Scott Johnson

Montgomery Advertiser

The city and county of Montgomery have approved tax incentives for the renovation and expansion of Stivers Ford on East Boulevard, which already are underway.

Mayor Todd Strange said providing the incentives was a way to keep the dealership in that part of the city, which so many retail businesses have abandoned. He added that he has been working on the incentives deal for more than a year.

"The important thing is to keep them there and sustain and stabilize the area around the (former Montgomery) Mall," Strange said.

The project is expected to create at least 25 jobs and represent an investment of about $3.35 million.

A resolution authorizing the incentives passed the Montgomery County Commission on Monday on a vote of 3 to 2, with Commissioners Reed Ingram and Ronda Walker voting against it.

The City Council approved the incentives unanimously during its July 1 meeting.

The resolutions authorize a 10-year abatement of 50 percent of Stivers' non-educational city and county ad valorem taxes, capped at $50,000 a year. The agreement also includes an abatement of sales and use taxes on any materials used in the renovation and expansion.

Ingram said he was supportive of the project but that he wanted more information about it, including the number of people Stivers currently employs. Ingram moved unsuccessfully to table the resolution until the next commission meeting and added after the meeting that he felt one .

Ingram and Walker both said they were not comfortable with the idea of the county government selecting which business it would assist.

"I don't think it should be the position of the County Commission to decide that we are going to help one business and not another," Walker said.

Walker also said she felt that commissioners should have been informed about the planned incentives from the beginning.

"By the time I heard about this, Stivers was three-quarters finished. To me, that meant it was a done deal," she said.

Commission Chairman Elton Dean said during the work session Monday that he thought everyone on the commission supported the prroject.

Dean said the expansion is needed in the area and addded that it could even bring retail back to the area.

"Stivers is going to be an icon for that community," Dean said.

The County Commission also on Monday discussed but did not vote on an incentives package for an about $4 million expansion of Kenworth Truckworx off Birmingham HIghway west of Maxwell Air Force Base.

Strange said both projects are positive developments in areas where economic revitalization is needed.

"If you're against providing incentives in these types of scenarios, then you're against incentives, period," Strange said.

Dealership owner Eddie Stivers was not available for comment Monday.