By By MARY-ALLISON LANCASTER – Managing editor
Brewton City Council members unanimously granted an increase to certain retirees and surviving beneficiaries of the Employees' Retirement System on Tuesday night.
The grant comes under Act 2005-316 of the regular session of the Alabama Session and is granted to those whose effective date of retirement for the purpose of receiving benefits is on or before Sept. 1, 2004.
The cost per month for the city was estimated at $1,200 and the increase date would be effective Oct. 1 of this year. According to a memorandum shown at Tuesday's council meeting, the increase shall be 4 percent of current gross benefit, including all previous increases, paid to retiree or to beneficiary of a deceased member or deceased retiree, with a minimum monthly increase of $15.
Mayor Ted Jennings said that this increase is "the kind of thing that does come up every two or three years."
In other city news, City Council members agreed to enter into a tax revenue enhancement agreement with AlaTax. AlaTax, a Delaware corporation, will perform remittance processing for sales, use and any other taxes designated by the city of Brewton. Under the agreement, AlaTax will send individualized tax forms to all known taxpayers, and as a service to the city will also provide delinquency notifications and follow-ups, which include correspondence, calls and collection procedures.
According to Jennings, "AlaTax has done an outstanding job in the years" they have been working with the city. In fact, Jennings said, last year the company presented the city a $22,000 check from businesses he was "unaware" were even in the city.