A bill to require cities to get approval from the Legislature before passing new occupational taxes or license taxes moved a step closer to passing today despite opposition from the mayors of the state’s 10 largest cities.

The Senate Governmental Affairs Committee on an 8-2 vote approved the bill by Rep. Chris Sells, R-Evergreen. Sells’ bill has already passed the House. Today’s committee vote puts it in line for consideration by the Senate.

The bill comes at a time when Montgomery, under new Mayor Steven Reed, is considering an occupational tax as a possible source of revenue. Reed spoke out against the bill at the committee meeting today.

Also, Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson forwarded an open letter to lawmakers on behalf of the mayors of Birmingham, Montgomery, Huntsville, Tuscaloosa, Auburn, Hoover, Decatur, Dothan, and Madison.

“Our opposition to the bill extends beyond a possible ban on new occupational taxes,” the letter says. “We are opposed to the bill’s assault on local governance. No municipal official desires to irresponsibly raise taxes.” (The letter is attached to the end of this article.)

Sells said he is opposed to occupational taxes on people who work in a city but live outside it. Sells said those people have no voice in electing the city officials who would impose an occupational tax. He said those employees living outside a city use the city’s infrastructure but also bring tax dollars when they shop and spend money in the city.

The Legislature has moved to restrict the authority of cities several times in recent years. Lawmakers passed a bill to block a minimum wage increase approved by the Birmingham City Council. The law prohibited any city from passing its own minimum wage. Lawmakers also passed a bill prohibiting cities and other government entities from moving historical monuments in place on public property more than 40 years. The Alabama Supreme Court ruled that Birmingham violated that law when it place a plywood screen around a Confederate memorial in Linn Park.

“There’s a hypocrisy that exists that many in state government don’t want the federal government interacting when it relates to Medicaid expansion and other things that would help our state, but at the same time they turn around and claim the authority from cities and municipalities who have duly elected their representatives to make decisions on a local level," Reed said.

“It’s really about who can chart the future for our cities and for our communities," Reed said. “Is that best done in the Legislature, or is that best done in our city councils, county commissions and our mayor’s offices? That presents a dilemma that I think has only been exacerbated by the bill here today. And from our standpoint, people want first-class services, they have to be willing to invest in them.”