The police jurisdiction is a legislatively created area outside the corporate limits of a municipality. It ensures orderly development beyond the municipal limits and allows the municipality to protect persons who live within these areas. Municipalities can levy certain types of taxes in the police jurisdiction in order to pay for services which are provided in the area. Additionally, municipalities can enforce criminal ordinances in the police jurisdiction. Construction and development can be regulated through the application of municipal building codes and subdivision regulations.
Municipalities can also provide a wide range of services to citizens within the police jurisdiction.
A common area of contention between municipal officials and their constituents concerns appropriations. Many taxpayers, understandably, want to have a direct say in how their tax money is spent. However, citizens must understand that municipal expenditures are limited by state law. Perhaps the most common barrier to municipal spending is Section 94 of the Alabama Constitution of 1901. This Section is commonly referred to simply as Section 94.