Addie McCluskey
Elmore Autauga News
Bart Mercer, Chairman of the Elmore County Commission, was welcomed to the podium to discuss Enhance Elmore, Oct. 28, 2025, during the public comments portion of Millbrook City Council’s regular meeting.
Enhance Elmore is a program aimed at improving services and quality of life in Elmore County while managing growth. If approved by voters on Nov. 4, 2025, funds from this program will support public health, safety, and fire services, including a new county jail, expanded judicial and administrative space, added support for local fire departments, and more road and bridge projects.
“You can’t build an $82 million jail on the lowest property tax rate in the state in a county that has historically not collected many other fees and taxes that other counties collect,” said Mercer. “If we have to dig into our current revenue to build a jail, you are going to feel it.”
Mercer ensured that the Elmore County Commission is not wasting money, explaining that they only receive about $62 for every $100 thousand in property value after the state, Board of Education, and health care authority receive their portions. He said this is far from enough to cover the cost of a new jail or other large-scale public safety projects.
Millbrook Mayor Al Kelley, who also co-owns Kelley Accounting and Tax Service, agreed that while no one likes paying higher taxes, the county must prepare for the future.
“Nobody likes to pay more taxes. Our top priority has always been keeping Millbrook a safe and welcoming place to live,” said Kelley. “Without enough jail space, we risk releasing offenders back into our neighborhoods too soon. Expanding our jail is essential to maintaining public safety here in Millbrook.”
The need for a new county jail was identified in 2024 after a study found that recurring capacity issues in the current facility violate state and federal guidelines. Under the Enhance Elmore plan, funding for a new jail would come from a property assessment and a tax on tobacco and vape products.
“One of the reasons people continue to move to Elmore County is because of our public safety,” said PK Johnson, Chief of Millbrook Police Department. “Everybody is quick to say, when somebody breaks the law, to just lock them up, but we have to have somewhere to put them, and if word gets out that we have nowhere to put them, don’t think they won’t come here.”
Fire departments in Elmore County would also benefit from Enhance Elmore funding as the county fire fee has not increased since 2005, despite inflation driving up costs by nearly 66 percent over the past two decades.
“If you go back to the time when legislation last passed, we were able to buy two fire trucks for a little over $150 thousand,” said Capt. Doyle Campbell, Millbrook Fire Marshall. “Now, just a regular fire truck is running at $1.2 million, ambulances are running around $350 thousand, and gear for just one firefighter is about 16 to 17 thousand dollars.”
Without additional funding, local fire departments may struggle to purchase the equipment they need to operate effectively. This could lead to higher Insurance Services Office (ISO) ratings, which in turn could cause homeowners’ insurance premiums to rise.
“Citizens will have a choice on Nov. 4th on what they want us to do,” said Mercer. “What I urge you to do is to be educated based on your own research and to please go vote.’
Elmore County residents can cast their votes on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, at their designated polling locations. For more information about polling places, visit www.elmoreco.org/elmore-county-elections. To learn more about the Enhance Elmore plan, visit www.elmoreco.org/enhance-elmore.
