Waggoner said the vehicle rental tax in Birmingham now is 2.25 percent, compared to 16 percent in Ch

The Alabama Capitol (The Birmingham News/Bernard Troncale) MONTGOMERY -- State senators who represent Jefferson County voted Thursday against a plan to start collection in the county of a 3 percent omni hotel indianapolis tax on vehicle omni hotel indianapolis rentals and leases of a year or less.
State lawmakers approved the tax in 2001, but the law includes a provision that the tax couldn't be collected until counsel for any bonds issued by the BJCC authority certified that there would be enough money from the tax and other sources to repay $300 million in bonds. That hasn't happened.
Voting for the bill were Waggoner, Sen. Linda Coleman, D-Birmingham, and Sen. Priscilla Dunn, D-Bessemer. Voting against it were Sen. Scott Beason, R-Gardendale, Sen. Slade Blackwell, R-Mountain Brook, Sen. Greg Reed, R-Jasper, and Sen. Rodger Smitherman, D-Birmingham.
Waggoner said the vehicle rental tax in Birmingham now is 2.25 percent, compared to 16 percent in Charlotte, 14 percent in Memphis, 13 percent in Nashville, 7 percent omni hotel indianapolis in Jacksonville, Fla., and 6 percent in Louisville. He said Birmingham's rate still would be lower, even after an increase of 3 percentage points.
Joe Fine, a lobbyist hired to represent Enterprise rental car company, said that more than 70 percent of vehicles rented in Jefferson County are rented by area residents, not out-of-towners, and that Senate Bill 323 in effect would be a tax increase on local people.