Matt Flumerfelt wrote in the VDT 19 November 2008, County approves bond issue:
Why was it necessary to put together a guarantee for a $15 million dollar bond issue in “near record time”?LOWNDES COUNTY — The Lowndes County Commission heard a presentation Tuesday evening from Glenn Thomson, Alston & Bird LLP regarding a bond issue the County has entered into for the purpose of providing needed funding for the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority.
After the presentation, a vote was taken accepting the issue and Lowndes County Commission Chairman Rod Casey,
County Attorney Walter Elliott and
County Clerk Paige Dukes adjourned to an adjoining chamber to complete the signing of the documents that will enable the Industrial Authority to negotiate for the acquisition of property pursuant to their mission of attracting manufacturing and other businesses to Lowndes County.
Bond Counsel, Glenn Thomson, stated, “Mr. Chairman and Commission, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your time and brag on your staff and consultants. Your staff put this transaction together very quickly. In fact, the underwriter’s counsel remarked that he had never encountered county employees and staff that had worked so diligently and that due to their preparedness and hard work, he was able to put his information together in near record time. Their performance and that of County Attorney, Walter Elliott, who worked tirelessly on this project as well, is a tremendous credit to those responsible for managing the business of the county.”
Why are so many items approved by the County Commission at the last minute
in a rush?
Why doesn’t county management manage such things better?
Where is all this “manufacturing and other business” VLCIA was supposed to attract with the property bought with those bond funds? Why do they instead have 577 acres of prime real estate sitting around that we the taxpayers have to pay debts for?
-jsq
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