Just when it seemed the dust had settled from the Warrior and Blount County tax issue, the matter is yet again rearing its head.

This time, the town of County Line, near Trafford, has gotten involved by filing a lawsuit against the state because the town considers a proposed amendment that will appear on Blount County ballots to be unconstitutional.

The amendment stems from a fierce fight earlier this year between Blount County and the city of Warrior, located in Jefferson County, after Warrior attempted to collect sales taxes from businesses located in unincorporated Blount County. The businesses were located within Warrior’s 1.5-mile police jurisdiction.

If voters approve it, an amendment on the ballot would prohibit a municipality from collecting or regulating taxes across county lines by using their police jurisdictions.

There are two similar amendments: One on ballots statewide and one for Blount County residents only.

County Line objects to the local amendment because part of its citizens — those who live in Jefferson County — will not get to vote on the Blount County amendment. County Line officials were unavailable for comment.

The Alabama Legislature in its 2010 regular session passed Act 2010-552, which allows the proposed amendment to be placed onto the Blount County ballot.

Blount County Probate Judge David Standridge, who is also chairman of the Blount County Commission, said he can not comment on the constitutionality of the amendment since he is named in the lawsuit, but he does support the measure and is encouraging people to vote ‘yes.’

“I don’t think a town should be able to cross over and collect taxes within their police jurisdiction without getting representation in government from the people that fall in the jurisdiction,” he said.

Bill Logan, owner of Logan’s General Store on Hwy. 160, helped spearhead the fight against Warrior.

Logan is holding a rally at his store on Oct. 30 at 2 p.m. to promote ‘yes’ votes on the Blount County and the statewide amendments.

Blount County Chief Prosecutor Larry Waites said that he and District Attorney Tommy Rountree decided not to get involved in the lawsuit.

“I don’t think it’s well-founded,” Waites said. “I think it will be dismissed at some point.” He pointed out that the election ballots are already printed and that the amendments are “there properly through the legislative act.”

Standridge said it is too late to change the ballot, but that a court could decide to either throw out the vote’s result or deem it valid.

— Ben Montgomery

contributed to this article