Advisory Committee Chair
Akhlaque Haque
Advisory Committee Members
Nevbahar Ertas
Howard Walthall
Document Type
Thesis
Date of Award
2016
Degree Name by School
Master of Public Administration (MPA) College of Arts and Sciences
Abstract
The purpose of this thesis is to examine how a lack of home rule leads to revenue loss by focusing on the case of wet-dry referendums in small, Alabama towns. “Section 44. Composition of the legislature” of Article IV of the Alabama State Constitution takes away home rule for local governments in Alabama. Since 1936, some municipalities have been granted more local autonomy than others because they have been able to pass an amendment to the state constitution granting them more legislative power. However, small, Alabama towns recently were able to vote on becoming wet or remaining dry after Alabama House Bill 175 was passed in 2009 (Act 2009-546, AL HB175 [Herein referred to as AL HB175]). The study focuses on small towns and disenfranchised communities to understand the home rule implications and how home rule impacted small communities’ ability to govern locally and how it impacted local revenues. Using a case study of wet and dry counties in Alabama, the thesis highlights the cost of home rule and its implications for small communities’ economic development.
Recommended Citation
Hendrix, Mary Elizabeth, "The Cost Of Home Rule: An Alabama Case Study" (2016). All ETDs from UAB. 1914.
https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/etd-collection/1914