White County SPLOST collections far exceed projection
News October 9, 2019
CLEVELAND, Ga. – Kevin Hamby presented a special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) report during Monday’s Board of Commissioners meeting. When the program was approved, commissioners anticipated collecting about $19 million. But Hamby said it now appears revenue will total between $24 and $25 million by the end of 2020.
“It’s easy to give this report when the checks are coming in like they are coming in,” he said. “As you can see, we’re only about 81 percent through the program.”
The report was timely in that the Board had a number of spending items to vote on. Commissioners voted unanimously to approve:
Acceptance of the $383,260 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant that requires a county match of $238,243;
Resurfacing of Westmoreland Road from Hwy. 129 to Hwy. 284 in the amount of $545,750 as part of the Local Maintenance Improvement Grant (LMIG) to be paid for out of the voter-approved SPLOST fund;
The purchase of two vehicles for the Department of Community and Economic Development in the amount of $5,319, to be paid for out of the voter-approved SPLOST fund;
The purchase of a vehicle from Jacky Jones Ford for the code enforcement officer in the amount of $30,185;
A contract with Ansley Communications to provide a security camera system installation at Yonah Preserve in the amount of $88,034;
Funding repairs and improvements to the Historic Courthouse and Museum in the amount of $16,000.
Commissioners also approved a resolution of revision to Chapter 30, Environment Artile VIII Standards and Regulations for the Protection of Mountains and Hillsides of the Official Code of White County.
Under the consent agenda, commissioners approved:
A land use variance application for Rondal Garmon for property located at 1745 Skylake Road in Sautee Nacoochee;
A rezoning request by Gregory Chastain from Agriculture Forestry (A-1) to Highway Business (C-2) for property located at 8343 Duncan Bridge Road;
A rezoning request by Gregory Chastain from Agriculture Forestry (A-1) to Residential Single Family (R-1) for property located at 8362, 8386 and 8402 Duncan Bridge Road;
A land use application by Susan Fleck for a conditional use permit for short-term rental on property located at 3214 Paradise Valley Road in Cleveland;
A land use application by Dennis Greene to redistrict property located at 610 Industrial Blvd in Cleveland from Agriculture Forestry (A-1) to Industrial District (I-1).
Commissioners also took time out to honor the county’s retiring teachers, the Community Emergency Response Team (C.E.R.T.) and the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution.
(Please see photos at top and bottom of this article).
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 approve 10.75 millage rate for FY 2019
News August 6, 2019
CLEVELAND, Ga. – Following a third public hearing Monday, the White County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the 2019 rollback millage rate at 10.75 mils.
The proposed rate is the same as last year, however, keeping the millage rate at the same level represents a tax increase of .204 mils. Without the tax increase, the rate would have been no more than 10.546 mils.
The proposed tax increase for a home with a fair market value of $160,000.00 is approximately $12.65 and the proposed tax increase for non-homestead property with a fair market value of $130,000.00 is approximately $10.61.
Kevin Hamby reported that revenue from the special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) has exceeded all expectations. The voter-approved referendum was projected to raise $19,000,000.The revised and actual estimated revenue has been adjusted to $24,351,668.
The local option sales tax (LOST) has also outperformed expectations. The 2019 projection was $2,502,538. To date, the county has received $2,774,370. Tourism has also produced another success story. Anticipated revenue for 2019 was $805,675 while actual collections total $977,811.
Will Wagner presented a brief report on the Historic Preservation Committee, saying the committee has met monthly for about six months. “We’ve been looking at camp meetings and have had several reports on those,” Wagner said. “We have also gathered some information from the White County Historical Society. They have been very helpful.”
Commissioners approved a low bid of $81,608.34 by Precision Paving to deep patch and overlay Truelove Road and deep patching of Post Road and Old Hwy. 75 South. Commissioner Craig Bryant recused himself due to a conflict of interest.
The Board unanimously approved giving Public Works Director Dave Cangemi $5,000 to place a hold on the purchase of a 60-foot used bucket truck and to hold a called meeting to approve the purchase price if a suitable one can be found.
Commissioners unanimously approved Commission Chairman Travis Turner to serve as White County’s voting delegate for the 2019 ACCG Legislative Leadership Conference.
Finance Director Jodi Ligon presented the monthly financial report (pre audit, does not include accrued revenue).
General fund revenue for the month of June was $711,107 while expenditures were $1,773,734. Year-to-date revenue is $17,573,474 and expenditures are $18,122,189.
The Board projected collecting $133,200 in alcohol taxes and fees and thus far has collected $126,671. The FY 2019 budget anticipated collection of $1,020,000 in the title ad valorem tax. Collections so far are $1,013,689. Collection of the hotel/motel tax have surpassed expectations. The projection was $805,675. So far, the county has collected $977,811.
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
Cities can hold SPLOST funds for indefinite period of time
News June 26, 2018
CLEVELAND, Ga. – The White County Board of Commissioners held a brief called meeting Tuesday (June 26) to consider a request by the City of Cleveland for an amendment to the 2020 special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) intergovernmental agreement (IGA).
County Manager Michael Melton confirmed he received an email from Cleveland City Manager Tom O’Bryant asking that the language in IGA be amended to allow the city an indefinite period of time in which to spend its share of the SPLOST proceeds.
Collections of the 2020 SPLOST will end in 2026. The state typically requires that municipalities spend the proceeds within five years after collections are terminated. Failing to do that, the city is required to return the unspent money to the county.
However, White County SPLOST and Project Manager Kevin Hamby said, “The state leaves these things up to an agreement between the county and cities.”
Commissioners unanimously agreed to the amended IGA which allows both Cleveland and Helen to keep the proceeds for an indefinite period, but both are still required to spend the money only on SPLOST-approved projects.
The Board also unanimously approved the reappointment of Bill Black as the private sector representative on the Georgia Mountains Regional Commission.
Commissioners also approve the distribution of local victim assistance payout (LVAP) funds which recognizes a new fund recipient, South Enotah Child Advocacy Center.
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 schedule called meeting Jan. 2
News December 27, 2017
CLEVELAND, Ga. – The White County Board of Commissioners will hold a called meeting Tuesday, Jan. 2, at 4:30 p.m. in the Mauney Building, 1235 Helen Highway, to consider rezoning a parcel of land on Highway 254 and accepting appointments to the county’s building authority and development authority.
Tim Motes has asked to rezone 5.51 acres at 3778 Highway 254 from R1 Single Family District to C2 Highway Business District. He is also asking for a conditional-use permit to hold special events.
Commissioners will also discuss a three-year appointment to the White County Building Authority as well as an appointment to fill the remainder of an unexpired term through June 3, 2018, on the White County Development Authority.
Because 2018 is an election year, commissioners will also consider setting qualifying fees for candidates for county offices.
Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) Manager Kevin Hamby will present the monthly SPLOST report, and interim 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. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com
BOC Called Meeting and Work Session Scheduled Monday
News July 28, 2017
CLEVELAND, Ga. – Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax Manager Kevin Hamby will provide a SPLOST update and Finance Director Vickie Mays will present the monthly financial status report when the White County Board of Commissioners hold a work session and called meeting Monday, July 31 at 4:30 p.m.
Commissioners will consider several funding requests, including one from the Friends of Hardman Farm to support the 2017 Fall Celebration and another from the White County Chamber of Commerce for the Spirit of Appalachia Food, Wine and Art Festival.
The board will also consider requests from Parks and Recreation for money to purchase a new mower and equipment and from Animal Control to repair or replace the department’s vehicles.
There will also be a discussion about the status of the Yonah Preserve Project.
Public hearings on the millage rate are scheduled for 8 a.m. and 6 p.m on Thursday, August 3.
BOC Tables Requests for More Funding
News August 2, 2017
CLEVELAND, Ga. — The White County Board of Commissioners tabled requests for funding from Hardman Farm for the 2017 Fall Festival and the Chamber of Commerce for Spirit of Appalachia Food, Wine and Art Festival at Monday’s joint called meeting and work session.
The county recently voted not to increase the millage rate, but instead draw down the reserve fund to help balance the budget so they were reluctant to approve additional funding until the tax digest has been reported later this month.
The board did agree to purchase a new mower for the Parks and Recreation Department for $12,294 which will be paid for out of the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax receipts and a new Ford F-150 pickup truck for Animal Control for about $22,000 which was already included in the budget.
Finance Director Vicki Mays provided the monthly financial report which showed year-to-date revenue of $15,471,758 and expenditures of $15,548,338. The 2017 General Fund budget was set at $16,299,730.
Kevin Hamby presented a Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) update.
“I have some real good news,” Hamby said. “Folks are spending money up here. There is no question about that.”
In June, the county reported more than $300,000 in SPLOST collections. The current SPLOST was projected to raise approximately $19 million and less than halfway through, the county has already collected $9, 727,213.
Sheriff Neal Walden took time to congratulate the Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office (ARDEO) which conducted a raid last week that dismantled a major drug trafficking organization operating primarily out of Stephens and Habersham counties but supplying drugs to a much wider section of north Georgia including White County.
“The drug task force took a bite out of the drug trade in northeast Georgia over the weekend,” Walden said. “That was about a 6-8 months investigation. They did a good job taking a lot of drugs, guns and money off the street. It didn’t show any stats in White County but trust me, for these dealers here it’s just a hop skip and jump over to Habersham and Stephens counties. That’s where they’re going to get most of it.”
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. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com