Amendment 3,.which will appear on the Nov. 2 ballot, has received mixed reviews throughout the state.

Alabama Senate Bill 121 calls for an amendment to the Alabama Constitution “to provide for a ten year road, bridge, and other transportation related construction and improvement program.”

District 23 Sen. Hank Sanders said Amendment 3 would benefit Dallas County in many ways.

“This will allow the city of Selma and Dallas County to apply for grant money and have matching funds,” he said. “Often when you apply for grants they ask for a 20 percent match or a 25 percent match. This would enable both the city and county the funding to match.”

If passed, Sanders also said the amendment could enable the state to present matching federal funds to repair U.S. Highway 80.

Road improvements could also increase tourism dollars for the area, Sanders said.

“There is such a great need for this in Selma and Dallas County,” he said. “When you are a tourist location it’s important to give people the best impression possible,” he said.

Better roads, he added, will also reduce the money spent for car repairs like tire alignments.

Monday night, the Dallas County Commission passed a resolution favoring Amendment 3. Dallas County Probate Judge Kim Ballard said he feels Amendment 3 has tremendous potential for rural counties.

“Amendment 3 will allocate $100 million per-year for 10 years for the maintenance and upkeep of roads,” he said. “Dallas County being one of the less affluent counties really needs it. We have some dangerous roads and bridges and don’t have the local funds to fix them.”

In addition, Ballard said 27,000 jobs could be added.

The amendment, if approved, would allot $1 billion to be taken from the state trust fund for improvements on roads and bridges across the state.

Throughout the process, Sanders said there would always be a $2 billion nest egg available as well.

The amendment has received praise from the Alabama Jobs Coalition, and criticism from the Retirement Systems of Alabama.

If passed, the Jobs Coalition says the amendment could have a $2.2billion yield over time.

The Coalition’s website, www.alabamajobscoalition.com, says road improvement will lead to increased tourism, which will directly impact Selma.

“Travel and tourism, which is very dependent on reliable transportation systems, is growing, with the state’s historical, civil rights, recreation and hunting, beaches and sports attractions drawing millions of visitors each year,” the Coalition says.

The Coalition also said the bill will lead to job creation, which will also have a positive impact on the local economy.

The campaign against Amendment 3, which has been led by Alabama Retirement Systems CEO David Bronner, opposes the way the money is distributed. Bronner says $100 million would only build 18 miles of road and said spreading the money over 67 counties won’t allow any significant road improvements or new jobs.