Agenda: 12 applicants for 3 Tax Assessors, Francis Lake Warehouse $397,980, LMIG Match $133,769.41, VOCA Grant down but match up @ LCC 2024-01-08

Update 2024-01-14: Packet: 12 applicants for 3 Tax Assessors, Francis Lake Warehouse $397,980, LMIG Match $133,769.41, VOCA Grant down but match up @ LCC 2024-01-08.

The Lowndes County Commission will hold both meetings Monday: the Work Session at 8:30 AM, and the voting Regular Session at 5:30 PM.

[Collage @ LCC 2024-01-08]
Collage @ LCC 2024-01-08

They will choose from a dozen applicants to fill three Tax Assessors positions:

In December 2023, the Board of Commissioners expanded the Board of Tax Assessors from three to five members. In addition, the initial three-year term of James Puckett ended December 31, 2023. Accordingly, the Board of Commissioners needs to make three appointments to the Board of Tax Assessors:

  • one to succeed James Puckett to complete a three-year term ending December 31, 2026
  • one to fill a new position to complete an initial three-year term ending December 31, 2026
  • one to fill a new position to complete an initial four-year term ending December 31, 2027

David Westberry, Samuel Clemons, Mike Tanner, Lucinda Guess, Mary Ellen Weeks, Elizabeth Highsmith, Sandra Jones, Richard Holcombe, Mary Green, Gene Felts, Amy Carter, and Thomas Reed have all expressed a desire to be appointed to the Board of Tax Assessors.

OPTIONS: 1. Make appointments and approve completion and execution of attached Orders as applicable
2. Board’s pleasure

It is hard to tell who many of these people are, for example there are several Amy Carters hereabouts. The county did not include the applications with the agenda.

We also don’t know what the “attached Orders” are, since they were not included with the agenda.

The BUDGET IMPACT is given as N/A for 2024 Georgia Department of Transportation Local Maintenance and Improvement Grant (LMIG) Application . But the agenda sheet says, “Lowndes County has been allocated $1,337,694.10 for FY 2024. As a part of this grant program, Lowndes County will be responsible for a minimum 10% match in local funding.”

Seems to me 10% of $1,337,694.10 is $133,769.41.

Cost What
$133,769.41 2024 Georgia Department of Transportation Local Maintenance and Improvement Grant (LMIG) Application
$397,980.00Francis Lake Warehouse Modifications Bids
$36,268.00Hazard Mitigation Planning Grant Application
$33,232.00Approval of Solicitor General’s FY24 VOCA Grant Award
$601,249.41Total

Approval of Solicitor General’s FY24 VOCA Grant Award The VOCA Grant is down 24% to $75,020.00 from $98,691.00, or $23,671.00 less. Yet cash match is up five and a half times from $6,000.00 to $33,232.00, due to cuts in funding and salary raises already approved by the County Commission in the FY 2024 budget.

So those two items plus Hazard Mitigation and Francis Lake Warehouse come to $601,249.41 that the Lowndes County Commission will approve tomorrow.

Here is the agenda.

Apparently I forgot to send a GORA request for the board packet; I just sent one this morning.

It remains mysterious why Lowndes County does not post its board packets on its own website, as many counties larger and smaller in Georgia and Florida have been doing for years.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 2024, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 2024, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

  1. Call to Order
  2. Invocation
  3. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag
  4. Minutes for Approval
    1. Work Session – December 11, 2023 & Regular Session – December 12, 2023
  5. Appointments
    1. Appointment to Board of Tax Assessors

      Documents:Appointment to Board of Tax Assessors.pdf

  6. For Consideration
    1. 2024 Georgia Department of Transportation Local Maintenance and Improvement Grant (LMIG) Application

      Documents:2024 Georgia Department of Transportation Local Maintenance and Improvement Grant Application.pdf

    2. Arglass Road Extension – Engineer Selection

      Documents:Arglass Road Extension – Engineer Selection.pdf

    3. Hazard Mitigation Planning Grant Application

      Documents:Hazard Mitigation Planning Grant Application.pdf

    4. 2024 Public Defender Contracts

      Documents:2024 Public Defender Contracts.pdf

    5. Approval of Solicitor General’s FY24 VOCA Grant Award

      Documents:Approval of Solicitor General FY24 VOCA Grant Award.pdf

  7. Bid
    1. Francis Lake Warehouse Modifications Bids

      Documents:Francis Lake Warehouse Modifications Bids.pdf

  8. Reports – County Manager
  9. Citizens Wishing to be Heard-Please State Your Name and Address
  10. Adjournment

-jsq

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