Goodger casts only “no” vote on fiscal year 2019 budget that will likely increase millage rate

News

CLEVELAND, Ga. – On a 4-1 vote, with Commissioner Terry Goodger opposed, the White County Board of Commissioners approved a fiscal year 2019 total budget of $23,663,399 Monday that will likely mean the first tax increase for citizens in four years.

The new spending plan calls for an increase of $2,509,954 in the total budget since last year. Also included is the addition of six new full-time and three part-time employees and a $2 per hour pay rise for employees other than law enforcement, which received a pay raise earlier this year.

It was the fact that the pay raise for other employees was included in the budget without a vote of the Board of Commissioners that drew Goodger’s strong opposition.

“I don’t recall that we had a formal vote saying we were going to give a pay raise,” Goodger stated. “If we pass this budget, it will be in there but we never really had a discussion on the Board about that. I know we have got to pass a budget but it strikes me as wrong that we may pass a budget with a big millage increase because we have got to give a pay raise.”

In presenting the budget, County Manager Michael Melton said, the proposed general fund budget is $18,925,734 and balancing the budget would require some use of the fund balance and “more than likely” a millage increase. Public Safety will receive the biggest slice of the budget, approximately 48.7 percent, followed by General Government 23.2 percent.

Separate funding makes up $4,734,665 of the overall budget with E-911 getting the most at $1,051,582.

Commissioners approved a contract with Charles Black Construction in the amount of $121,885 for finishing the football field at Yonah Preserve and a lighting services agreement with Georgia Power in the amount of $107,406 plus $632.46 monthly.

The Board also approved revisions to the special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) road projects that will allow Stanly Nix Road, Mauldin Road, Bonnie Pearl Lane, Hawthorne Drive and Cedar Hollow to be paved by August 31.

 

 

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Second public hearing on 2019 budget set Monday

News

CLEVELAND, Ga. – The White County Board of Commissioners will hold a second public hearing and consider adoption of the proposed Fiscal Year 2019 budget Monday (June 18) at 4:30 p.m.

The general fund budget is proposed at $18,925,734 combined with a separate fund balance of $4,737,665 for a total budget of $23,663,399, which represents an increase of 11.8 percent in the 2018 budget.

County Manager Michael Melton said during the first public hearing last week the $2 million increase in this year’s budget is the result of adding positions in the fire department, roads and bridges and parks and recreation and a $2 an hour pay raise for employees other than public safety, which received their pay raise earlier this year.

The county has a reserve fund of approximately $4 million and commissioners are considering using about $1.2 million from that fund to balance the budget which would leave about 2.6 months of operational funds to cover an emergency.

Commissioners will also consider approval of a design change presented by Carter & Sloope for the Yonah Preserve football field area, a cost estimate provided by Charles Black Construction for finishing one football field at Yonah Preserve and a lighting service agreement with Georgia Power for Yonah Preserve.

Other issues to be addressed by the Board include the approval of the renewal contract with the Chattahoochee Group for landscaping at Freedom Park and revisions to the current special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) road project timeline.

Finance Director Jodi Ligon will present the monthly financial status report.

 

 

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com

 

 

County may join lawsuit against U.S. government

News

CLEVELAND, Ga. – White County officials say the U.S. Government is in violation of the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) law that requires the federal government to make payments to local governments to help offset losses in property taxes due to non-taxable federal lands within its boundary.

As a result, the Board of Commissioners is considering joining a class-action lawsuit against the federal government.

County Manager, Michael Melton told commissioners during a Monday called meeting he has received an email from the law firm of Smith Currie & Hancock that informs the county of a class-action lawsuit filed against the federal government on behalf of Kane County, Utah. That lawsuit seeks to recover Kane County’s underpayments and the underpayments of a class made up of all other PILT recipients nationwide.

“Our piece of that pie for the payment we get each year has gone down significantly,” Melton said. “We estimate the federal government should have paid us between $25,000 and $26,000. The county received only about $3,000. “I got some paperwork on my desk where we can opt into the class action lawsuit if the Board so chooses.”

Commissioner Edwin Nix said about half the land in White County is state of federally-owned land.

The formula used to compute the amount of payments local governments receive is contained in the PILT Act and is based on population, receipt sharing payments, and the amount of Federal land within an affected county.

Commissioners could vote during the next regular meeting to opt into the lawsuit.

 

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com

 

Commissioners Discuss Historic Overlay District

News

CLEVELAND, Ga. — White County Commissioners devoted much of Monday’s work session to a discussion about the creation of an Historic Overlay District, a complex issue they acknowledged would require months of planning and a considerable amount of public involvement.

Tom O’Bryant, Director of Community and Economic Development, said his department had conducted a study and identified about 150 areas for a potential historic overlay.

“White County already has the largest historic area in the eastern United States in the Sautee Nacoochee Valley,” O’Bryant said. “We also have a large campground that is historically significant.”

The study also identified some 25 cemeteries associated with local churches and approximately 65 family cemeteries, some of which date back to the early 1800s.

Commissioner Edwin Nix said in planning a historic overlay district it is important to protect private property rights. For example, if a 150-year-old barn on private property is placed into a historic district, he wants to ensure the property owner’s rights are protected.

The Board also held a public hearing on an application submitted by Kenneth R. Grimes to redistrict 1.39 acres of property located on FM Road from R-3 (Residential Seasonal District) to R-1 (Single Family Residential). No one spoke in opposition.

Commissioners agreed to allow the Sheriff’s Office to surplus 11 vehicles that are no longer serviceable. That issue will be added to the consent agenda and voted on at the March meeting.
County Manager Michael Melton told commissioners bids received on the Carolina Springs Road project were way over budget and commissioners decided it would be best to re-bid the project.

Commissioners decided there was no desire to have a portion of Bean Creek Road paved and withdrew the issue from consideration but wanted to begin prep work on Stanley Nix Road this summer. Nelson Grading was the low bidder on that project at $95,899 but the county will also have to pay an additional $134,261 to move 12 power poles and 10 telephone lines. That issue will be voted on at the next regular meeting.

Clerk of Court’s Late Payments a “Significant Deficiency”

Business, News

CLEVELAND, Ga. — An audit of White County finances performed by Rushton and Company showed that Clerk of Court Dena Adams has, for many years, failed to turn over fees and fines to the county on a monthly basis as required.

Clay Pilgrim, who presented the audit report to commissioners at Monday’s meeting, called this a “significant deficiency” and an area of real “concern.”

Chairman Travis Turner said commissioners have complained about the deficiency for many years and he instructed County Manager Michael Melton to contact Adams again to see if the problem could be corrected.

Fetch Your News spoke to Adams Thursday. Her explanation, “We are short staffed and I have other priorities.”
But Commissioner Terry Goodger said, “This problem has been going on since I first took office in 2011.  Unfortunately, there is nothing commissioners can do about it because she is an elected official, a constitutional officer who answers only to the voters.”

Commissioners say Adams’ payments are often months behind when they are submitted to the county. In fact, commissioners were so concerned about the potential for impropriety they asked the auditor to begin this year’s audit at the clerk’s office.

“They did a heavier-than-normal audit over there this year and found no evidence of impropriety,” Goodger said.
However, commissioners say when payments from the Clerk’s office are so far behind it impacts the budgeting process and raises a red flag relative to a misappropriation of funds.

Probation Provider Operating Without a Contract

News

CLEVELAND, Ga. – Sentinel Offender Services, the misdemeanor probation company that has been sued more than 25 times and accused of threatening and intimidating at least three White County women, is operating without a valid White County contract.

An open records request to County Manager Michael Melton produced only a contract that was dated 2005 and signed by then County Commission Chairman Chris Nonnemaker and Judge Joy Parks. The contract has an automatic renewal clause, but state law requires that the contract be re-authorized each year.

“As far as I’m concerned that contract isn’t worth the paper it’s written on,” Commission Chairman Travis Turner said during a phone interview. White County does not administer a contract with Sentinel. That would have to be Judge (Murphy) Miller, (Joy) Parks or (Garrison) Baker.”

However, even if a judge does have a contract with Sentinel, state law requires that it be signed by a representative of county government and Turner said he has had no contact with Sentinel during his eight years on the Board.

County Attorney Bill House said the county could stop doing business with Sentinel immediately since, to his knowledge, there is no valid contract, but proper protocol would be to notify Chief Superior Court Judge Murphy C. Miller first. “The problem would be to locating another probation provider to take over all those cases” he said.

Turner said he has heard no complaints about Sentinel. That could be because many low-income people charged with misdemeanor traffic offenses have no idea who to complain to.

Sarah Geraghty, an attorney for Southern Center for Human Rights which has filed a federal class-action lawsuit on behalf of hundreds of plaintiffs, said she has heard many complaints from White County residents about Sentinel.

People like Rita Luse, a 62-year-old grandmother who says probation officer Stacy McDowell Black demanded that she take a drug test that was not ordered by the judge and threatened her with jail if she refused. Luse said she once informed Black that she did not have the money to make her monthly payment to Sentinel but would receive a paycheck in a couple of days. Black, she said, told her to get the money within a few hours or she would be arrested.

“I’m certain the commissioners don’t want something like this happening to the citizens,” House said.

Then it’s time for White County to cut its ties with Sentinel.

 

 

Commissioners Could Save Taxpayers $100,000 By Refinancing Jail Bond

News

CLEVELAND, Ga. — In today’s called meeting, the White County Board of Commissioners discussed the possibility of refinancing the Series 2010 jail bond to take advantage of today’s lower interest rate and the possibility of increasing the amount of the bond to include future development plans for Parks and Recreation or possibly issuing a separate bond for that purpose.

After a presentation by Tom Owens of Raymond James, a financial services company, the Board directed County Manager Michael Melton and staff to meet with the county’s bond attorney Tread Syfan and the Raymond James representative to put together an analysis that they could vote on in a future meeting.

By refinancing the existing jail bond, Owens said the county could lower the current interest rate by about 2 percent, there by saving taxpayers $100,000.
Owens also pointed out that the White County Building Authority could handle the parks and recreation funding through an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with the county without the need for a referendum.

The Board also tabled a vote on approving $6,021.12 to purchase fitness equipment for Parks and Recreation. The Board recently canceled a contract with the YMCA to bring that function in house.

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