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Houston County approves resolution to intervene in simplified seller's use tax litigation
Summary
The commission voted to authorize Houston County to intervene as a defendant in simplified seller's use tax (SSUT) litigation; a county official said some proponents apply national ecommerce averages (about 17%) rather than Alabama's rate (about 11%), overstating projected revenues.
The Houston County Commission voted to adopt a resolution authorizing the county to protect its interests by intervening as a defendant in litigation over the simplified seller’s use tax (SSUT). The motion, recorded during the meeting, passed by voice vote after brief discussion.
A commissioner asked the chair to explain how large cities were applying formulas that affect perceived revenue from SSUT. The chair responded that some advocates were applying national ecommerce averages (about 17%) to state-level distributions, while Alabama’s ecommerce share is closer to about 11%. "They're applying a national average to the state average, and then they're creating this pie in the sky," he said, adding that the method overstates projections by roughly 60 percent.
Commission members framed the resolution as a step to protect county tax interests and said they would hold a press conference after the meeting to explain the county’s position. The motion was credited in the transcript to Mr. Harvey (mover) and Commissioner Herring (second), and passed by the commission by voice vote; the record in the transcript does not include a roll‑call tally of individual votes.
