SB451 Alabama 2011 Session

Updated Feb 27, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: William “Bill” M. BeasleySenator
Democrat
Co-Sponsors: Gerald O. Dial Tom Whatley
Session: Regular Session 2011
Title: Lee Co., fire districts, definition of dwelling, rates, emergency medical services, employment of paid firefighters, ballots, Act 89-390, 1989 Reg. Sess. am'd.
Summary: SB451 lets Lee County create fire districts, charge property owners a per-unit fee to fund fire protection and emergency medical services, and use the money to hire paid firefighters and provide EMS, with updated definitions and ballot rules.
What This Bill Does
The bill authorizes the Lee County Commission to establish fire fighting districts and levy a financial charge on each unit of property within those districts, subject to voter approval. The charge cannot exceed 125 dollars per fiscal year and is uniform within a district, with inflation adjustments every ten years after October 1, 2011. Proceeds go into a District Fire Protection Fund and can be used for fire protection, fire prevention, emergency medical services, paid firefighters, federal grant matching, and levy and collection costs. It also allows agreements with volunteer fire departments and sets ballot wording requirements to reflect uses and duration, with immediate effect upon approval by the governor.

Who It Affects
Property owners in Lee County who own dwellings or commercial buildings within the districts, who would pay the per-unit financial charge if approved.
Volunteer Fire Departments and the county government, which can receive funds from the District Fire Protection Fund and enter into service agreements.

Key Provisions
Amends Act 89-390 to authorize the Lee County Commission to create fire fighting districts and levy a financial charge on each unit of property within those districts, subject to voter approval.
Defines key terms such as commercial building, dwelling, district, unit of property, financial charge, and district fire protection fund to guide how fees are assessed and used.
Sets a maximum financial charge of 125 dollars per fiscal year, with inflation adjustments every ten years after October 1, 2011, and requires the charge to be uniform across all units in a district.
Allows the funds from the charge to be used for fire protection, fire prevention, emergency medical services, employment of paid firefighters, matching funds for federal grants, and costs of levying and collecting the charge.
Authorizes the district fire protection fund to pay volunteer fire departments within the district and allows agreements with these departments for services.
Requires ballot wording for elections to include the authorized uses and duration, and to not propose a rate above the maximum.
Sets the act to take effect immediately after approval by the governor.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 25, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Lee County