The Prattville City Council on Sept. 16 adopted a resolution authorizing a sales‑tax rebate of up to $5 million to AJM LLC for a development the city calls Project Queen, with the rebate to accrue until the $5 million is rebated in full or for a maximum of 11 years.

The rebate was proposed during a public hearing for resolution number 6. Two residents spoke against the incentives: John McFinnegan, 211 Dear Trace, and Alyssa Brown, 2022 Summit Parkway. McFinnegan said he researched the company and found Rural King’s annual revenue was “approximately $2,500,000,000,” and questioned whether a national chain needed local financial incentives. He also noted a newspaper legal ad that named Bridal King Realty LLC alongside AJM and asked that any discrepancies be corrected when the agreement is finalized.

“A vote so a yes vote signals support for a deal that goes against local business owners,” Alyssa Brown told the council during public comment. Brown said her research showed Rural King had used a 1 percent “economic development fee” on customers in Kingsport, Tenn., and warned that national chains may not recirculate local revenue at the same rate as locally owned businesses.

The resolution cites Amendment 772 to the Constitution of Alabama (1901) as authority for providing public funds or things of value to promote economic development. The document adopted by the council specifies the incentive as a rebate of non‑educational sales tax related to the Project Queen development, limited to $5 million or 11 years, whichever occurs first. The resolution also authorized the mayor to execute any documents necessary to carry out the rebate.

Council members moved and seconded the measure and then voted to adopt the resolution; the clerk recorded that the resolution was adopted and asked for abstentions, of which none were reported. The transcript records no roll‑call vote tally or named mover and seconder.

The public speakers asked the council to consider how the rebate might affect local vendors and whether the city’s public notice and agreement language matched the entities listed in advertisement materials. McFinnegan asked that, if necessary, an amendment be added to the agreement to include the correct company names.

The resolution puts in place the rebate framework; implementation will depend on execution of the project development and cooperation agreement and any future administrative steps the mayor and city staff must complete.

(Reporting note: quotes and attributions come from speakers who addressed resolution number 6 during the public hearing segment of the Sept. 16 council meeting.)