In a state where the boundaries have barely budged for more than a century, a bold question has emerged: What would it take for Alabama to create a 68th county?

Alabama’s 67 counties have remained unchanged since 1903, a time when Theodore Roosevelt was president, and the New York Yankees were just beginning their storied franchise.

But in fast-growing Baldwin County, a question is being asked of state officials about the requirements for creating a split and potentially carving out a new county in South Baldwin that would include Orange Beach, Gulf Shores, and Foley.

While no formal political movement is pushing for the change, state Sen. Chris Elliott has raised the question, prompting curiosity and frustration over longstanding disputes about taxes, schools, and funding.

“While an interesting academic adventure, I think the likelihood of this happening is slim,” Elliott said last week about the creation of a new county. He made it clear he wasn’t advocating for the split, but added, “However, a mere discussion of this should be a warning indicating the level of discourse associated with taking funding from some areas and not sharing with all areas.”

Sonny Brasfield, executive director with the Association of County Commissions of Alabama (ACCA), said he cannot recall a bill introduced in Montgomery to consider a new county since he started with the organization over 40 years ago. He has taken calls from frustrated lawmakers before on what it takes to create a new county.

“The couple of times we’ve had those calls, we go through (the process) of what it would take to create a new county,” Brasfield said. “That’s been the end of it.”

Brasfield said the call he received last week about creating a new county in South Baldwin County was the first he has gotten in about 25 years.

“We’ve never had a question about Baldwin before, to my knowledge,” he said.

Elliott said a question was forwarded to him from a constituent amid concerns over the ongoing battles between the beach cities and the county over the distribution of 1 percentage point of the county sales tax.

Elliott is sponsoring a bill that would allow the sales tax revenues to be split among the school districts, but he’s faced opposition from other state lawmakers who represent other areas of Baldwin County.

The concern has to do with the fate of the sales tax adopted in 1983, which provides revenues to the Baldwin County School System, but not to the newly formed city schools. Representatives with the city schools in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach want some of the revenue to support their districts, while Baldwin County Schools want to maintain the tax as it was originally crafted 42 years ago.

“I don’t think it’s likely, but it’s more indicative of the amount of friction, if you will, between the different areas of the county be it the county school system or the city schools,” Elliott said. “That’s just the level of discourse right now.”

Constitutional requirements

What would it take to form a new county? The Alabama Constitution spells it out: Support in Montgomery, the geographic size to make it happen, enough population in the two counties to support additional legislative representation, and a future county courthouse that is far removed from its former county.

The formation of a county can be done without a referendum.

The Alabama Constitution provides the Legislature with the ability to designate Alabama’s county boundaries – as well as creating a new county — with two-thirds of support in each house along with the signature of the governor. In the Alabama House that would mean 70 of the 105 lawmakers would need to support it. In the Senate, it would require 24 of the chamber’s 35 members to vote “Yes.”

The state constitution also requires that no new county can be less than 600 square miles, and no existing county can be reduced to 600 square miles. In theory that might not be an issue in Baldwin County, which at 1,600 square miles is the state’s largest county and is larger than Rhode Island.

“Baldwin County can be easily divided in half to reach that part of the requirement,” Brasfield said.

The Constitution also restricts a county from being formed unless it can contain a large enough population to “entitle it to one representative under the ratio of representation existing at the time of its formation.” The requirement also requires the county that is being split to have enough of a population to maintain separate representation.

Alabama’s Constitution, in other words, would prevent a similar situation that occurred in Nevada in 1987, when Bullfrog County was created by the state legislature despite having no inhabitants. The county was created in opposition to a nuclear waste site, and lasted for only two years, dissolving in 1989.

The Alabama Constitution also has one more requirement for a new county: The new county’s courthouse would have to be at least seven miles away of the old county line.

The last time Alabama created a new county was two years after the adoption of the 1901 Constitution. Houston County was carved out of Henry, Dale and Geneva counties in the Wiregrass region of southeastern Alabama.

Brasfield said a constitutional amendment had to be approved to create Houston County because Henry, Dale and Geneva were less than 600 square miles.

“It took a constitutional amendment because of the size issue,” Brasfield said. “In theory, a new county can be created by statute as long as you comply by the 600 square mile (requirement), and you can get the votes in the legislature, which is a different issue.”

Beach reaction

Gulf Shores city officials said on Friday they were unaware of the issue and declined comment.

Foley Mayor Ralph Hellmich said there have been no conversations about the matter, and believes they are likely driven on the disagreement over the sales tax distribution.

Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon said he was aware of the issue, and believed it was “just one of those things out of frustration” over the tax dispute.

Kennon said he has been frustrated by others in the county labeling the beach cities as “wealthy” and able to afford the operations of a city school system. Other lawmakers in the county have said it would be problematic to remove revenue from the Baldwin County School System, which oversees the rest of the schools throughout the county including in rural areas.

Gulf Shores began its city school system in 2020, following contentious negotiations with the Baldwin County School System over a split approved by city leaders in 2017. Orange Beach followed up with splitting away in 2022.

“I greatly understand why people would feel this way,” Kennon said. “We could put three-to-four cities together, they are economic machines and don’t need anyone else. There is merit to the idea, but whether it’s good for everyone, I don’t know.”

Orange Beach and Gulf Shores are building new schools and have ample revenue at a time when some lawmakers like Sen. Greg Albritton, R-Atmore, say the northern regions of the state struggle. Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, for instance, are bolstered with hefty lodging tax revenues from hotel and vacation rental stays, benefitting from being the biggest tourism draw in Alabama.

Any talk about creating a new county comes as Orange Beach is also considering shrinking the city limits through a de-annexation.

Alabama beach town’s growth spurt leads to unprecedented action

Secession movement

The creation of new counties is rare in the U.S. The last one created was in 2001 in Colorado.

Discussions about creating new states through secession are more common, often stemming from political disputes surrounding large metropolitan areas or arguments from urban lawmakers that their cities generate enough money to go it alone.

According to Newsweek, secessionist campaigns were active in a dozen states, including all or parts of Oregon, Illinois, Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, New Hampshire, Louisiana, California, Washington, Minnesota, New York and Pennsylvania.

In Illinois, 33 counties have held referendums to discuss seceding from the state largely over political disputes between heavily Democratic Chicago and the Republican counties south of the Windy City. Indiana state lawmakers recently advanced legislation that would create a commission of residents in both states to study the possibility of annexing the 33 counties into the Hoosier State.

New York has also long been the host of similar issues where fiscal grievances often are behind secessionist efforts in New York City. There have been considerations for decades over Long Island splitting from New York and becoming the 51st state, as proponents argue that there is a large population and enough financial ability for the metropolitan region to do so. But those efforts are always defeated by state officials.

Two students in Dothan, Alabama were hospitalized Monday when an apparent tornado struck Dothan Preparatory Academy, causing significant damage to the roof of the school’s gymnasium.

Five students were injured when the storm struck just before 12:45 p.m. local time, Dothan fire officials confirmed to USA TODAY. The Montgomery Advisor − a part of the USA TODAY Network − reported that the damage occurred around 1 p.m. local time.

Dothan Fire Department Deputy Chief Chris Etheredge said that the rest of the school, which serves seventh and eighth graders, suffered minor damage. Dothan City Schools Superintendent Dennis Coe said in a statement that the storm also caused damage to PASS Academy and Dothan City Virtual School.

The district, located about 105 miles southeast of Montgomery, confirmed that all students and staff had been accounted for.

Crews are surveying the area east of the school for damage and power is being restored to the area, Etheridge told USA TODAY. The USA TODAY Power Outage Tracker shows that as of 3:30 local time, over 3,100 people in Houston County, where Dothan is located, are without power.

“No doubt: the quick actions taken by staff and students saved lives today and caused few injuries at DPA and the adjacent schools,” Coe said in the statement.

The Dothan Police Department posted on Facebook that the reunification point for parents to pick up their children is Doug Tew Recreation Center.

This is a developing story.

2-seed Alabama men’s basketball fell to 1-seed Duke 85-65 in the Elite Eight on Saturday night. This loss ended the Crimson Tide’s season.

In other words, head coach Nate Oats and Alabama are now turning the page to the offseason as it begins preparations for the 2025-26 season.

BamaCentral is keeping track of the Crimson Tide’s outgoing and incoming players and coaches right here ahead of next season.

This article will constantly be updated when changes to the roster and staff occur.

Mark Sears

Sears became the Crimson Tide’s first-ever consensus First Team All-American after yet another stellar season averaging team-highs of 18.6 points and 5.1 assists. Sears was also named a Preseason All-American by the Associated Press a few months ago, and now he’s exceeded those extremely high expectations. Division I’s active leading scorer is also a Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year finalist and Naismith Trophy semifinalist as he eyes an NBA future.

Chris Youngblood

The guard transferred out of South Florida after being named the American Athletic Conference’s Player of the Year. However, he suffered a foot injury over the summer, which forced him to make his Alabama debut against Creighton in the 10th game of the season. But the sharpshooter had several big-time performances with the Crimson Tide while averaging 10.3 points per game.

Grant Nelson

The forward played in all 37 games but dealt with injuries throughout the season. Like Sears, Nelson played a pivotal role throughout the Crimson Tide’s Final Four run and he stood out among Alabama once again. Nelson averaged 11.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks and Oats believes “he’s a skilled big that NBA teams want” but might have to sign a two-way contract for a shot.

Clifford Omoruyi

In an effort to increase its defensive presence in the paint––one of its main weaknesses last season––Alabama added Rutgers 6-foot-11 big man Clifford Omoruyi out of the transfer portal this past offseason. Omoruyi averaged 7.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks with the Crimson Tide with NBA Draft hopes.

Labaron Philon

Philon has become a household name over the course of the season and his three SEC Freshman of the Week honors reflect that. He has been given expectations by analysts to be a one-and-done player and enter the 2025 NBA Draft, but Philon said after the Duke loss that he didn’t know if he’ll enter the draft or return and he’ll “talk to the coaches and program first.” He finished his freshman season averaging 10.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists and a Crimson Tide-best 1.3 steals per game.

Naas Cunningham

The freshman was one of Alabama’s two players to redshirt during the 2024-25 season. His height helps him shoot over defenders, but weight was a question mark as Oats believed there was a lack of aggressiveness before the season. That said, Oats pointed out before the season that “There’s days that he looks like he should be in the NBA but he just has to be a little more consistent.”

Mouhamed Dioubate

No one on Alabama won the Hard Hat more times this season than forward Mouhamed Dioubate. According to Oats, earlier in the season, the Crimson Tide’s top bench frontcourt member was the only player in Division I who had 110 rebounds in less than 310 minutes. In just 16 minutes per game, Dioubate averaged 7.2 points, 5.9 rebounds (1.9 offensive), 0.9 steals and 0.7 blocks.

Aden Holloway

The sophomore guard transferred from Iron Bowl rival Auburn this past offseason knowing the risks of leaving a premier program as a starter. He gained the Crimson Tide’s sixth-man role and was the main offensive contributor off the bench due to his three-point shooting. In 21 minutes per game, Holloway averaged 11.4 points on 41.2 percent from deep.

Houston Mallette

The graduate guard initially joined Cunningham as the other Alabama redshirt, but that changed once guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. ruptured his Achilles on Nov. 30. Mallette filled Wrightsell’s spot on the roster, but was back on the redshirt after six games due to lingering knee injuries.

Derrion Reid

The McDonald’s All-American dealt with a hamstring injury for a good chunk of the season as the freshman missed 13 total games. Reid aims for to utilize his renowned athleticism and defense a bit more ahead of his sophomore year as he averaged 6.0 points in 14 minutes per game this season.

Jarin Stevenson

Stevenson was the most brought-up name when Oats and the Crimson Tide were asked before the season started who was the most improved player. While he had seven games of 10-plus points this season, he only averaged 5.4. Nevertheless, the sophomore was the age of a freshman this season as he re-classed prior to 2023-24, meaning he has plenty more time to develop.

Latrell Wrightsell Jr.

As previously stated, Wrightsell ruptured his Achilles early in the season and unofficially received a medical redshirt. The graduate guard started several games during the 2023-24 Final Four season and his elite shooting from deep played a pivotal role in the Crimson Tide’s historic success.

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Ryan Pannone

On March 29, Alabama basketball assistant Ryan Pannone was finalizing a deal to become the head coach at Arkansas State. Pannone will be replacing former Oats assistant Bryan Hodgson, who took the head coaching job at South Florida.

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Amari Allen

Amari Allen, a 6-foot-7, 180-pound elite wing talent in the 2025 class, announced on Nov. 13 that he officially signed with Alabama, becoming the first member of the class to do so. Allen is the No. 2 ranked player in the state of Wisconsin, and the 13th ranked small forward in the nation.

“Amari is an elite wing that has the ability to play multiple positions due to his size, IQ and high skill level,” Oats said in a press release. “Over the summer Amari proved to be an efficient scorer, shooting 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from three-point range and 80 percent from the free-throw line and is a great fit for our style of play, in a modern era of college basketball.”

London Jemison

The 6-foot-8, 195-pounder out of St. Thomas More School in Oakdale, Conn. committed to the Crimson Tide on Sept. 22. At the time of his commitment, he was ranked as the consensus No. 38 prospect in the nation, the No. 9 power forward and the top-ranked player in the state of Connecticut, per On3 Recruiting.

“London is a combination of great size at 6’8″ and his IQ for the game is elite,” Oats said in the press release. “Throughout our time recruiting London, he possessed one of the best shot charts we have ever seen. His talent and size aside, he is known as a proven winner and fits the mold of how we are trying to play.”

Davion Hannah

Consensus 4-star shooting guard Davion Hannah from the Link Academy in Branson, Mo., announced his commitment to Alabama on Nov. 15. The 6-foot-5, 175-pounder transferred to Link Academy in June of ahead of his senior season of basketball.

“Davion possesses elite athleticism that is showcased in the open court and has great size, giving him the chance to play a multitude of positions,” Oats said in the press release. “At 6’6″ with a 6’10” wingspan, he fits the mold of how we are trying to play just like the other guys we have brought in.”