A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend and supersede the laws pertaining to the governing authority of Lowndes County; to provide for a Board of Commissioners of Lowndes County; to provide for the powers and composition of the board of commissioners; to provide for election districts, qualifications, terms of office, and filling of vacancies of commissioners; to provide for meetings and quorum; to provide for the responsibilities of the chairperson; to provide for a vice chairperson and the vice chairperson’s responsibilities; to provide for submission pursuant to Section 5 of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended; to provide for severability and effective dates; to provide for the repeal of existing enabling legislation; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.The actual bill still has to be approved by U.S. DoJ “pursuant to Section 5 of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended”: Continue reading
Category Archives: Lowndes County Commission
VLCIA Bonds: $15M becomes $23.5M?
According to VLCIA’s FYE 2011 Annual Financial Report it looks like the bonds started out as about $15,000,000, and are
- now $17,485,883 in bonds and notes payable
- with $3,124,270 in debt service
- and $23,501,680 in total forseen debt service by 2024
Meanwhile, VLCIA has
That’s an interesting number to contemplate while other arms of local government are scraping to pay salaries and provide services. One of those other arms of local government is the Lowndes County Commission, which appears to be co-guarantor for those bonds.-jsq
VLCIA “inter-governmental funding agreement” with Lowndes County
In Note A: Summary of Significant Accounting Policies of VLCIA’s FYE 2011 Annual Financial Report:
Reporting EntityWell, the VLCIA’s charter is available on the web and it doesn’t just say “growth”; it also says “the public good” and “the general welfare” of the community.The Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority is a political subdivision created by the State of Georgia Legislature to stimulate growth in the Valdosta-Lowndes County area. The Authority’s revenues are derived primarily from contributions by local governnments and by the sale of land in the industrial development parks owned by the Authority.
The financial report continues:
The members of the Industrial Authority are appointed by both the City Council of the City of Valdosta and the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners. Primary operating funding, as well as guarantees for certain bonds, comes from the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners and accordingly, the Authority is considered to be economically dependent on Lowndes County.The first sentence is correct. If the second sentence is correct, how can the Lowndes County Commission say it has no control over or responsibility for the Industrial Authority?
Further, in Note F: Long Term Debt:
The bonds are secured by an “inter-governmental” funding agreement between the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority and Lowndes County, Georgia.If the Lowndes County government is co-guarantor of VLCIA’s bonds, how can the Lowndes County Commission say it has no responsibility or control over what VLCIA does? I am not a CPA, but the term “fiduciary responsibility” comes to mind. These bonds are, after all, being paid for by our tax dollars, and the Board of Commissioners are our elected representatives for the county.
How big are those bonds, anyway? See the next post.
-jsq
VLCIA Annual Financial Report FYE 30 June 2011
In the Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ending 30 June 2011, for the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA), there are some interesting assertions, and some really interesting dollar figures. These documents were obtained by open records request February 2011 and given to LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
See the following posts about the “inter-governmental agreement” between VLCIA and Lowndes County and about the size of the bonds and debt servicing VLCIA has committed to. And of course read the report for yourself and see what you think.
-jsq
DHS grant for emergency vehicle, LCC work session, 21 Feb 2011
The sound would be better if the county used their own equipment, which is already purchased and in place in that same room, to record their own sessions and make them available over the web.
Here is the LAKE video. Maybe somebody would like to make a transcription.
Video by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
Video of this topic at the regular session of the next day will follow. This is one of the grants Ken Klanicki referred to in his LTE in the VDT the other day about a steep learning curve.
-jsq
“the learning curve is very steep” –Ken Klanicki
Former Lowndes County commissioner Richard Lee once told me “…the learning curve is very steep for first-time commissioners.” Our new county commissioners, Richard Raines and Crawford Powell, are living proof of the veracity of that statement. In case Bill O’Reilly is reading this, here’s a few examples.Continue readingEarlier this month a grant application for the purchase of 5,000 weather emergency radios was nixed by a 2 – 1 vote. The radios could’ve been a means for citizens residing in remote areas of the county to
The owl in Hahira: March 2011 LAKE meeting
Monthly LAKE MeetingThomas says:
When: 5:30-6:45 PM, Tuesday 1 March 2011
Updated meeting location
Where: home of Thomas Ieracitano
414 East Main Street, Hahira
229-251-2462
That’s on US 122, just east of the Masonic Lodge.
“Bring a lawn chair, laptop (I will have Mediacom wireless) and your own food and drink.”If it rains or there are too many bugs or something, we will move to:
Down Home Pizza
103 South Webb Street, Hahira
229-794-1888
Help cover food, water, transportation, incarceration, solar energy, biomass, and regular local government meetings: you never know when news will be made!
Popular topics lately on the LAKE blog, On the LAKE Front, include Continue reading
Lowndes County Commission meets tonight
Meetings start on time, and remember if you want to speak you have to sign up before the meeting, so come early.
-jsq
Citizens and Sheriff Prine recognized @LCC, 8 Feb 2011
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
-jsq
Tranquility Trail –James Wright and students @LCC, 8 Feb 2011
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
-jsq