To raise or not to raise, that is the millage question, and what to spend it on, but not many people showed up to ask.

This 6PM Wednesday 16 July 2014 millage hearing was one of the most lively, juding by his report, from which you can see that VDT political reporter Matthew Woody’s report on both hearings of last Wednesday, and that’s not saying much. In this evening hearing, Dennis Marks spoke for res publica, the rule of the public, for the public good. The other three commenters seemed to be against the millage increase.

One more milllage hearing (8:30AM) and an adoption meeting (9AM), both Wednesday 23 July 2014.

• 1. Call to order 2. Presentation of the Millage Rate Increase

  Video.

• Comments – Dennis Marks

  Video. Dr. Marks said the county should actually raise the millage more to invest more in the public good, specifically so the Board of Elections wouldn’t have to close precincts. Presumably he knows the increase proposed is still low compared to other Georgia counties. Stay tuned for more on budget, Board of Elections, and precinct closing.

  He added:

  This actually speaks to a larger problem. That is we really need to have an investment not only in the public sector, but also in public works, in water and sewer, in public transportation, and public safety…, in public infrastructure, including broadband. There has to be a commitment on the public side. This cannot all be done by the private sector. The public responsibilities, the public obligations; there are things we ought to be doing as citizens to step up and to step forward in terms of meeting our responsiblities.

• Comments – Ed Kent

  Video. He wished county employees were getting raises. I hear they are; the raises are just hidden because the county staff and Commissioners are afraid of the citizens.

• Comments – Susan Ring

  Video. She mentioned the lack of citizen attendees, and then said she wanted to trim government.

• Comments – Kerry Wells

  Video. He said he went to the Tax Assessors’ office the previous day and quoted the dollar differences they told him.

• Meeting Adjournment

  Video.

Here’s a video playlist:

Sparsely attended millage hearing
Millage Hearing, Lowndes County Commission (LCC Millage),
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 16 July 2014.

-jsq

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