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Spanish Fort council adopts voting-machine agreement, approves state sales-tax holiday; Haven resolution postponed
Summary
At a city council meeting, Spanish Fort approved an intergovernmental agreement with Baldwin County for voting machines and adopted a sales-tax holiday for Feb. 21–23, 2025; a proposed agreement with The Haven Inc. was rolled to the next meeting.
Spanish Fort City Council voted to adopt Ordinance 693-2025, authorizing the mayor to enter an intergovernmental services agreement with the Baldwin County Commission for the use of county-owned voting machines and for reimbursement of county costs. The council also adopted Ordinance 694-2025 to implement the state-authorized severe-weather sales-tax holiday for Feb. 21–23, 2025. A separate resolution authorizing an agreement with The Haven Inc. was moved to the council’s next agenda.
The council considered Ordinance 693-2025, which authorizes the mayor to sign an intergovernmental services agreement for Baldwin County to provide voting machines and related custodian and employee services for the municipal election. City Attorney David Connor said, “for the record, I do have a conflict on this item, but this is a standard agreement,” and described the ordinance as authorizing reimbursement of costs incurred by the county. The ordinance was moved, seconded and approved in roll-call votes with councilmembers answering in the affirmative; the clerk recorded the ordinance as adopted.
On Ordinance 694-2025, the council discussed the tight timeline required to establish the sales-tax holiday. City staff said the measure would exempt city sales tax on certain covered items during the period authorized by state law (referred to in the meeting as “Act 2012-256”) from Feb. 21 through Feb. 23, 2025, and that the exemption does not affect license fees charged at the Eastern Shore Center or Spanish Fort Town Center. The council voted to suspend the rules to consider the ordinance on short notice and then adopted it by roll call.
Separately, Resolution 1475-2025, an agreement with The Haven Inc., was not acted on and was carried over to the next council meeting; staff said the item will return on the Jan. 21 agenda.
Votes at a glance - Ordinance 693-2025 (intergovernmental services agreement with Baldwin County for voting machines): adopted (roll-call votes recorded as Yes by members listed in the transcript). Motion/second: not specified in the record. Notes: City Attorney David Connor disclosed a conflict and said the agreement is standard; the ordinance authorizes reimbursement to the county for services. - Ordinance 694-2025 (severe-weather sales-tax holiday, Feb. 21–23, 2025): adopted after suspension of rules to meet a tight timeline. Motion/second: not specified. Notes: Exemption applies to covered items under state law; license fees at Eastern Shore Center/Spanish Fort Town Center not affected. - Resolution 1475-2025 (agreement with The Haven Inc.): rolled to the Jan. 21 agenda; no final action taken.
The council announced the next regular meeting and work session will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 21 (work session at 4 p.m., council meeting at 6 p.m.), where the Haven item is expected to return to the agenda.
