With
all counties reporting, only Bacon, Clinch, Coffee, and Irwin went for T-SPLOST: voters defeated it in Region 11 by 38,514 no votes (58%) to 28,040 Yes (42%) votes.
Update 2017-03-27: And Atkinson, with final tally 38,731 no votes (58%) to 28,217 Yes (42%).
Plus it’s back as a regional proposal.
Lowndes County voted 2 to 1 against. That’s the result of hard work by a broad coalition across the political spectrum, including everybody from Gretchen Quarterman to Nolen Cox.
The only regions to vote Yes were 7-Central Savannah River, 8-River Valley, and 9-Heart of Georgia,all 2 of 3 of them state border regions. Even 12-Coastal rejected T-SPLOST 58% to 42%. Atlanta metro Region 3, the real excuse for the whole failed exercise, resoundingly defeated T-SPLOST by a whopping 63% to 37%.
Georgia Sierra Club and Atlanta Tea Party have already drawn up Plan B for metro Atlanta. How about a Plan B for the entire state, with passenger rail from Atlanta to Valdosta and Savannah, bus systems in every metro area, and airport improvements?
Doyle Kelly for Tax Assessor Post 1 Candidates, Annual BBQ, Lowndes County Democratic Party (LCDP), Gretchen Quarterman (Chair), Dennis Marks (Vice-Chair / Elections), Lou McClendon (Vice-Chair / Membership), Laverne Gaskins (Vice-Chair / Qualifying), Joyce Gibson (Secretary), James J. Parker (Treasurer), Video by John S. Quarterman for Lowndes County Democratic Party (LCDP), Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 6 July 2012.
Three City of Valdosta cases (two conditional use and one rezoning) and five Lowndes County rezoning cases at the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) Regular Session Monday 30 July 2012. The agenda was faxed to Gretchen Quarterman of LAKE by GLPC Chairman Bill Slaughter at her request.
The cases are listed below, as nearly as I can transcribe them. You may wonder, as I do, why anyone should need to transcribe them, since they were composed in electronic form in the first place before they were printed and faxed. The answer is: because both the Valdosta City Council and the Lowndes County Commission refuse to make them available online. Gretchen Quarterman and Bill Slaughter are the two candidates running for County Commission Chair, by the way.
-jsq
City of Valdosta Cases
FINAL ACTION by the City of Valdosta Mayor-Council Thursday, August 9, 2012 Valdosta City Hall, 216 E. Central Avenue, Valdosta, Georgia Council Chambers (2nd Floor) 5:30 p.m.
2. CU-2012-04
Jonathan Kendall Property Location: 2209 Pineview Drive, Valdosta, GA Conditional Use Permit (CUP) request for an existing hospital facility in a Residential Professional (R-P) zoning district
3. CU-2012-05
Ombudsman Educational Services Property Location: 1200 North Ashley Street, Valdosta, GA Conditional Use Permit (CUP) request for a specialized school facility in a Highway Commercial (C-H) zoning district.
4. VA-2012-09
Jim Sineath Property Location: 2516 & 2518 Jerry Jones Drive, Valdosta, GA Request to rezone 1.37 acres from Single-Family Residential (R-15) to Multi-Family Residential (R-M)
Lowndes County Cases
FINAL ACTION by the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners Tuesday, August 14, 2012 Lowndes County Judicial and Administrative Complex Commission Chambers, 2nd Floor 327 North Ashley Street, Valdosta, Georgia 5:30 p.m.
5. REX-2012-08
Barrington Property Location: Bemiss Road, Sara Road, and Mac Road, Valdosta, GA Request to rezone 12.11 acres from R-A (Residential Agriculture), R-21 (Medium Density Residential), and C-G (General Commercial) to Planned Development (P-D)
6. REZ-2012-10
Cain Property Location: U.S. Highway 41 North, Hahira, GA Request to rezone ~22 acres from R-A (Residential Agriculture), R-21 (Medium Density Residential), R-1 (Low Density Residential), and E-A (Estate Agriculture) to Rural Planned Development (PD-R)
7. REZ-2012-11
Stone Property Location: Old U.S. Highway 41 North, Valdosta, GA Request to rezone 40 acres from R-1 (Low Density Residential), to R-10 (Suburban Density Residential)
8. REZ-2012-12
Patten Property Location: Parker Place Road, Hahira, GA Request to rezone 3.4 acres from E-A (Estate Agriculture) to R-1 (Low Density Residential),
9. REZ-2012-13
Bailey Property Location: Mulligan Road, Valdosta, GA Request to rezone 2.88 acres from C-H (Highway Commercial) and C-G (General Commercial) to P-D (Planned Development)
Greg Gullberg has
updated his WCTV story about T-SPLOST with
a new video,
this time interviewing private citizen John Gayle (for T-SPLOST) sitting at the Valdosta Mayor’s desk, Gretchen Quarterman (against T-SPLOST) at the Lowndes County Extension Office, and some other people.
The major issue driving people to the polls and dividing them is the TSPLOST Transportation tax. The TSPLOST Transportation Tax is a hot issue here in Georgia.. because it effects everybody. Organizers say with an extra penny of sales tax—when you add all those pennies up over the next ten years— that could be almost 20-billion dollars for the state. One side says it will ease your troubled commute. The other says the measure is so flawed it won’t really help at all.
In his Tuesday T-SPLOST story WCTV reporter Greg Gullberg noted that current Lowndes County Chairman Ashley Paulk said "the Commission is not taking a stance." Indeed, but Ashley Paulk himself took a stance against T-SPLOST as far back as April 2011, when he said:
I think what disturbs me, is when you've got to put something in the law that's a stick, carrot and stick, you don't do what I've said you're going to get punished….
Right now if I had to vote for it I could not find the interest to get out there.
“Sales tax falls unfairly on the poor and middle class,” said Gretchen Quarterman, who is running for Chair of the Lowndes County Commission. “So as a percentage of their income, poor people and middle class people will pay more. And that’s just not fair.”
The current chair says the Commission is not taking a stance. But we did talk to Valdosta Mayor John Gayle by phone.
“Valdosta is a growing city. And TSPLOST gives us the means to keep it on track. The entire region can benefit from improved transportation,” said Mayor Gayle.
Each region will hold its own independent election, so there is no need to worry how a different region will vote. Residents will vote on this tax next Tuesday, July 31st.
As Gullberg promised on-air, the WCTV online story contains a list of T-SPLOST projects and more information. Here’s the WCTV video.
Back to their old tricks! The Lowndes County Commission was already approving minutes a minute before the announced start time of their Work Session this morning. After that, it was another brief session. They vote Tuesday 5:30 PM 24 July 2012.
Here's the agenda. Below are some notes on some items.
5.a. Adoption of Millage County Manager Joe Pritchard reiterated that there would be a Public Hearing 5PM 24 July 2012. See other post for more details.
5.b. Acceptance of Proposal for Repair of Cat Creek Road County Engineer Mike Fletcher said what the project was for! See previous post for details.
5.c. Cameron Lane widening for industrial park @ LCC 2012-07-23 The Langdale Industrial Park rezoning REZ-2010-15 of 14 December 2010 was back this morning as a request to turn Cameron Lane into a boulevard entrance. See other post for details.
5.d. SPLOST VII Resolution and Agreement They somehow got an agreement between the cities and the county in time to announce a referendum for SPLOST VII. See other post for details.
Videos: Two taxes, Library bid, and two road repairs Work Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC), Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE), Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 23 July 2012.
She didn't provide the links; I googled them up with what are maybe the correct spellings. What was in the presentations remains a mystery. She said the Library Board unanimously selected CRA.
Chairman Ashley Paulk noted Kay Harris and Tom Gooding were present, and asked if Commissioners had any questions for them. None did.
Kay Harris is Chairman of the Library Board. What is Tom Gooding's role? Who are the rest of the Library Board, for that matter?
Videos: Two taxes, Library bid, and two road repairs @ LCC 2012-07-23 Work Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC), Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE), Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 23 July 2012.
County Manager Joe Pritchard announced at this morning’s Lowndes County Commission Work Session that the county and the cities had reached an agreement and resolution in time to announce a ballot referendum for SPLOST VII. He said the city of Valdosta already acted upon the agreement Thursday, and he expected the other cities would follow suit. He said Commissioners had a breakdown in front of them of projects to be paid for by the Special Projects Local Option Sales Tax. No Commissioners had any questions.
5.d. SPLOST VII Agreement Part 1 of 2: Work Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC), Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE), Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 23 July 2012.
County Chairman Ashley Paulk volunteered a laconic explanation of how an agreement was reached:
While the Industrial Authority has been busily spiffing up its various Industrial Parks, everyone may have forgotten they have some competition west of town. Back in December 2010 Attorney Jack Langdale convinced the Commission in case REZ-2010-15 to rezone about 542 acres from R-1 to I-S, M-2, M-1, and P-D, which they did with fifteen conditions, which you can see in their minutes from 14 December 2010. As I recall it, one of the most convincing arguments was that the Langdales' own Kinderlou Subdivision is next door, so they wouldn't be doing anything to damage that, thus other neighbors could rest assured. Anyway, the next step was before the Commission at their Work Session this morning, for a vote tomorrow evening at their 5:30 PM Regular Session.
County Engineer Mike Fletcher presented agenda item 5.c., about Cameron Lane.
In December of 2010 the Board of Commissioners approved a rezoning case for the industrial park located off of highway 84, state route 38 west, near Wetherington Lane. The developers are beginning their master plan for the industrial park and will be utilitizng Cameron Lane as an entrance off of State Route 38 into the park. The developers are requesting to demolish Cameron Lane and rebuild a boulevard type entrance to serve the industrial park.
Attached are plats in front of you that show the existing and the proposed layout. The developer will be responsible for the acquisition of the the additional right of way that is required, as well as all engineering and construction costs for Cameron Lane. The new infrastructure will be built to county standards amd then will be brought back before the Commissioners for executive acceptance of infrastructure.
Commisioner Raines wanted to know if the county needed to deed the road over to the developer while all this was being done. Fletcher assured him the contractor would be responsible for everything.
5.c. Cameron Lane widening for industrial park on US 84 W @ LCC 2012-07-23 Work Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC), Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE), Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 23 July 2012.
With
all counties reporting, only Bacon, Clinch, Coffee, and Irwin went for T-SPLOST: voters defeated it in Region 11 by 38,514 no votes (58%) to 28,040 Yes (42%) votes.
How about a Plan B for the entire state, with passenger rail from Atlanta to Valdosta and Savannah, bus systems in every metro area, and airport improvements?
