Title 45

The Legislature declares that volunteer fire departments and associations which receive funds pursuant to this article are organizations which are public in nature, as they protect the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of the county. (Act 2008­123, p. 161, § 2.)

(a) There is levied on the owner of each dwelling and business located in those portions of Limestone County located outside the corporate boundaries of any municipality having a municipal fire department a fire protection service fee of two dollars fifty cents ($2.50) monthly on…

The fire protection service fee shall be collected, administered, and enforced as closely as possible at the same time, in the same manner, and under the same requirements and laws as are the ad valorem taxes of the state. In the case of mobile homes, the fee shall be collected, …

An eligible volunteer fire department, for the purposes of this article, shall mean a volunteer fire department located in Limestone County and is a member of the Limestone County Association of Volunteer Fire Departments. (Act 2008­123, p. 161, § 5.)

Funds paid to eligible volunteer fire departments shall only be expended for fire protection purposes, including training, supplies, and equipment. The funds may also be expended to purchase liability insurance to insure coverage of acts or omission which are directly related to …

Upon dissolution or abandonment of any eligible volunteer fire department, any remaining funds derived from this article or any assets purchased with funds derived from this article, after all indebtedness has been satisfied, shall be transferred to the county commission. The fun…

The personnel of volunteer fire departments provided for in this article shall not be considered as employees, servants, or agents of the county and the members of the county commission and the employees of the county shall not be liable in either their official capacity or in a …

(a) The board of commissioners of a communication district established by the Limestone County Commission pursuant to Chapter 98 of Title 11, which serves territory lying within Limestone County may do any of the following: (1) Contract or otherwise cooperate with an emergency co…

As used in this article, the following words shall have the following meanings: (1) BINGO. The game, commonly known as bingo, where numbers or symbols on a card are matched with numbers or symbols selected at random. (2) BINGO SESSION. A consecutive period of time not to exceed f…

The operation of bingo games for prizes or money by qualified organizations or qualified clubs for bona fide charitable, educational, or other lawful purposes shall be legal in Limestone County subject to this article. (Act 2000­124, p. 179, § 2.)

(a) No qualified organization or club shall be permitted to operate a bingo game unless the bingo game is located in the confines of Limestone County. The permit described in this article is in addition to, and not in lieu of, any other business licenses which may be required by …

(a) Each bingo permit shall contain the name and address of the permit holder, the location at which the permit holder is permitted to conduct bingo, and the day or days of the week on which the permit holder is permitted to conduct bingo. (b) The bingo permit holder shall displa…

(a) It is the intention of the Legislature that only qualified organizations or qualified clubs which are properly issued permits or licenses pursuant to this article, shall be allowed to operate bingo games. A qualified organization or qualified club shall not lend its name or a…

(a) Bingo may not be conducted with any equipment which is not owned, being purchased, or being rented at a reasonable rate by the permit holder, except as otherwise provided in subsection (b) of Section 45­42­150.04. (b) Prizes given by any qualified nonprofit organization for t…

Each permit holder shall maintain the following records pertaining to each bingo session for at least one year from the date of the session: (1) An itemized list of gross receipts for each session. (2) An itemized list of all expenses, including the name of each person to whom th…

(a) On or before April 15, after this article has been in effect for one year, and on or before April 15 of each calendar year thereafter, each permit holder shall file with the county commission a copy of the records required in Section 45­42­150.06 relating to the operation of …

The sheriff may revoke any permit if the permit holder or any officer, director, agent, member, or employee of the permit holder violates this article or rules promulgated pursuant to this article. The revocation shall become effective 10 days after the notice, by certified mail,…

(a) A permit holder whose permit or special permit is revoked for a violation of this article or a rule promulgated under this article is ineligible to apply for a permit for a period of one year after the revocation. (b) A person convicted of an offense under Section 45­42­150.1…

The circuit court of the county shall have jurisdiction to restrain or enjoin violations of this article and shall afford trial by jury for all appeals directed to it for alleged violations of this article leading to revocations of existing permits. (Act 2000­124, p. 179, § 11.)

Any person who violates this article shall be guilty of a Class C misdemeanor upon first conviction under this article. Any subsequent conviction shall be a Class A misdemeanor. (Act 2000­124, p. 179, § 12.)

Any device, equipment, record, money, or stakes used in any bingo game or operation in violation of this article, may be contraband and may be seized and be forfeited. Property forfeited may be sold, destroyed, or retained for official use by the municipal, county, state, or law …

Any other law providing a penalty or disability on a person who conducts or participates in bingo games, who possesses equipment used in conducting bingo, who permits bingo to be conducted on his or her premises, or who performs other acts in connection with bingo, shall not appl…

(a) The County Commission of Limestone County is authorized, when the need exists, to provide protection for the forestlands and other acreage protected by the Alabama Forestry Commission in Limestone County by participating in the Alabama Forestry Commission’s acreage protection…

(a) The Limestone County governing body shall reimburse the office of license commissioner, judge of probate, or tax collector from the general fund of the county the amount of any monetary loss, not to exceed a total of one thousand dollars ($1,000) per annum, arising or caused …

The purpose of this part is to provide for the economic and efficient merger of the City of Athens and Limestone County and such other political subdivisions as by formal procedures agree to participate in the merger. (Act 87­324, p. 442, § 1.)

The following terms shall have the meanings ascribed to them: (1) CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS. The sheriff, revenue commissioner, license commissioner, and judge of probate, and such other public offices of Limestone County which are established by the constitution or by statute. (2)…

Limestone County and any local government may merge to form a metropolitan-government. A metropolitan-government may exercise all powers and duties assigned by general law to both cities and the county in the territory merged. (Act 87­324, p. 442, § 3.)

Establishment of the metropolitan-government shall be initiated by a referendum which shall be participated in by Limestone County, the City of Athens, and such other local governments wholly within Limestone County as by resolution of the governing body agree to participate as a…

(a) A general services district shall include the entire area of Limestone County. Any service or function which is now or in the future assigned by state law to county government shall be performed in the general services district. (b) Urban service districts shall be formed fro…

The metropolitan-government created by this part, and approved by the voters, on 60 days’ notice, may at any time thereafter assume all functions, rights, duties, personnel, property, assets, and liabilities of any independent special district operating within the geographical ju…

The metropolitan-government shall not receive less in state grants, general support payments, shared revenues, or otherwise than the total amount that would have been received by each participating government if consolidation had not taken place. Future state shared revenues shal…

The metropolitan-government shall have all the powers granted to municipal corporations and the county governments by the constitution and the laws of the state together with all the implied powers necessary to carry into execution all the powers granted. The metropolitan-governm…

The metropolitan-government shall be governed by a commission of nine part-time members and a full-time mayor. The election for the first officers of the metropolitan-government shall be held on the date established by the judge of probate. Before such election the governing body…

The mayor shall preside at the meetings of the commission and shall be recognized as the head of the municipal government for all ceremonial purposes and by the Governor for purpose of military law. A mayor pro tem shall be elected from the membership by a majority vote of the co…

(a) All executive and administrative power of the metropolitan-government shall be vested in the office of the mayor and such other departments, offices, agencies, boards, commissions, and authorities as are authorized by this part or as are recommended by the mayor and are appro…

All powers of the metropolitan-government including all powers vested in it by this part, the constitution, and the general and local laws of this state. The determination of all matters of policy shall be vested in the commission. (Act 87­324, p. 442, § 12.)

After the first term the mayor and each commissioner shall receive as compensation for their services the sum established by the metropolitan governing body at least six months prior to the date of the election. (Act 87­324, p. 442, § 13.)

(a) The mayor shall appoint, subject to commission approval, a metropolitan manager, who shall be an officer of the metropolitan-government, and shall have the powers to perform the duties required. No sitting member of the metropolitan-government shall be appointed manager. Any …

The offices of sheriff, revenue commissioner, license commissioner, and judge of probate as established by the constitution or by statute shall be maintained. The salary of each office shall be set by the commission in accordance with general law. The terms of office of these off…

(a) The sheriff shall have such duties as prescribed by Alabama law except that the sheriff shall not be the chief conservator of peace. The function of chief conservator of peace is transferred to the chief of police as provided for by the metropolitan-government. The sheriff sh…

Nothing in this part shall have effect upon the judicial powers and functions of the judge of probate as provided by the general laws. All fees, commissions, emoluments, and perquisites of the office of judge of probate shall accrue to the metropolitan-government. (Act 87­324, p.…

(a) The transition period shall be directed by the provisions contained herein. The level of services during transition shall not be below the level of service previously provided by the respective government. (b)(1) Not later than six months after assuming office, the commission…

(a) A planning commission shall be established and shall have authority to institute, under the general laws of the state, land use controls for the metropolitan-government. The planning commission shall consist of nine members, one member appointed from each of the nine election…

(a) Within 18 months from the time metropolitan-government is placed in effect, the respective school boards of the city and the county shall plan for and implement a metropolitan-government school district which effects the merger of the two existing districts in accordance with…

(a) The budget and tax levy of the former City of Athens shall serve as the budget and tax levy for the urban service district for the fiscal year in which metropolitan-government is implemented. The budget and tax levy of the former County of Limestone shall serve as the budget …

(a) All permanent full-time and permanent part-time employees of the city or county including employees of any department, board, commission, authority, or agency shall become employees of the metropolitan-government and shall be assigned duties as similar in nature as may be pra…