The Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau picked up $60,000 of support Thursday from the Jefferson County Commission.

Commissioner Sheila Tyson presented a resolution to give the bureau $50,000 from her district’s discretionary fund. Commission President Jimmie Stephens added $10,000 from his District 3 discretionary fund, making the sum $60,000 before the matter passed unanimously.

The commission also approved 45 resolutions that were vetted during Tuesday’s committee meeting. Among those was one that approved a 10-year tax abatement for the expansion of the Publix Distribution Center in McCalla. It is a requested $15 million abatement of property, sales and use taxes, but not education taxes.

On Tuesday, Jeff Traywick, the county’s economic development adviser, said the center has more than doubled its workforce with 424 jobs. Over the life of the project, he said the project is expected to generate more than $480,000 in new revenue to the county’s general fund and more than $1.6 million to the county’s education fund.

Commissioners also approved a resolution to refund $98,510.77 to benefit House District 52. These are funds that were received by the county in fiscal 2024 and that had been part of former Rep. John Rogers’ state discretionary community funding allotment.

“Funds each year are allocated from us to the Community Foundation, $3.6 million,” said Joe Knight, chair of the commission’s finance committee. “It’s basically a discretionary fund to the senators and the House of Representative members.

“John Rogers had his allocation and after his issues, there was still like $98,000 in his allocation money that came back to the county,” Knight said. “What we’ve (set in motion) today is reissued that money to the Community Foundation so that that can go to the new representative’s district, which rightfully it should go to. That would be Kelvin (Datcher).”

Rogers last year pleaded guilty to his part in a kickback scheme and resigned from the Legislature. He was released from prison last month after having heart surgery.

In another matter, commissioners approved a non-reimbursable agreement with Bessemer Water Services to relocate facilities that are in conflict with the replacement of the Harmer Street Bridge over Valley Creek. That work will be included in the roadway contract but paid for by Bessemer Water Services.

“That bridge is in very, very poor condition,” Sheila Tyson said. “It’s a dangerous bridge and it’s a hazardous sign put on there. There was a grant written from the county to ALDOT. That’s how we got that bridge. I went down there and we talked to them, and we applied for a grant and we got the grant.”

The state grant was for $1 million. The total project, including discretionary funds from Tyson’s office, is about $1.3 million.