Restoring Orrville’s beer funds a possibility

Published 10:48pm Monday, February 25, 2013
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In early February, Dallas County attorney John Kelly, approached the Orrville Town Council about a portion of a beer tax that could legally no longer go to the town.

Since 1994, the beer tax has provided funds for Orrville, funds estimated at $7,000 annually for the last two years.

When Dallas County underwent its annual audit, auditors discovered legislation from 1995 that suspended a previous act and excluded Orrville’s rights to a portion of the beer tax collected from beer sold in town’s limits.

The beer tax now collects solely from distributors who sell beer to the ABC board, then, “remit that tax according to the law,” Kelly told the council.

Dallas County Probate Judge Ballard said Monday, following a Dallas County Commission meeting, the commission is, “trying to get some legislation passed that would us to restore the funding to Orrville through the beer tax.”

Ballard said he and the members of the  commission have spoken to state Sen. Hank Sanders and state Rep. Dario Melton and both are in the process of drafting legislation that would change the law and allow Dallas County to restore funding through the beer tax to Orrville.

“We never wanted to stop giving [Orrville] the money, but the auditors, by the way the law was worded, said that we could not legally give that to them,” Ballard said. “I think before the legislation is over we will be able to restore that funding.”

Ballard said he is, “confident the legislation will go through based on information from the legislative delegation,” and he has asked the auditors not discontinue funding from Orrville retroactively, but just stop the funding where it is.

Comments
  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1445295330 Kimesha Sunshine Alvarado

    Amen! I think this is great! Shout out to the Probate Judge and the commisioners for fighting for the right thing to do! Awesome!

    • popdukes12

      Mr. Ballard just did the right thing for Selma’s “lil sister” town of Orrville. I remember Mr. Ballard helping with the giving of a surplus fire truck to Orrville from the city of Selma. That was 20 years ago when Mr. McHugh was the mayor, down there. Pops

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