Tag Archives: VBOE

HB 170 would have a devastating effect on our community –Valdosta Board of Education

The Valdosta Board of Education unanimously passed a resolution against HB 170 last night and forwarded it to the local legislative delegation via email and on paper, according to Joy at the Valdosta School Superintendent’s office just now.

Not surprisingly, VBOE’s resolution looks a lot like the City of Valdosta’s resolution. Both were written before yesterday’s changes to HB 170, which still pit counties against cities.

The Lowndes County Board of Education unanimously passed a similar resolution also last night.

What will the Lowndes County Commission do tonight? And what will the Lowndes County Board of Education do Thursday?

Here’s the Rationale in the yesterday’s VBOE agenda:

HB170 has been introduced this legislative session. It proposes to remove the local tax on fuel and replace it with a tax at the distributor level which would be paid to the state. For Valdosta City Schools this would mean a reduction in revenue of approximately $1.8 million annually from ESPLOST. The total loss of revenue for the city and county governments and the city and county school districts would be approximately $12 million annually. If passed, this bill would have a devastating effect on our community.

And here’s the resolution: Continue reading →

HB 170: counties vs. cities? @ LCC 2015-02-10

Yesterday a Georgia House subcommittee did exactly what Valdosta urged it not to do about distributing HB 170 funds. Given that LMIG mismatch between cities and counties to replace the previous mismatch of forced double taxation on cities and counties, is the legislature trying to cause dissension between counties and their cities, or is it just that inept? We know Valdosta’s position. What will the Lowndes County Commission do?

Valdosta City Manager Larry Hanson wrote to bill’s sponsor: Continue reading →

HB 170 voted out of subcommittee; what will Lowndes County Commission do? @ LCC 2015-02-06

How long will the Lowndes County government and ACCG wait to act, while the Georgia legislature moves on its stealth transportation tax hike for Atlanta that would defund local school boards and city and county governments? A House subcommittee has made some changes to the bill, but it would still force local governments to raise taxes, and it adds an unrelated repeal of an electric vehicle tax credit to its boondoggle for trucking companies and Atlanta. Do we want our local public schools to be defunded like wildlife programs were through the state’s wildlife license plate revenue tax taking? If not, now’s the time to lobby against HB 170, before the full House Transportation Committee meets Thursday. Yet there’s still nothing about HB 170 on the county’s agenda for this evening’s voting Regular Session.

Valdosta has already Continue reading →

the expense of agendas @ GLPC 2014-01-27

The Greater Lowndes Planning Commission meets tonight at 5:30PM, but there’s no agenda posted anywhere online. At the same meeting at which he asserted “we have broadband”, and “transparency is not a problem” County Chairman Bill Slaughter said the county doesn’t publish agendas or minutes for the Planning Commission because of “the expense”.

“the expense”
v.
“When officials act like
they have something to hide,
they often do”

I suppose I don’t know much about this Internet stuff, so maybe somebody can explain it to me: what’s the big expense in publishing the GLPC agendas and minutes the same way the county publishes its own agendas and minutes? Yet if you search for the Planning Commission on the county’s website, all you find is its name in a list of Boards, Agencies & Commissions; tonight’s meeting is not even listed in the county’s online calendar.

For that matter, what would be the big expense in posting the entire agenda packets, like for example Continue reading →

Early Election returns

So far, according to Lowndes County’s online election results, SPLOST is winning more than 2 to 1, while Bruce Cain and Rose Adams are neck-and-neck for a plurality for Mayor in Hahira with incumbent Wayne Bullard a distant third and Johnny L. Stalvey trailing. Kenneth Davis is way ahead of Traci Selph Davis for Hahira City Council District 2.

In Lake Park, it looks like Bert Rutland is going to make it onto the council this time, while Eric Schindler will remain Mayor.

For Valdosta City Council, incumbents Alvin Payton (District 4) and Robert Yost (District 6) are leading, as is Sandra J. Tooley (District 2), although not by as wide a margin.

For Valdosta School Board, Lizzie Shumphard (District 2) is way in the lead, incumbent Vanassa Flucas (District 2) is even farther ahead, and incumbent Warren Sweet Lee (District 3) is sailing in unopposed.

Apparently some results in Valdosta are still coming in: Continue reading →

Videos of Candidates and Mayor Gayle about SPLOST @ LCDP 2013-09-09

In which we discover one candidate works for the City of Valdosta and opposes SPLOST. Candidates took questions directly from the audience and answered them, unlike at later candidate forums. Candidates from the smaller cities started their tradition of not showing up for forums outside their cities. Here’s the list of qualified candidates. See also the videos of the 30 Club forum 2013-10-21 and the videos of the AAUW forum 2013-10-15.

Opening

Call to Order, Moment of Silence for Congress, Pledge, Approval of Minutes, Treasurer’s Report.

SPLOST VII

30 Club Candidate Forum @ 30Club 2013-10-21

The candidates were almost unanimous on SPLOST VII and how to prevent JK situations, but more varied on other questions. Roy Copeland, billed as “Valdosta attorney” (but perhaps known better to LAKE readers as VLCIA board member and former Chairman) was the moderator, assisted by Valdosta Fire Chief and Thirty Club member J.D. Rice. They took questions from the audience and recognized their host, Pastor Floyd Rose of Serenity Church. You may wonder as I do why city council candidates were answering about graduation rates.

Matthew Woody wrote for the VDT 21 October 2013, ‘Let the games begin’. Here’s the list of qualified candidates. As usual, nobody showed up from the smaller cities, although at least one Valdosta candidate, Richard Miller, spoke up for the smaller cities about SPLOST.

Valdosta City Council District 2

Continue reading →

Videos, AAUW Candidates’ Forum @ AAUW 2013-10-15

Water was a popular topic, as you can see in these videos of the Candidates’s Forum by AAUW. Same location (VSU Continuing Education Building) as the one Chamber held, but this time the audience got to ask questions. Yes, Virginia, they do all live in their districts, and some of them have widely divergent views about what cities or school boards should do.

Local AAUW President Diane Holliman gave a welcome, and then Dr. Luke Fowler moderated. Here’s the list of qualified candidates. Here’s Matthew Woody’s writeup in the VDT.

Valdosta City Council District 2

John Hogan and Calvin Graham Sr. were present; Sandra J. Tooley was not.

John Hogan pointed out that a road issue could really be a drainage issue, so it’s necessary to look at context.

Calvin Graham Sr. said he was retired military, lived in the district, and had been spending a lot of time volunteering. He indicated the Continue reading →

Meet the Candidates –Chamber

Go hear what they have to say, to help you decide who you’re going to vote for. here’s the list of candidates who qualified.

Here’s the Chamber’s event description:

Event Name: Meet the Candidates
Event Type(s): Chamber Calendar
Community Calendar
Description: The Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber will host a Meet the Candidates event on Tues. Oct. 1 from 5-7 p.m. at the VSU Continuing Education Building located on 903 N. Patterson Street. The event is an opportunity for the public to meet and hear from candidates running in the Nov. 5 general election. Attendees can speak one-on-one with candidates and candidates will be given three minutes to discuss his or her main initiatives.
Event Date: 10-01-13
Event Time: 05:00 PM – 07:00 PM Eastern
Location: VSU Continuing Education Building (Auditorium)
903 N. Patterson St.
Valdosta, GA 31601

click here for Google Maps
click here for Mapquest
Contact Person: Patty Martin
(phone: 229.247.8100)
Outlook/vCalendar: click on the date(s) to add to your calendar:
10-01-13

-jsq

Final qualifying for November elections

Four Three contenders for Valdosta City Council District 2, none of them incumbent Deidra White. Alvin Payton drew one challenger for District 4, and Robert Yost drew two challengers for District 6. Two out of three Valdosta School Board seats up for election are contested. And we’re up to four contenders for Mayor of Hahira. Plus 5 for the 4 Lake Park At Large seats, and just 3 for the 3 Remerton seats. -jsq

Lowndes County Board of Elections

2808 N. Oak St. ï‚Ÿ P.O. Box 10130 Valdosta, Georgia 31604

Telephone: (229) 671-2850, Fax: (229) 333-5199

Email: elections@lowndescounty.com


QUALIFYING

November 5, 2013 – Municipal Election


* Individuals qualifying on Friday, August 30th are listed in blue *


City of Valdosta

City Council District 2


Sandra J. Tooley – 350 South St., Valdosta, GA 31601

(229) 834-0979, (229) 247-3307

ms2ly@bellsouth.net

John Hogan – 601 Lake Park Rd., Valdosta, GA 31601

(229) 247-8294, (229) 560-0084

hogantransport@gmail.com


*Calvin Graham, Sr. – 1701 Dedo Dr., Valdosta, GA 31601

(229) 247-6925

grah3219@bellsouth.net


Continue reading →