To the editor:
This is not my first writing on this subject but will most likely be my last. Over the at least the last two years, I have spoken about the absolutely absurd condition of Ross Road, a road that was annexed into the City of Atmore quite a few years back when there was a different administration in the upper office of Atmore.
Mayor, there are more holes, bigger holes, holes with grass growing in them, and even some that, for lack of a better way of describing it, some that I might wonder if the fish were biting in.
I have spoken to all avenues of officials from the City of Atmore to the United States Transportation and Safety Board and got no results. Not “We will look into it,” “We’ll check it out.” All I have ever gotten is the road does not fall under our jurisdiction, etc.
That is from everyone but the City of Atmore, the one time I spoke to [Mayor Jim Staff] about this road’s condition, I was told and I will quote as close as my memory allows me to, “I did not vote to annex that road. No city residents use that road, only state employees. I have roads in Atmore in worse condition, and you all out there do not pay city taxes.” The first one may be true for I do not know how he voted. We the people of Ross Road are the citizens of Atmore who use this road, and yes, there are quite a few state employees who use the road. That is not an issue as to why the road cannot be fixed.
Roads in Atmore worse than Ross Road? … I have ridden all over Atmore and find quite a few roads resurfaced that were not in as bad shape as Ross Road was when they were resurfaced.
Lastly if we do not pay city taxes I would appreciate all that tax money I paid for things I purchased in Atmore and the surrounding area refunded to me. (The Atmore, Alabama sales tax is 9 percent, consisting of 4 percent Alabama state sales tax and 5 percent Atmore local sales taxes. The local sales tax consists of a 1 percent county sales tax and a 4 percent city sales tax.
* The Atmore Sales Tax is collected by the merchant on all qualifying sales made within Atmore.
* Atmore collects a 5 percent local sales tax, the maximum local sales tax allowed under Alabama law.
* Atmore has a higher sales tax than 75.9 percent of Alabama’s other cities and counties – source is http://www.tax-rates.org/alabama/atmore_sales_tax.
Oh and not just the tax money the money I have had to pay out through the years to keep replacing parts on my automobiles and alignments, etc.
I have lived here for 24 years as of September of this year and when the county had this road they never resurfaced it, but they did do maintenance on it and fill the holes.
I have some pictures that [show the] current condition of the road. I will be posting them on my Facebook page if anyone wants to see them.
Thank you for your time.
Bennie Ashby
Atmore