Fascinating stuff here, especially from Liz Booth and Jim Kennedy.
They meet again
today at Aniston’s Restaurant, 1404 W. Baker Highway, Douglas, GA.
You’ll probably notice there were some glitches with these July videos; thanks to Gretchen for salvaging most of them. And there’s no video of WWALS board member Al Browning speaking about water quality, nor of my presentation of the WWALS letter to SSRWPC: Please join the opposition to the Sabal Trail watershed invader —WWALS to SSRWPC.
They meet again tonight; here are videos from last month, when
Electrical Test Labs of Georgia was recognized, and claimed dibs on some land.
The Development Authority re-elected its same officers, after extending the term of the Chairman to two years.
SGRC’s Corey Hull presented very briefly about the 2040 Transporation Plan, and asked for questions. The Development Authority had none.
Lots of dials showing Continue reading
The Development Authority begins tonight with a
presentation
by
A foreign trade zone is a federally approved location within the United States, which is considered outside of US Customs territory where domestic and foreign merchandise may be placed without formal customs entry and without payment of duties and taxes. Subzones are special-purpose facilities for companies unable to operate effectively at public zone sites. Foreign trade zones are usually located in or near Customs ports of entry, at industrial parks or terminal warehouse facilities. Their purpose is to attract and promote international trade and commerce.
WTC has more on that page, but never actually says where FTZ 104 is.
Mary Carr Mayle, SavannaNow, 31 May 2015, World Trade Center Savannah expands FTZ 104, Continue reading
Appeal today if you think there’s more to land (or business)
and woods and fields and streams than money,
unlike the Tax Assessors, whose revaluation would drive development
into agricultural areas of the county where it doesn’t belong,
while avoiding populated areas such as the south side of Valdosta.
We can expect pipeline companies and utilities from other states
to think nothing of pillaging our lands for their profit.
We shouldn’t expect that of our neighbors whom we elected Tax Asssessors.
If you have affection for your land, your county, your neighborhood,
today’s the deadline
to appeal your valuation.
And there will be an election later.
As Wendell Berry said,
Whatever has happened in what economists call “the economy,” it is generally true that the land economy has been discounted or ignored.
Are the Tax Assessors boomers? Are you a sticker? Wendell Berry explains: Continue reading
Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce members just got a message from Bruce Allred, Government Affairs Council Chairman, saying:
MONDAY IS DEADLINE TO APPEAL PROPERTY TAX ASSESSMENTS!
You can look up your property on the Tax Assessors’ website: www.qpublic.net/ga/lowndes.
See also the LAKE Videos: Rural revaluation meeting at Farm Bureau 2015-08-04.
That Chamber message includes this useful information: Continue reading
See for yourself the Tax Assessor response to local landowners, in these
LAKE videos of
last night’s meeting at Farm Bureau.
Do you think there’s a problem?
If so, what do you think we should do to fix it?
The attendees appointed Gretchen to take notes. Here are her notes, followed by the videos.
Accessibility is not about access, it’s about geographic location…. That was done by one of our appraisers on staff. —Chief Appraiser Silas Hrobar
Rural and commercial land owners got surprises in the mail in July when they received the updated assessments of their properties. Lowndes County Assessors engaged a contractor last year to help with the reassessments of approximately 10,000 properties. Rural properties were categorized as small (under 20 acres) and large (over 20 acres) but complaints were the same, inconsistent and confusing application of criteria.
On Tuesday evening, Farm Bureau hosted Continue reading
June 2nd 2015, ZBOA approved
Fairway’s new billboard request,
and
building location variance for Gloryhill Cowboy Church, both unanimously, 6-0.
They meet again today at 2:30 PM (they didn’t meet in July).
They welcomed new ZBOA member, John Hogan III, who ran for Valdosta City Council in 2015, appointed to ZBOA by that Council 7 May 2015. Laverne Gaskins declined to be reappointed.
Here’s the agenda, from the City of Valdosta website, followed by the video. Continue reading
Are Bill Gates and subdivisions really more important than agriculture
or rivers or public transportation?
Come to Farm Bureau tomorrow evening
and find out what’s
going on with the rural land revaluation. facebook event.
When: 7PM, Tuesday, 4 August 2015
Where: 3296 Greystone Way, Valdosta, GA, (229) 242-7876
By: Farm Bureau board member Buddy Coleman called this meeting.
What: Compare the Comprehensive Plan to this revaluation here (PDF).
Sprawl: sprawling residential growth is a certain ticket to fiscal ruin (Or at least big tax increases). PDF of the report by UGA Prof. Jeffrey H. Dorfman Lowndes County paid for in 2007, The Local Government Fiscal Impacts of Land Use in Lowndes County.
Who: At least some of the Lowndes County Tax Assessors Continue reading
Does this
rural land revaluation map
resemble the
Comprehensive Plan Future Development map?
Why not?
And why were rivers and public transportation not considered either
by the Lowndes County Tax Assessors
while tracts with road frontage were considered the
“highest market area”
and
land purchases by Bill Gates
were considered
“benchmark sales” instrumental in pricing large tracts?
This rural land revaluation is yet another vehicle to drive development straight north into the agricultural areas of the county, not even stopping at the Withlacoochee River.
That way lies sprawl, which as Dr. Jeffrey H. Dorfman of UGA has said, “is a certain ticket to fiscal ruin* * Or at least big tax increases.”
The City of Valdosta better watch out! Much of this Continue reading
They meet again tonight with
a bylaw amendment scheduled, which is probably for extending officer terms to two years as Roy Copeland proposed.
(He first suggested that at least several years ago when he was re-elected Chairman.)
And their nominating committee nominated
the same officers again.
Lots of dials showing targets and where they are in reaching them, which is good, because I keep getting questions about what they’re doing with all that tax money and are they doing enough to justify it.
One citizen asked about the airport and another (OK, me) handed out Alapaha River Water Trail brochures and once again suggested solar panels at the airport to turn that otherwise-unusable space into profit.
Here’s the agenda and below are LAKE videos, followed by a playlist. Continue reading