Walt Maddox addresses proposal to combine Tuscaloosa city, county governments

State Sen. Gerald Allen's proposal to merge Tuscaloosa, Northport and Tuscaloosa County as a single metro unit came as a surprise to many, when introduced May 23 as Senate Bill 344.

Among those not previously alerted were the city of Tuscaloosa's leaders. Mayor Walt Maddox heard about the idea, which would call for voters to approve the merger, through media. Allen has said he doesn't expect the bill to pass in 2023, but that he wanted to start a discussion.

Allen's proposed constitutional amendment, introduced, read and referred to Senate Local Legislation, reads in part: "To facilitate the operation of local government, to prevent duplication of services, and to promote efficient and economical management of the affairs of local government, the voters in Tuscaloosa County may merge county government and the municipal governments of the City of Tuscaloosa and the City of Northport into an urban-county form of government."

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"Exploring how we can deliver our services effectively should always be on the table," Maddox said Tuesday.

"The public safety, legal, financial, administrative, taxation and zoning ramifications are intense, which is why we hope there would be serious discussions before this matter is considered by the legislative delegation."

Currently codified partnerships already exist between the city of Tuscaloosa, city of Northport and Tuscaloosa County, Maddox said, including those for:

• Tuscaloosa Public Library

• Tuscaloosa County Park and Recreation Authority

• Tuscaloosa Metro Jail

• DCH Regional Healthcare Authority

• Tuscaloosa Metro Shelter

• Tuscaloosa E-911

• Tuscaloosa County Road Improvement Commission

• Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit

• West Alabama Narcotics Task Force

• Tuscaloosa County Special Tax Board

• Metropolitan Planning Organization

• Tuscaloosa County Economic Development Authority

• Black Warrior Solid Waste Authority.

And that's not including other metro partnerships, Maddox said, ranging from tourism to agency funding.

Regular sessions of the state Legislature are just 30 meeting days within a period of 105 calendar days, with usually two legislative meetings per week, and other days devoted to committee meetings. Since the Legislature is now on day 28, it's unlikely there'll be movement on Allen's bill this session.

Reach Mark Hughes Cobb at mark.cobb@tuscaloosanews.com.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Mayor Walt Maddox discusses Gerald Allen's metro government proposal