Resident urges council to reconsider $5.75 million tax-incentive awarded to Delaney Property Group

A Tuscaloosa resident publicly asked the city council Tuesday to explain and reconsider a June 16 vote that approved a tax-incentive resolution committing $5,750,000 of city sales-tax revenue to Delaney Property Group for a proposed Springbrook commercial development.

Susie Smith (speaker 3) identified herself and distributed a handout to council. She told the council that Mr. Delaney is a successful developer who, she said, "needs no financial help from the taxpayers of Tuscaloosa" and raised questions about the development site’s market suitability and plan to ground-lease parcels to national tenants. Smith also told the council that Councilor Henry left the hearing room during the public hearing on the incentive and said, "Because he will profit from the sale of the Springbrook property to Delaney, councilor Henry retired to an anteroom of the city council chamber during the public hearing." She asked the four councilors who voted for the incentive on June 16 to explain their reasons on the record and asked that one of them move to reconsider the vote or place reconsideration on the next council agenda.

The chair thanked Smith for her comments and asked if anyone else wished to speak; no motion to reconsider occurred during the meeting. The transcript does not record a direct response from the council explaining the original votes or a motion to add reconsideration to the agenda.

Because Smith’s statements concern alleged financial benefit to an elected official, they represent an allegation raised during public comment; the council did not document a reply or a formal investigation in the transcript of this meeting.