Category Archives: Taxes

Videos: Alcohol, Health insurance, GEFA Lift State Pump Loan, Rascals demolition for Fire Station, Bemiss Road Mowing @ LCC Regular 2025-10-28

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At the Tuesday evening Work Session, the Lowndes County Commissioners approved everything unanimously.

They chatted quite a bit about 6.a. Demolition for Lowndes County Fire Rescue Station 3. Apparently the old Rascals did come with some equipment in the kitchen, although County Manager Paige Dukes declined to call it kitchen equipment.

On the 5.c. GEFA Loan for Lift Station Bypass Pumps Commissioner Demarcus Marshall wanted clarification that this was for sewage, not other kinds of water. Answer: yes.

In 7. Reports – County Manager she had EMA Director Ashley Tye talk about remaining federal funds promised but not yet received. The big batch will not qualify for the relaxed timeline for budgeting, due to how late it is.

She also had Fire Chief Billy Young talk about fire safety in this dry season, a topic the Commissioners continued to discuss for a bit.

[Collage @ LCC 28 October 2025]
Collage @ LCC 28 October 2025

In Citizens Wishing to Be Heard, Steve Schreck apologized if the shirt he wore Monday morning offended anyone. The Chairman had told him after that Work Session never to come back wearing that shirt. Schreck talked about a display near him that children could see, which he said was at least equally offensive. He asked for an ordinance banning public obscenity.

Commissioner Joyce Evans remained absent due to Continue reading →

Videos: Alcohol, Health insurance, GEFA Lift State Pump Loan, Rascals demolition for Fire Station, Bemiss Road Mowing @ LCC Work 2025-10-27

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Update 2025-10-29: Videos: Alcohol, Health insurance, GEFA Lift State Pump Loan, Rascals demolition for Fire Station, Bemiss Road Mowing @ LCC Regular 2025-10-28.

Seven minutes for this morning’s Lowndes County Commission Work Session.

Commissioner Demarcus Marshall was absent. Commissioner Joyce Evans remains absent due to health reasons.

They vote tomorrow (Tuesday) evening at 5:30 PM.

[Videos: Alcohol, Health insurance, GEFA Lift State Pump Loan, Rascals demolition for Fire Station 3, Bemiss Road Mowing @ LCC Work 2025-10-27]
Videos: Alcohol, Health insurance, GEFA Lift State Pump Loan, Rascals demolition for Fire Station 3, Bemiss Road Mowing @ LCC Work 2025-10-27

There were no surprises, except maybe County Manager Paige Dukes lauding Public Works Director Robin Cumbus for organizing 6.b. Bid for Bemiss Road Right of Way Mowing.

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, plus a few stills of some people, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also the Continue reading →

Packet: Alcohol, Health insurance, GEFA Lift State Pump Loan, Rascals demolition for Fire Station, Bemiss Road Mowing @ LCC 2025-10-27

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Update 2025-10-27: Videos: Alcohol, Health insurance, GEFA Lift State Pump Loan, Rascals demolition for Fire Station, Bemiss Road Mowing @ LCC Work 2025-10-27.

It’s a brief agenda with a long packet for the Lowndes County Commission this month.

It demonstrates planning ahead in the GEFA Loan for Lift Station Bypass Pumps, getting ready for the next hurricane season.

And they got multiple bids for both the old Rascals in Lake Park, Demolition for Lowndes County Fire Rescue Station 3 and for Bid for Bemiss Road Right of Way Mowing.

No emergency sole-source contracts in this agenda.

[Packet: Collage @ LCC 2025-10-27]
Packet: Collage @ LCC 2025-10-27

Here is the agenda.

The board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request, is on the LAKE website.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2025, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2025, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →

Videos: Opioid Litigation Settlement and Budget and Equity Reserve Policy @ LCC Regular 2025-09-23

The two regular business items (opioid litigation and budget policy update) sped to unanimous approval at the Lowndes County Commission Regular Session last week.

[Collage @ LCC 23 September 2025]
Collage @ LCC 23 September 2025

Three citizens spoke.

Janice Strickland worried that she was not represented because Commissioner Joyce Evans had been absent for months. See below for Chairman Bill Slaughter’s answer.

India Bell wanted to know if there was any financial assistance. Chairman Bill Slaughter said he would speak to her afterwards about various organizations, but the county itself probably did not have anything to help.

Kelly Saxon was concerned about housing after Hurricane Helene now that temporary housing is ending. There was no direct response.

Commissioner Demarcus Marshall reminded everyone that each citizen actually has two Commissioners, because of the superdistricts, one of which he represents. And anyone could also call the Chairman.

Here 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 Continue reading →

Videos: Opioid Litigation Settlement and Budget and Equity Reserve Policy @ LCC Work 2025-09-22

Update 2025-09-29 Videos: Opioid Litigation Settlement and Budget and Equity Reserve Policy @ LCC Regular 2025-09-23.

There were only two main agenda items, but the Lowndes County Commissioners had questions on each of them.

That was in this morning’s Work Session. They vote Tuesday evening at 5:30 PM.

[Collage @ LCC 22 September 2025]
Collage @ LCC 22 September 2025

Some previous opioid litigation settlement funds have been received, about $600,000. Those are escrowed in an intergovernmental grant fund since the funds are earmarked. They have to be used for treatment, prevention, and abatement of the opioid crisis.

The updates to the county’s Budget and Equity Reserve Policy are partly because of FEMA relief for Hurricane Helene and previous hurricanes, which arrived after the corresponding Fiscal Years ended, and after a 60-day grace period in the previous policy. So they’re extending that grace period for grant funds only.

Last year about $3.9 million came in before the end of November, but after the grace period for FY 2025.

The policy stays as changed, unless the Commission later votes to change it again.

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

See also the Continue reading →

Packet: Opioid Litigation Settlement and Budget and Equity Reserve Policy @ LCC 2025-09-22

Update 2025-09-22: Videos: Opioid Litigation Settlement and Budget and Equity Reserve Policy @ LCC Work 2025-09-22.

This is the lightest agenda in a while for the Lowndes County Commission.

There are long documents attached, but there are only two agenda business items: for another opioid lititgation settlement, and for an update to the county’s Budget and Equity Reserve Policy. That Policy has a whole new section on Revenues and Expenditures/Expenses.

[Opioid Litigation Settlement, Budget and Equity Reserve Policy, Lowndes County Commission, Board Packet 2025-09-22]
Opioid Litigation Settlement, Budget and Equity Reserve Policy, Lowndes County Commission, Board Packet 2025-09-22

Here is the agenda.

The board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request, is on the LAKE website.

There are also images of each page below.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2025, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2025, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →

Videos: Community Service Board, Lake Alapaha Well, Jail Expansion, Bicentiennial, Millages, Opioid Litigation, Hightower Road, SPLOST IX, TREES Act, PFAS Groundwater Claims @ LCC Regular 2025-08-25

They actually increased the Industrial Authority’s millage to 1.1 mil, above its historic rate of 1 mil. This was not discussed in the preceding Budget Hearings, nor I think even in the previous morning’s Work Session. They unanimously approved that and everything else on the agenda.

Chairman Bill Slaughter added an item to the agenda, for 5.j. Appointment – Community Service Board – must be elected official. They appointed Commissioner Demarcus Marshall. You may recall that on May 27, 2025 they appointed Commissioner Joyce Evans to this board. She was absent at that meeting, and has been absent from every Lowndes County Commission meeting since then. Since she has not made public why, I will not say, other than that her absences are not because she does not want to be there.

County Manager Paige Dukes had three staff give reports at the end of this Regular Session:

[Collage @ LCC 26 August 2025]
Collage @ LCC 26 August 2025

Below are Continue reading →

Packet: Millages, Opioid Litigation, Hightower Road, SPLOST IX, TREES Act, PFAS Groundwater Claims @ LCC 2025-08-25

The board packet includes the SPLOST IX Agreement and Project Lists, as well as the agreements for the Opioid and Groundwater Claims and the Hightower Road Quit Claim and a resolution for the TREES Act.

This is for yesterday’s Work Session and this evening’s Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission.

[Collage, Packet @ LCC 2025-08-25-26]
Collage, Packet @ LCC 2025-08-25-26

The SPLOST IX Agreement and Project Lists are the same as LAKE already published two weeks ago from a usually reliable source.

The entire board packet, obtained in response to a LAKE open records request, is on the LAKE website, and images of each page are below.

It is still mysterious why Lowndes County does not publish its board packets on its own website, like many counties larger and smaller have done for years in Georgia and Florida.

See also the Continue reading →

Videos: Millages, Opioid Litigation, Hightower Road, SPLOST IX, TREES Act, PFAS Groundwater Claims @ LCC Work 2025-08-25

Only twelve minutes for the Lowndes County Commission to consider millages, taxes, lawsuit claims, and a quit claim, at their Work Session yesterday morning.

Here are LAKE videos of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

[Collage @ LCC 25 August 2025]
Collage @ LCC 25 August 2025

See also the agenda.

We don’t have the board packet, because I forgot to send in the open records request until the other day.

It is still mysterious why Lowndes County does not publish its board packets on its own website, like many counties larger and smaller have done for years in Georgia and Florida. Continue reading →

Agenda: Millages, Opioid Litigation, Hightower Road, SPLOST IX, TREES Act, PFAS Groundwater Claims @ LCC 2025-08-25

Update 2025-08-26: Videos: Millages, Opioid Litigation, Hightower Road, SPLOST IX, TREES Act, PFAS Groundwater Claims @ LCC Work 2025-08-25.

Millages and taxes are the top topics for the Lowndes County Commission this week, plus lawsuit settlements for opioids and PFAS, and a road abandonment quit-claim to the Air Force.

  • The property tax millage will be set at the rollback rate of 5.051 mills. That is a reduction of 0.232 mills or about 4.4% from the 5.283 rate of 2024. Your property taxes are a product of valuation and millage, minus various exemptions such as for homestead or conservation easements. Since many valuations went up, your taxes may go up.
  • VLCIA got its rate reduced to 0.823 mills last year, but this year it will be back to 1.00 mill like it always was before for the Valdosta Lowndes County Industrial Authority, aka the Valdosta-Lowndes Development Authority (VLDA).
  • Same 1.25 mills as always for the Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority (VLCIA).
  • Same as last year: 2.50 mills for the Special District Millage for Fire Services. That’s right, twice VLPRA’s millage, and 2.5 times VLCIA’s millage.

In November you get to vote on the SPLOST IX projects the County Commission is approving this week for the penny Special Local Option Sales Tax. The county has not published that project list, but LAKE already published it more than a week ago:
http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/?p=25175

And those of us who are tree farmers may get some tax relief after Hurricane Helene, from the TREES Act Resolution. This is presumably the same ACCG Summary of the TREES ACT as Lowndes County put in its board packet.

Lowndes County may get some money from settlements for lawsuits about opioids and PFAS.

[Agenda: Millages, SPLOST IX, TREES Act, Opioid Litigation, Hightower Road, PFAS Groundwater Claims @ LCC 2025-08-25]
Agenda: Millages, SPLOST IX, TREES Act, Opioid Litigation, Hightower Road, PFAS Groundwater Claims @ LCC 2025-08-25

The Air Force wants the county to quit-claim the right of way for Hightower Road, which the county already abandoned in 2023. Moody Air Force Base is directly south of it, and the Air Force now owns the field north of it. Included in this post are the maps from the May, 2023, board packet from when the county abandoned that stretch of Hightower Road.
http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/?p=23550

Here is the agenda.

We don’t have the board packet, because I forgot to send in the open records request until today.

It is still mysterious why Lowndes County does not publish its board packets on its own website, like many counties larger and smaller have done for years in Georgia and Florida.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, AUGUST 25, 2025, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2025, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →