OP-ED | TUSCALOOSA MAYOR WALT MADDOX: ​Holiday Shopping Is Here. Let’s Keep Local Dollars Local

*The following is an op-ed written and submitted by Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox*

TUSCALOOSA, AL — As we come out of Thanksgiving and Black Friday/Cyber Monday, and head into the Christmas season, it is worth pausing to consider what keeps Alabama’s communities strong.

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Last week set new records in online purchasing – and it’s not slowing down. Forbes.com and Adobe Analytics report Black Friday reached $11.8 billion in U.S. online sales, up about 9% year over year, and Cyber Monday became the largest online shopping day ever at $14.25 billion, with spending peaking at $16 million per minute.

More than half of purchases happened on phones — 57.5% on Cyber Monday and 61.6% on Thanksgiving. Early data currently shows that while online sales boomed, in-store Black Friday traffic fell 3.6% from last year.

Here is why this matters. Every time a local purchase is routed through Alabama’s Simplified Sellers Use Tax (the internet sales tax), dollars that should support police, fire, streets, and schools do not stay in our communities that provided the services. The payment may be digital, but the costs are local.

As you shop for family and friends this holiday season, please keep two things in mind. First, choose local stores when you can.

If you buy online, look for local retailers that collect local sales tax. Second, help us fix the policy. Destination sourcing is a simple update that other states are already implementing.

If a purchase is fulfilled and delivered locally, the local rate should apply. That protects essential services and, in many rural areas, prevents people from paying more than their own local rate.

Thank you for supporting Alabama’s small businesses and the communities they serve.

Learn more at www.earnlocalkeeplocal.com.

Walt Maddox is the 36th mayor of the City of Tuscaloosa and has served in the office since 2005. These opinions are his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Tuscaloosa Patch or our parent company.