Warrior Council may grant tax abatement

Published 1:02 pm Tuesday, August 2, 2011

At its regular meeting on Monday, the Warrior City Council discussed a request from Dewey Barber Chevrolet dealership to grant the business a sales tax abatement and a discount on business license fees. Warrior Mayor Rena Hudson said at the end of the meeting that the council would meet with Dewey Barber representatives to propose a 15 percent abatement over five years, but would have to discuss the business license issue further.

City clerk Demetra Mixon warned the council that granting the request could make many other businesses follow suit and ask for their own abatements.

The council also approved a lounge retail liquor business license for Warrior Speed Mart now that the number of loiterers outside the store has been staunched.

At its regular meeting on July 18, the council delayed discussing the license because some council members felt there were too many people below the age of 21 loitering outside the store.

“It just looks bad,” said Councilman Johnny Ragland at the July 18 meeting.

The council delayed discussing the license until it could discuss the matter with Warrior Police Chief Ray Horn. At its regular meeting on Monday, it passed the liquor license at Horn’s recommendation.

Ragland still wants the store to remove the black tinting from its windows, although he said the request had no bearing on his vote to approve the liquor license.

In other business, the council:

• granted a request from Fireworks Unlimited that would allow the business to sell fireworks on Sept. 2-5, which is Labor Day weekend. Normally, a city ordinance forbids shooting fireworks on any days except for days around Christmas, New Year’s Day and Independence Day, but the ordinance will also be temporarily lifted for Labor Day weekend.

• voted to send the city inspector to several houses that residents have complained about to deem whether or not to condemn them.