AMENDMENT 554 RATIFIED

Levy and Collection of Special Ad Valorem Property Tax for Public Library Purposes in Chambers County.

The governing body of Chambers County shall, subject to succeeding provisions of this amendment (including those relating to approval by the Chambers County electorate), and notwithstanding anything in the Constitution or laws of Alabama to the contrary, levy and collect a special county ad valorem or property tax at the rate of twenty cents ($.20) on each one hundred dollars ($100) of taxable property in said County, for a period of ten fiscal (or ad valorem tax) years of said County. Such tax shall be in addition to any taxes now authorized, or that may hereafter be authorized, by the Constitution and laws of Alabama to be levied and collected in Chambers County or by said governing body.

The proceeds of the aforesaid tax shall be used exclusively for public library purposes in Chambers County, including particularly (but without limitation)

(a) the acquisition, construction, reconstruction, improvement, enlargement, equipment, operation, maintenance and support (or any one or more thereof) of

(1) any public library or libraries operated or supported (whether in whole or in part) by said County, by the Chambers County Library Board, or by any other similar public or governmental body empowered, under the Constitution and laws of Alabama, to operate or support public libraries, including particularly, but without limiting the generality of the foregoing, (i) that certain public library located in the City of Lafayette now owned by the City of Lafayette, and (ii) that certain public library located in the City of Valley now owned by a not-for-profit foundation or a not-for-profit corporation, and

(2) any other public libraries, branch libraries or related public library facilities (including, without limitation, one or more buildings and any equipment and lands necessary therefor) located or to be located in Chambers County and forming or to form a part of the public library system of said County; and

(b) the payment of principal of or interest (or premium, if any) on any bonds, warrants, notes or other securities (including, without limitation, refunding securities) issued by said County for public library purposes in Chambers County; provided, that any public library, branch library or related public library facilities described in the preceding provisions of this amendment shall be owned either by said County, said Chambers County Library Board or other public or governmental body, or by a not-for-profit corporation or other similar nonprofit organization (regardless of how denominated or organized); and provided further, (A) that the proceeds of such tax may be expended to pay any costs of constructing, reconstructing, improving or enlarging any additions or improvements to any building or buildings used or to be used (at least in part) by, or in connection with the operation of, the aforesaid public library located in the City of Valley, notwithstanding that such building or buildings may also then be used (or may thereafter be used) in part by, or in connection with the operation of, archives or other facilities that are not, and are not expected to be, operated for public library purposes, and (B) that none of the proceeds of such tax may be expended to pay any costs of operating, equipping, maintaining or supporting any such facilities that are not, and are not expected to be, operated for public library purposes. In expending (or causing to be expended) the proceeds of such tax for the purposes herein authorized, and in otherwise carrying out the purposes of this amendment, the governing body of Chambers County shall not be subject to the provisions of Sections 93 and 94 of the Constitution, as amended.

If this amendment is approved, and if a majority of the qualified electors of Chambers County who vote at the election thereon vote in favor of this amendment, then the tax hereinabove authorized shall be levied and collected as hereinabove provided, without any other election having been held thereon. However, if this amendment is approved but a majority of the qualified electors of Chambers County who vote at the election thereon vote against it, then such tax shall not be levied unless the question of the levy of such tax as hereinabove provided shall have been submitted to a vote of the qualified electors of said County and approved by a majority of those voting at such election; and such tax shall, upon such approval, be levied and collected as hereinabove provided. Subsequent elections may be held at intervals of not less than one year, and shall be called, held and conducted in the same way, according to the general laws of Alabama (with such modifications as shall be necessary to comply with the provisions of this amendment), as elections on the question of issuing county bonds. Following the approval of the Chambers County electorate (whether at the election on this amendment or at a subsequent county election as hereinabove provided), the tax herein authorized shall, to the fullest extent consistent with the efficient and practical administration of the tax system of Chambers County and without regard to any law otherwise requiring the levy of county taxes during a certain month or on or before a particular date, be initially levied by the governing body of said County so that it shall first become due and payable on the October 1 next succeeding such election.

The provisions of this amendment are and shall be self-executing, and authorization from or any other action by the legislature shall not be a prerequisite to the levy and collection of the tax herein authorized, to the use of the proceeds of such tax as herein provided, or to the call, holding or conduct of any election in said County as hereinabove provided for. It is hereby specifically declared that this amendment is not being proposed pursuant to the provisions of that certain amendment to the Constitution (known as Amendment No. 425) that was proposed by Act No. 82-330 adopted at the 1982 Regular Session of the Legislature of Alabama, and the provisions of the said Amendment No. 425 are hereby declared to be inapplicable to this amendment.