Sales tax holiday, bids for police vests up for debate at City Council meeting

(File Photo)

By Nick Sellers | Staff Writer

MADISON – The City Council held a first reading for the annual sales tax holiday and the Madison Police Department was approved to submit a grant for a vest grant to the Bureau of Justice at its April 27 meeting.

The lone presentation was Mayor Troy Trulock’s designating April 2015 as 9-1-1 month. County Commissioner Steve Haraway and Ernie Blair, CEO of the Huntsville – Madison County 911 Center, were there to receive the proclamation. The meeting coincided with the fourth anniversary of the tornado outbreak of April 2011.

A month after the police force received a special deal on two bullet-resistant vests, Police Chief Larry Muncey introduced a proposal to submit a Bureau of Justice vest grant. According to the proposed agreement, $11,275, or 50 percent of the total funds needed to purchase the 25 vests, and the city will match with other $11,275.

The vests will go to new hires and current personnel, Muncey said.

“Moisture will get in the vest, and it begins to deteriorate after that,” Muncey said, adding that vests will last at least five years.

In other department reports, the revenue department introduced the annual ordinance that binds the city of Madison in cooperation with the sales tax holiday that coincides with back-to-school shopping.

The sales tax holiday weekend, set for Aug. 7-9, 2015, provides city tax credit on certain items such as articles of clothing $100 or less, computers or computer software less than $750 or less and general school supplies with a sales price of $50 or less.

The city of Madison’s sales tax is 3.5 cents for every dollar spent in city limits.