already have begun to receive beginning with the new fiscal year that started this month — though he plans to investigate the reason that, at least with the town's first October tax remission, it so far hasn't shown up.

"When Berlin was founded, one revenue source we could not get access to at the time was the simplified sellers use tax, or [also known as] the internet sales tax," he explained Monday.

"We were not eligible to receive any of that money until the first fiscal year after the next Census, which just started on October first. They [recently] made an October money distribution, and apparently we were not in it. My initial research into it suggests it would be about $20,000 per year, which is a significant percentage of our General Fund budget. I'll be looking into that, because those are funds we want to have as quickly as our town can get them."

Like leaders at some other area municipalities, Berlin officials also believe the recent Census may have undercounted the number of households that fall within the town's corporate limits. Though the process of appealing those figures won't begin until after the first of next year, Bates said revising the new number upward could also mean additional tax revenues for the town.

In other business at its regular meeting Monday, the council:

Approved roadside trimming and maintenance work for a portion of County Road 1612, ahead of a larger resurfacing and engineering project the council aims to take on in the next fiscal year to address the road's surfacing and drainage issues.

Approved a change in traffic flow along a circle-shaped section of County Road 1612, converting the flow of traffic to a counterclockwise, one-way movement around the loop.

Appointed Berlin resident Tony Duke to fill the vacant Place 3 seat on the Berlin Town Council.

Named council member Donald Gunter as the town's new mayor Pro Tempore.

Approved the minutes of the council's Sept. 20 regular meeting.

Approved invoices and payroll for the current period.