City of Tuscaloosa

What City of Tuscaloosa does

The City of Tuscaloosa is the municipal government of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, founded in 1819 and serving residents and businesses within its corporate city limits and surrounding three-mile police jurisdiction. It provides essential public services including residential garbage, trash, and recycling collection (approximately 25,000 collections per week), water and sewer utilities, police and fire/rescue protection, building permitting, code enforcement, and community programming through departments such as Environmental Services, Revenue, Fire & Rescue, and Police. The City also administers disaster recovery and capital infrastructure programs, notably managing over $43 million in HUD CDBG-DR funding following the April 2011 tornadoes and securing a $17.1 million RAISE grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation for University Boulevard corridor improvements.

The City operates a multi-channel service delivery platform centered on its website (tuscaloosa.com), the Tuscaloosa 311 mobile app and web platform powered by CivicPlus SeeClickFix, the 311 phone line, ArcGIS-based interactive maps, and walk-in service at City Hall and the Revenue Division Annex. Its tax administration infrastructure integrates with the Alabama Department of Revenue's My Alabama Taxes (MAT) paperless filing and payment system for sales, use, rental, lodging, liquor, wine, and tobacco taxes, while remaining self-administered with payments flowing directly to the City's bank. The website is committed to WCAG 2.1 Level AA accessibility (monitored via SiteImprove and DocAccess), and the City maintains an Open Data portal for public dataset access. Governance is provided by an elected Mayor (Walt Maddox) and City Council, with a leadership team including Directors of Revenue Operations (Tammy Wyatt), Revenue Code Enforcement (Trent Smelley), and Environmental Services (Chris Meggs).

Name

City of Tuscaloosa

Legal name

City of Tuscaloosa

Website

https://tuscaloosa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1819

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The City of Tuscaloosa is a municipal government in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, providing residents and local businesses with essential services including garbage collection, utilities, public safety, business licensing, tax administration, and disaster recovery, delivered through City Hall, a 311 mobile app, online portals, and water-bill billing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Government Services

NAICS

Solid Waste Collection (562111), Hazardous Waste Collection (562112), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (924110)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Sanitary Services (4950), Hazardous Waste Management (4955)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Works / In-House Municipal Collection Operations (EUAIAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Solid Waste & Recycling Services Administration (BPAIACAH), Commercial & Office Waste Collection (Non-hazardous) (EUAIAGAA), Hazardous/Special Waste Removal (Paint, Chemicals, Biohazard) (HSAKALAK), Bulk Item & White Goods Collection (Bulky Waste) (BPALAAAD)

Keywords

• Municipal government services
• Solid waste collection
• Business licensing
• Tax administration
• Disaster recovery programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Tuscaloosa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Sales Tax: Privilege tax imposed on the retail sale of tangible personal property. Collected by sellers from customers and remitted to the City. Discount allowed for timely filing: 5% on first $100 of tax due, 2% on amounts over $100, capped at $200 per month. Filed monthly, quarterly, or annually via My Alabama Taxes.
2. Consumer and Seller Use Tax: Levied on storage, use, or consumption of tangible personal property when sales tax was not collected. Applies to purchases made from outside the jurisdiction. Paid monthly, quarterly, or annually.
3. Rental Tangible Personal Property Tax: Levied on the rental or leasing of tangible personal property. Remitted by lessor on gross receipts including invoiced tax. Rates: General 2% (city), 1% (police jurisdiction); Automotive 0.5% / 0.25%; Linens/Garments 1% / 0.5%.
4. Lodging Tax: Levied on renting or furnishing rooms, lodging, or accommodations for periods under 180 days. Rates: 11% within city limits, 5.5% in police jurisdiction. Paid monthly via My Alabama Taxes.
5. Liquor License Tax: Monthly tax levied on gross receipts from the sale of liquor. Rate of 7% of liquor sales (city) or 3.5% (police jurisdiction). Paid monthly, due by the 20th.
6. Wine Tax: Levied on wholesale sale of wine. $0.07 per liter (city) or $0.035 per liter (police jurisdiction). Paid monthly, due by the 20th.
7. Tobacco Tax: Tax levied on wholesale sale of all tobacco products. Cigarettes: $0.10 per 20 cigarettes (city) / $0.05 (police jurisdiction); Cigars: $0.03 (city) / $0.015 (police jurisdiction); Other tobacco: $0.10 (city) / $0.05 (police jurisdiction). Paid monthly, due by the 20th.
8. Business Licenses: Annual business license required for all businesses in city limits or police jurisdiction. Fees are based on business type and estimated gross receipts. Most licenses are gross receipts-based. Phase-in period for new businesses (3 years) based on estimated gross receipts. License expires Dec 31; renewals due Jan 1 – Feb 15.
9. Short-Term Rental License: Short-term rental operators must purchase a business license and file monthly lodging tax. Annual license renewal with biennial home inspection for single-family dwellings. Cap of 150 active multi-family licenses per year in TO Downtown-Campus District, 100 outside district.
10. Rental License Tax: Levied on those in the business of real property rental for 180+ days within city limits or police jurisdiction. Rates: 1% of rental gross receipts (city limits), 0.5% (police jurisdiction). Paid quarterly or annually.
11. Garbage Collection Fees: Mandatory garbage collection for all single-family residential premises within corporate city limits. Billed on monthly water bill. Residential: $10.00/month for first cart, $34.00/month per additional cart. Trash and recycling collection are free for residential customers.
12. Penalties and Interest: Failure to timely file penalty of 10% of total tax due or $50 (whichever is greater); failure to timely pay penalty of 10% of total tax due; interest based on current APR. Delinquent business license penalty: 15% for first 30 days, additional 15% after 30 days (max 30% per year).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The City of Tuscaloosa provides municipal government services to residents and businesses within its corporate city limits and police jurisdiction, including mandatory solid waste collection, water and sewer utilities, public safety, business licensing, tax administration (sales, use, lodging, liquor, wine, tobacco, rental), permitting, code enforcement, community events, and federally-funded disaster recovery programs. Services are delivered through City Hall walk-in service, the Tuscaloosa 311 mobile app (SeeClickFix/CivicPlus), the My Alabama Taxes portal, and the City water bill.

Product overview

The City of Tuscaloosa operates a comprehensive municipal services platform offering government services to residents and businesses. The portfolio includes the Tuscaloosa 311 App for service requests, garbage and recycling collection, tax filing through the Alabama Department of Revenue's My Alabama Taxes system, business and alcohol beverage licensing, short-term rental permits, and a disaster recovery program managing CDBG-DR funds. These services are delivered through the official website (tuscaloosa.com) and mobile applications, with the 311 app powered by SeeClickFix technology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tuscaloosa 311 Service Request App

Quantifiable outcome

• Environmental Services completes approximately 25,000 collections per week with fewer than 20 missed collections on average
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Nucor Steel TuscaloosaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 June 2026Annual partnership for Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Day. Nucor Steel Tuscaloosa co-hosts this free event with the City's Environmental Services Department, providing Tuscaloosa County residents with a safe, environmentally responsible way to dispose of common household hazardous materials. The event takes place at the Public Safety Logistics building.
• CivicPlus (SeeClickFix)coreTechnology or IntegrationCivicPlus SeeClickFix powers the Tuscaloosa 311 mobile app and online service request system. SeeClickFix is a public-facing platform used by residents to report non-emergency issues. The City uses this platform as its primary digital engagement channel for service requests.
• Alabama Department of RevenuecoreTechnology or IntegrationThe City participates in the Alabama Department of Revenue's paperless filing and payment system called My Alabama Taxes (MAT). City and county sales, use, and rental taxes can be filed and paid through this portal. Despite electronic filing via the state, taxes remain self-administered by the City of Tuscaloosa with payments going directly to the City's bank.
• 151st Army Band (Alabama Army National Guard)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe City partnered with the 151st Army Band to host a free community concert celebrating America's 250th Anniversary on June 30 at Government Plaza. The band will also perform in Dothan, Daphne, Mobile, Huntsville, and Montgomery as part of the nationwide celebration.
• Alabama Emergency Management Agency (AEMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAEMA is referenced in the context of grant management for CDBG-DR and other disaster recovery programs. The City works with AEMA in administering federal disaster recovery funds and complying with state-level emergency management requirements.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• City of Birmingham, Alabama: Largest city in Alabama and a peer municipal government delivering the same core services (sanitation, licensing, permitting, public safety, tax administration) within the same state regulatory framework. Directly comparable as a mid-to-large Alabama municipality with shared state-level tax filing infrastructure (My Alabama Taxes).
• City of Huntsville, Alabama: Alabama peer city operating an in-house solid waste and recycling program, business licensing, and municipal tax collection. Highly comparable in service portfolio and governance structure, with similar federal grant exposure for infrastructure and economic development.
• City of Mobile, Alabama: Coastal Alabama municipal government providing comparable municipal services including sanitation, business licensing, and revenue administration under the same state regulatory regime. Comparable scale and operating structure.
• City of Montgomery, Alabama: Alabama state capital and peer municipal government delivering the full suite of municipal services including solid waste collection, licensing, and tax administration. Similar scale and same-state regulatory environment.
• City of Auburn, Alabama: Mid-sized Alabama college town with comparable municipal service portfolio (sanitation, business licensing, short-term rental regulation) anchored by a major university — analogous operating model and economic base to Tuscaloosa.
• City of Hoover, Alabama: Alabama suburban municipality providing comparable in-house sanitation, business licensing, and municipal tax services to a similar resident population base in the Birmingham metro area.
• City of Decatur, Alabama: North Alabama industrial city with comparable municipal services and similar economic base anchored by manufacturing employers. Directly comparable in operating scale and service delivery model.

Others

• CivicPlus: Vendor of the SeeClickFix 311 platform the City uses; serves hundreds of municipal governments with comparable digital citizen engagement and service request technology. Relevant as both technology supplier and indirect peer through shared service delivery model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/tuscaloosacity
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCfake
• Facebookfacebook.com/CityofTuscaloosa
• Instagraminstagram.com/tuscaloosacity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tuscaloosacity

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about City of Tuscaloosa