Two weeks ago, the Lowndes County Commission approved everything unanimously, except 6.c. Consideration of Service Delivery Strategy Agreement Language, for which Commissioner Clay Griner voted against. He didn’t say why.
![[Motorola, Library, SDS, Leadership Lowndes]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2021-09-28--lcc-videos/many.jpg)
Motorola, Library, SDS, Leadership Lowndes
Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, followed by a LAKE video playlist. See also the agenda and board packet, and the draft minutes of the previous morning’s Work Session and of this Regular Session.
At least part of the long-contentious Service Delivery Strategy (SDS) has been resolved between Lowndes County and the City of Valdosta. The county has agreed not to fund county roads using property taxes from incorporated taxpayers, that is, taxpayers within city limits of any of the five cities in the county.
Plus the county is spending a million dollars on communications equipment, road graders, and an architect for a library addition.
![[County roads not to be paid out of city property taxes]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2021-09-27--lcc-packet/many.jpg)
County roads not to be paid out of city property taxes
Just before adjournment, County Manager Paige Dukes said the Bandit film continued filming downtown. She answered Commissioners Demarcus Marshall and Mark Wisenbaker saying the new millage letters were going out, with the exemption for the new fire tax, At the June 8, 2021, Lowndes County Commission Regular Session.
Everything passed unanimously.
![[Chairman, Finance, Attorney, Griner, Manager, Audience]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2021-06-08--lcc-regular-videos/many.jpg)
Chairman, Finance, Attorney, Griner, Manager, Audience
The Minutes record the County Manager also said in Reports:
Mrs. Dukes stated staff will be meeting with our Southern Marketing Coordinator, with the Georgia Department of Agriculture, Beth Meeks next week regarding a Farmer of the Year recognition. Additionally, Mrs. Dukes mentioned State Court Judge, John Edwards, was notified that Judge Melton has sent the last order extending the emergency order for the courts through June 30th. Lastly, Mrs. Dukes commended Mr. Tye’s leadership in providing a renewal of our ‘storm ready’ designation in Lowndes County; Mrs. Dukes asked Mr. Tye to give the commission an update. Chairman Slaughter stated this would not have happened without the partnerships with emergency management and thanked Mr. Tye for his efforts and dedication.
See also the LAKE videos of the preceding morning’s Work Session, and the agenda and the board packet.
Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, followed by a LAKE video playlist. Continue reading
Lowndes County, GA, has a budget Public Hearing today at 5PM, and a Special Called Board of Commissioners Meeting on June 29th to approve the budget. It will include the new fire special tax collection district, the one that is causing tax assessment notices to go out again with corrections.
As usual, the draft budget is not on the Finance Department web page. Probably if you go down to the Commission office and wheedle, they will point you to one bound copy you can look at.
Here is the agenda for today’s budget meeting, which is just before the Continue reading
Air conditioning, a quit claim, and, by far the longest, those incorrect tax assessment notices were the big items at the most recent Lowndes County, Georgia, Commission Work Session, June 7, 2021.
![[Manager and Chairman, Demarcus Marshall, Engineer]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2021-06-07--lcc-work-videos/many.jpg)
Manager and Chairman, Demarcus Marshall, Engineer
See previous post for the agenda and the board packet.
Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, followed by a LAKE video playlist.
Continue readingTwo weeks ago at their May 25, 2021, Regular Session, Lowndes County Commissioners unanimously approved everything except one agenda item. They tabled Tax Commissioner Rodney V. Cain’s request to write off $437,823.30 in insolvent taxes.
At the Monday, May 24, 2021, Work Session, Cain said the insolvent taxes were because the seven-year statute of limitations had been exceeded, or property had been moved out of the county. He said Gander Mountain accounted for half of the total. (I compute that at slightly less than 40%.) This item is back on the agenda for this morning’s Work Session and voting Tuesday evening, June 8, 2021.
At that previous Work Session, Cain seemed rather vague about details such as how much might need to be written off next year. He also did not say why he had not dealt with this earlier, even though he was first elected in November 2016. (His opponent in that election, Felicia Williams, is now an appointed Tax Assessor.)
In response to questions from more than one County Commissioner, Cain did say most Tax Commissioners deal with this annually, and he plans to do that from now on.
Cain previously made statewide news for Continue reading
The agenda for tomorrow morning’s Work Session and voting Tuesday evening doesn’t actually list the $437,823.30 insolvent tax writeoff as “BUDGET IMPACT” but it seems like it must affect the budget of Lowndes County, Georgia.
What would you guess would be the biggest insolvency for business closed, things moved somewhere else, etc.? Mobile homes? Paving? Real Estate?
| Cost | What |
|---|---|
| $618,767.14 | Fender Road Improvement Project |
| $437,823.30 | Insolvent List – Tax Commissioner |
| $28,842.00 | Agreement for HVAC Service for Additional Lowndes County Buildings |
| $1,085,432.44 | Total |
Nope.
![[Insolvent tax writeoffs, Fender Road Improvement]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2021-06-07--lcc-packet/many.jpg)
Insolvent tax writeoffs, Fender Road Improvement
On page 21, Personal Property, GANDER MOUNTAIN COMPANIES has three lines of base + interest + Penalty + FIFA and in one case they actually paid the base tax. So the nets for each of the three lines add up as $16,917.55 + $82,256.20 + $74,203.57 = $173,377.32. That’s just shy of 40% of the $437,823.30 total. Maybe big box stores are more of a risk than the county and cities have been taking into account. Continue reading
Less than a million tax dollar expenditures to be decided upon Tuesday after discussion Monday, by the Lowndes County Commission. Not counting future expenses from accepting streets for a subdivision, and not county almost half a million in insolvent taxes to be written off.
![[Wine license, Subdivision Infrastructure]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2021-05-24--lcc-packet/many.jpg)
Wine license, Subdivision Infrastructure
| Cost | What |
|---|---|
| $274,780.32 | Purchase of Trucks for Various Departments on State Contract |
| $236,056.00 | Bid for Four (4) Tractors for Public Works |
| $71,600.00 | Bid for Four (4) Bat-Wing Mowers for Public Works |
| $60,421.00 | Bid for Washers/Dryers for Fire Stations |
| $47,500.00 | Val-Tech Booster Station Generator |
| $6,000.00 | Bids for Bottled Water Service |
| $696,357.32 | Total |
This, Acceptance of Infrastructure for Two Oaks Subdivision Phase II, will result in ongoing tax dollar expenses for sending school buses, sheriff, fire and rescue, and repairs to water and sewer and streets. But the County Commission never counts that in its budget. They also don’t count as related however many millions they’ve already spent preparing roads, water, and sewer for a subdivision.
Also not included is the $437,823.30 to be written off the tax rolls as insolvent, due to statute of limitations, moved property out of the county, etc., at the request of the Tax Commissioner.
Not the same as the Valdosta-Lowndes Development Authority: “The terms of Commissioner Clay Griner, Mr. Crawford Powell, and Mr. Barry Broome to the Lowndes County Development Authority will expire on June 8, 2021. They have all expressed an interest in being reappointed.”
I wonder what this was about, in the May-10-2021-Work-Session-Minutes.pdf”> Minutes of the previous Work Session? “County Attorney, Walter Elliott, requested in writing, that the regular session minutes be revised regarding the motion to enter the executive session meeting.”
The board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request, is on the LAKE website: https://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2021-05-24–lcc-packet
Here is the agenda.
LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Continue reading
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, MAY 24, 2021, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, MAY 25, 2021, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
A couple weeks ago Lowndes County approved almost $3 million dollars in expenditures, including $110,147.78 for Commission Chambers Audio and Visual Upgrade, even though other counties and cities livestream their meetings using an iphone and facebook live.
![[Rezoning, quit claim, audio-visual]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2021-04-21--lcc-packet/many.jpg)
Rezoning, quit claim, audio-visual
| Cost | What |
|---|---|
| $1,811,758.00 | North Lowndes Soccer Complex Phase II |
| $429,634.23 | Resurfacing of Various County Roads |
| $304,252.00 | A New Shooting Range Shelter for the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office |
| $225,329.00 | A New 30,000 Gallon Draft Pit for Lowndes County Fire Rescue |
| $110,147.78 | Commission Chambers Audio and Visual Upgrade |
| $2,881,121.01 | Total |
The shooting range was actually not listed as BUDGET IMPACT, but it comes from SPLOST taxes, so I don’t know how it’s not part of the budget.
Not marked as costing anything was the rezoning for REZ-2021-04 Union Station on Union Road, “for a multi-family housing complex to be constructed,” even though that sprawl will cost in sending fire, sheriff, and school busses out there.
Also not counted was Acceptance of Infrastructure for Creekside West Phase 6 & 7 for which “All roads will remain private. Lots will be served by Lowndes County water and sewer.” So if a water or sewer line breaks, the county will have to pay to fix it. And see above about sprawl.
Here is
the agenda.
The entire board packet is on the LAKE website, received in response to a LAKE open records request.
http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2021-04-21–lcc-packet Continue reading
Four million dollars in tax money discussed this morning, to be voted on at 5:30 PM tomorrow (Tuesday) by the Lowndes County Commission.
Yet their video cameras seem to be broken and I haven’t seen anything about paying to fix them or buy new ones. Meanwhile, Valdosta City Council started online through an iphone, and numerous other counties in Georgia and Florida have made their meetings accessible online.
We don’t know where are the lift stations or manholes to be financed through a GEFA loan for $1,875,000, but I’d say that’s a good use of funds. Not so sure about the $1,974,139 for relocating utilities for widening Lake Park Bellville Road, because I’m not clear on why that road needs widening. I do wonder why sewer and drinking water improvements have to be funded through loans while road building gets tax funds.
Here is the agenda. The board packet is on the LAKE website, received Friday in response to a LAKE Open Records request.
LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Continue reading
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2021, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
![[Two budget meetings]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2021-06-21--lcc-budget/many.jpg)
![[Table: Four Million Dollars]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2021-02-22--lcc-packet/four-million-dollars.jpg)