Clif Knight

Hartselle Enquirer

With sales tax revenue increasing and new businesses on the horizon, Hartselle Mayor Bill Smelser has good reason to view 2016 as a year of economic growth.

“Our sales tax revenue is running about 3.5% ahead of what it was at this time last year,” Smelser said. “If that trend continues, we’ll be able to meet our budget with some room to spare.”

“I also feel good about our chances of bringing in new businesses this year,” he added.

“While I can’t reveal names at this time, I can say we’re being considered as a new business location by several retail developers, hospitality developers and other prospects. They all have requested demographic information about the city and some have visited more than once. The locations they’re interested in include the Morgan Business Park at I-65 and Thompson Road.

“If one or more of these prospects pans out, the city will benefit from increased tax revenue,” he pointed out.

Smelser said upgrades on Thompson Road and Highway 36 east are projects that will be pursued vigorously this year.

Design and engineering work on the proposed five-laning of Thompson Road from Highway 31 to I-65 was completed several years ago but remains on the funding calendar of the Alabama Department of Transportation. Also sitting in limbo is a federal grant that was awarded to upgrade Highway 36 from a two-lane to a four-lane highway from Roan Road to I-65. It is also on the ALDOT calendar.

“We’re way down on the list for ALDOT funding,” Smelser said. “One of our priorities is to work with ALDOT to get them moved to a ‘fast track’ status.”

Three other road upgrade projects on the mayor’s priority list are the replacement of culverts and resurfacing of the inside-city portions of Nanceford and Barkley Bridge Roads and the resurfacing of Airport Road.

The city will partner with Morgan County Commission District 2 on the Nanceford and Barkley Bridge projects and seek a grant from the National Aeronautics Administration to do the work on Airport Road.

Another priority is to complete the storm water retention pond behind the Hartselle Fine Arts Center.

“I definitely slowed down the runoff of water from the Christmas Day seven-inch rain event,” Smelser said. “We’ll be adding pipe for additional retention soon. It will slow down the runoff even more.”

Smelser said his transition from council chairman to mayor has gone smoothly.

“We have a dedicated group of council members that have given me their full support,” he said. “Plus, we have trained, skilled and experienced department heads that are capable of doing their jobs with minimum supervision.”