ALBERTVILLE, AL (WAFF) -
A decline in Marshall County's unemployment rate is now turning into greater dollars in the city of Albertville.
The town's mayor continues to attribute that to a decline in illegal immigration.
Mayor Lindsey Lyons believes a seven percent increase in sales tax over the last three months is evidence that just because illegals are leaving that doesn't mean the town will hurt financially.
Adding up the latest totals, Mayor Lyons said the October through December sales taxes were up 7.4 percent over the previous year. He said that translates into an additional $145,000 for the city.
Lyons said critics said the economy would hurt if illegals were to leave. He said it's quite the opposite in that Alabamians are now going back to work, doing things like eating at the local restaurants, things they couldn't do while they were on unemployment.
"They're being replaced by Americans that are out of jobs and they're out in our community spending their income," he said.
Mayor Lyons believes when e-Verify kicks in on April 1st, reductions in the unemployment figures will continue to drop.
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