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Montgomery &8212; Alabama Commissioner of Revenue Tim Russell announced April 17 that Marengo County is among seven Alabama counties receiving federal grant money to be used in implementing a statewide geographic system aimed at assisting counties in property tax administration.

Crenshaw, Dale, Etowah, Franklin, Greene, Marengo and Tallapoosa counties will receive a combined award totaling over $491,000. Marengo County&8217;s share is $65,790.41.

Alabama Department of Revenue (ADOR) representatives notified Marengo County Revenue Commissioner W.J. &8220;Bo&8221; McAlpine and County Commission Chairman Calvin Martin of the award that was secured through the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administr-ation (NOAA).

According to Russell, since 2005, the (ADOR) has assisted 47 counties in acquiring the needed technology to implement a statewide geographic information system (GIS) aimed at supporting property tax administration functions through federal grant awards. Digital orthophotography base mapping is the initial step in the process.

The 2008 grant award provides the basis for seven additional counties to acquire the technology.

Qualifications for the grant award are based on an individual county&8217;s commitment to acquire GIS technology.

The individual grant award supplements approximately 40 percent of a county&8217;s budget allocation for orthophotography; the individual county is responsible for the remaining 60 percent funding.