LEEDS TRIBUNE YOUR ONLY SOURCE FOR LEEDS AREA NEWS www.LeedsTribune.com
June 20, 2019 | Volume 4, Issue 21
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Leeds city officials sweeten the deal with a higher incentive package to land Buc-ee’s BY CINDY FISHER Leeds Tribune Staff Leeds City Council approved a sweetened tax incentive deal to hook Buc-ee’s into coming for good. At their meeting Monday night, the council approved a tax incentive package with a higher sales tax rebate than originally offered. The package gives a 2.5 percent sales tax cut a year, up from 1.5 percent, among other items. The deal sunsets in 30 years. The measure worked. Groundbreaking is set for 11 a.m. June 26. City Councilman Eric Turner said the city had to do it to ensure the giant gas station chain chose Leeds over stiff competition being made by other markets, including elsewhere in Alabama. Buc-ee’s bought land off Exit 140 in Leeds for $9 million last year, then they went silent as they built other superstores in Florida and south Alabama. In April, Buc-ee’s officials told the Leeds Tribune they were considering pulling out of the deal to build their $30 million giant convenience store in Leeds, citing interest in other markets.
But Leeds officials were not going to let them leave without a fight. Three weeks ago, they invited Buc-ee’s officials from Texas to
visit Leeds and show off the benefits of building on the prime $9 million property the chain already owns located next to the busy intersection of Exit 140 off Interstate 20.
Leeds Board of Education raises pay for substitute teachers, hoping to fill a shortage BY NATHAN PREWETT Leeds Tribune Staff The pay for substitute teachers throughout the Leeds school system has been increased after Superintendent John J. Moore raised concerns of a shortage. The raise was approved by the Leeds Board of Education last week. Moore said that the state will allocate $80 per year for seven days of work for high school and college graduates and $90 per day for certified teachers. “We really appreciate our substitutes,” Moore said. “They fill a critical need in the school district. And to be honest, they’ve been underpaid for several years. We have a very reliable group of dedicated people that help us, so going from $55 to $80 per day for most of our subs is I think a pretty big step forward.” In addition to supplementing the current substitutes’ pay, he hopes the raise will encour-
age others to join. Potential substitute teachers will have to go through a process of background checks and licensing. “We’re hoping to increase the pool before August and get folks ready,” Moore commented, saying it takes around 30 days for the background check and license process. Currently there are around 30 substitute teachers on list in the school system, with 15 that regularly sub along with 15 that work periodically. Moore said the board hopes to double that amount to about 60 substitute teachers. On the cause of the shortage, Moore said the economy is directing people to pursue other kinds of work. “I think we’re in a good economy right now, and I think that people who want to do seasonal work or part-time work have been able to make more money doing shift work or doing parttime work,” he said. “So we
want to be competitive and encourage people to sign up.” Moore also believes that all of the schools in the Leeds system are in need of substitutes. “A lot of times people think it’s going to be the high school, but it’s not,” he said. “We have some subs that only want to work at the high school, and we have some that only want to work at the elementary or primary level.” “But what happens is our primary and elementary teachers sometimes they do embedded professional development on campus, so for example: if all of second grade is participating in professional development we need eight substitutes to support that for the day and it shrinks the pool.” Moore said that anyone interested in becoming substitute teachers can call Mary West at the Board of Education at 205-6995437 or email at Mwest@leedsk12. org for more information.
After seeing the Leeds property again, Buc-ee’s officials in May asked for a better incentive package, which was approved Monday night.
As part of the incentive package, Buc-ee’s agrees to invest $30 million to build a 50,000-square-foot gas station superstore on the 15-acre prop-
erty they own off Interstate 20 at the 140 exit. They also agreed to start construction by Dec. 1 this year and to change the name of the road by the property from Bankhead Highway to Buc-ee’s Highway. In an April interview, Bucee’s spokesman Jeff Nadalo told the Leeds Tribune they have “a lot of plans across the country that we’re looking at doing” and that “we haven’t officially made a decision yet (on Leeds).” The Texas company buys land on speculation often, like in Leeds, but they also signed a development agreement with the city of Leeds that Mayor David Miller previously said was validated by order of the Circuit Court. The first Buc-ee’s in Alabama opened in Baldwin County in January with 50,000 square feet of shopping space, 120 fuel pumps and employment of 250 workers. Leeds officials estimate making $400,000 in sales tax revenue a year from Buc-ee’s and say most stores bring several hotels and other development with it, which would also grow the city’s tax base.
Miss Leeds Area makes top 12 at Miss Alabama Braidyn Lazenby’s reign as Miss Leeds Area will come to its conclusion this weekend, as she passes off her crown to a new Miss Leeds Area during the Miss Leeds Area and Miss Leeds Outstanding Teen Pageant at 7 p.m. June 22 at Leeds High School Auditorium. Her term ends on a high note, as Lazenby was one of 12 finalists for Miss Alabama in the competition held last weekend at Samford University’s Wright Center.
READ MORE ABOUT BRAIDYN LAZENBY ON PAGE 7
Miss Leeds Area Braidyn Lazenby celebrates making the top 12 at the Miss Alabama competition last week at Samford University’s Wright Center.
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