§45-36-162. Distribution of payments.

Any payments coming into the treasury of Jackson County that are derived, directly or indirectly, from payments by the Tennessee Valley Authority in lieu of payment of taxes shall be appropriated as follows:

(1) The first one hundred forty-five thousand dollars ($145,000) of each year’s payments shall be paid to the Jackson County Hospital Board to provide all residents of Jackson County with adequate ambulance service.

(2) After the above appropriation to the Jackson County Hospital Board, the next one hundred five thousand dollars ($105,000) shall be paid to the Jackson County Economic Development Authority on an annual basis. The appropriation shall be paid before all other appropriations other than the appropriation to the hospital board.

(3) In addition to all other amounts hereinabove paid to the Jackson County Economic Development Authority, the next seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000), after the appropriations in subdivisions (1) and (2) shall be annually paid to the authority. All appropriations made in this subdivision to the Jackson County Economic Development Authority shall be deposited in a special industrial development fund to be used only for the purposes of this subdivision as follows: For recruiting industry; matching public or private grants the county may receive for industrial development; and special projects for site preparation, surveying, archaeological or geotechnical studies, or other direct expenses necessary to recruit industry to the county.

(4) After the above appropriation, all Jackson County volunteer fire departments in good standing with the Jackson County Association of Volunteer Fire Departments shall be authorized to receive five thousand dollars ($5,000) each annually to help furnish adequate fire protection in the communities that they serve. The amount paid to each volunteer fire department shall be paid at the direction of the county fire marshal and disbursed to each fire chief upon approval of the county fire marshal. In addition to the above, thirty thousand dollars ($30,000) shall be distributed to the Jackson County Association of Volunteer Fire Departments for use by the association.

(5) After the above appropriation, the next twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) of each year’s payments shall be distributed to the Scottsboro– Jackson County Rescue Squad for the maintenance and operation of the rescue squad’s equipment and facilities.

(6) An annual accounting of the use of the funds appropriated in subdivisions (1), (2), (3), (4), and (5) shall be furnished to the Jackson County Discretionary Committee no later than September 30 of each year. In the event an annual accounting is not furnished, the committee may reduce or terminate funding for the next fiscal year for the entity failing to furnish the report by a majority vote of the committee.

(7) Commencing October 1, 2013, the net payments remaining in the appropriation paid to Jackson County after the appropriations in subdivisions (1), (2), (3), (4), and (5) shall be appropriated as follows:

a. Two percent of such payments, as shall be necessary, shall be used to establish, equip, and maintain a legislative office for the members of the state legislative delegation serving Jackson County, Alabama, and any unused portion shall be paid to the Jackson County Discretionary Fund to be disbursed by the Jackson County Discretionary Committee, as established hereinafter, in the same manner as all other funds from the Jackson County Discretionary Fund.

b. Two percent of such payments shall be appropriated to Jackson County EDA under this section.

c. Thirty-three and fifty hundredths percent of such payments shall be appropriated to the public school systems within Jackson County on a per pupil pro rata basis.

d. Twenty-five and fifty hundredths percent of such payments shall be appropriated to the incorporated municipalities within the county on a population basis.

e. Twenty-five and fifty hundredths percent of such payments shall be placed in the general fund of the county treasury and may be used for any lawful purpose by the county.

f. Eleven and fifty hundredths percent of such payments shall be placed in a Jackson County Discretionary Fund to be disbursed by the Jackson County Discretionary Committee, as established hereinafter.

(8) There is created a Jackson County Discretionary Committee consisting of six members. The members of the committee shall be: The Chair of the Jackson County Commission, a member of the Jackson County Commission selected by the commission on an annual basis, the Jackson County Revenue Commissioner, the state senator representing Jackson County, and the two state House of Representatives members representing all or part of Jackson County. The state senator representing Jackson County shall be the chair of the committee. The discretionary committee shall adopt rules of procedure consistent with this section and shall make, by majority vote, all decisions concerning disbursement from the Jackson County Discretionary Fund.

(Act 79-473, p. 873, §1; Act 99-550, p. 1194, §1; Act 2012-421, p. 1138, §1; Act 2013-318, §1; Act 2013-435, §1.)