Videos: Danny Weeks, Millage Rate, 3 Alcohol, Animals, Paper Ballots @ LCC Regular 2023-08-22

$4.2 million per mill times 2.5 mills is $10.5 million dollars a year that the county fire department is to get with no budget.

That’s up from last year’s $3.2 million per mill for $8 million, so the county fire department is to get an extra $2.5 million. Yet they never advertised it as a tax increase.

For what, and with what accounting, was not explained. Chairman Bill Slaughter said it was to maintain a “healthy fund balance” for five years since they established the fire department. Where can citizens see this fund balance, and what it is being spent on?

[Collage @ LCC 22 August 2023]
Collage @ LCC 22 August 2023

Both millage rate votes passed only by 3:2. If all three of the Lowndes County Commissioners who voted against on one or the other had voted against both, or if one of the other two had joined against on those votes, the county would have had to think again.

However, for the main millage, they approved 8.778 mills, which the Chairman said is a rollback of 1.434 (from last year). This is noticeably less than the Department of Revenue recommendation of 8.896 mills. Less as in 0.118 mills or $283,200. Until Commissioner Clay Griner the previous day asked what millage would actually match the projected budget, they seemed to be heading for the larger figure.

Still no explanation of why only one of the three beer and wine licenses got a Public Hearing.

They added an item for a change order on a Val Del Road water main for “about $180,000”. That reminds me that in July they approved almost $10 million for another water main in advance of development. Got to have sprawl.

More questions about the condition of the old dog box. It’s still not clear what will happen to it.

They had a nice recognition of 911 Director Danny Weeks, retiring this month after many years with the county. There will be a more formal event on August 31.

And despite the County Commission’s tradition of never responding to Citizens Wishing to Be Heard, after Citizen Diane Cox spoke about paper ballots with more people demonstrating outside, the County Attorney Walter G. Elliott held forth about how there was nothing the county could do because the state decides that.

Remind me again, what is the Bird Supper about? I thought it was when the county and its cities each February feed legislators while trying to convince them to pass laws? Using their influence with the state, like Diane Cox asked them to do?

Citizen Cheri Whitney noted Citizens to Be Heard seems like a political black hole by design, to applause. That was just before here point was demonstrated when the Chairman asked the County Attorney to give excuses for why the County Commission could do nothing.

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also the LAKE videos of the previous morning’s Work Session and the agenda and board packet.

Here’s a LAKE video playlist:


Videos: Danny Weeks, Millage Rate, 3 Alcohol, Animals, Paper Ballots @ LCC Regular 2023-08-22
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission, Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, Tuesday, August 22, 2023.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE).

-jsq

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One thought on “Videos: Danny Weeks, Millage Rate, 3 Alcohol, Animals, Paper Ballots @ LCC Regular 2023-08-22”

  1. Pingback: Videos: Millage Rate, 3 Alcohol, Animals @ LCC Work 2023-08-21 | On the LAKE front

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