Category Archives: Taxes

Millage, Alcohol, and Animals @ LCC 2023-08-21

Update 2023-08-20: Millage Notice: 2023 Property Tax Digest & 5 Year History of Levy 2023-08-14.

The big item is setting the millage rate for 2023, which in conjunction with the assessments and various exemptions, recovery exceptions, etc., determines how much property tax you pay.

[Collage @ LCC Packet 2023-08-21]
Collage @ LCC Packet 2023-08-21

They will probably set it to a rollback rate of 8.896 mills, which is a reduction of 1.315 mills from 2022. That includes Industrial Authority 1.00 mill and VLPRA 1.25 mills.

The Lowndes County Commission will also separately set the Fire District Millage Rate for 2023. They propose 2.50 mills, which is the same as for last year.

Only one of the three beer and wine licenses gets a public hearing. Why only that one is not clear, since the other two are also because of change of ownership.

And there’s a bid for an Animal Services Chassis Box.

The board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request, is on the LAKE website. Continue reading →

Videos: Boat Ramps, Okefenokee Swamp, LMIG, Taxes @ Clinch County Commission 2023-08-07

Update 2023-09-12: Videos: Grant match for Dark Sky and resolution against mine too near Okefenokee Swamp @ Clinch County Commission 2023-09-11

Update 2023-08-10: Chainsaw cleanup, Outings, Boat Ramps, Okefenokee Swamp –Suwannee Riverkeeper @ Clinch County Commission 2023-08-07.

It was a brief agenda at the Clinch County Commission, with roads and taxes, plus boat ramps and a proposed resolution against the strip mine too near the Okefenokee Swamp.

[Collage @ Clinch County Commission 2023-08-07]
Collage @ Clinch County Commission 2023-08-07

Below are pictures, LAKE videos of each agenda item, and links to documents, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

Continue reading →

Videos: Four Citizens, Permitting and Inspections Ordinances and fees, Water main extension, Service contracts, court grants, and a fire truck @ LCC Regular

The July 25, 2023, Lowndes County Commission Regular Session took half an hour, only because four citizens spoke: one about tax assessments, one about youth advisory council, and two about voting machines.

[Collage @ LCC 25 July 2023]
Collage @ LCC 25 July 2023

Commissioners approved every item unanimously, spending more than $10 million, mostly on 7.a. Exit 13 Touchton Road Water Main Extension.

The only discussion was when Commissioner Scottie Orenstein asked if it was the original Engine 10 and Commissioner Wisenbaker asked how the exhaust could fail.

Commissioner Demarcus Marshall was absent.

County Manager Paige Dukes 8. Reports – County Manager praised staff for the new Permitting and Inspections Ordinances, but did not say where they might be found on lowndescounty.com. She also extolled the rollout of the new county website at the same URL. Maybe permitting is on there under Services, which leads to Technical Standards under Engineering.

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also the LAKE videos of the previous morning’s Work Session and the agenda and board packet. Continue reading →

Videos: Probate, Permitting and Inspections Ordinances and fees, Water main extension, Service contracts, court grants, and a fire truck

Update 2023-08-07: Videos: Four Citizens, Permitting and Inspections Ordinances and fees, Water main extension, Service contracts, court grants, and a fire truck @ LCC Regular 2023-07-25.

By far the longest item at yesterday morning’s Work Session of the Lowndes County Commission was 4. Recognition of Pretrial, Probation, – Parole Supervision. That item accounted for about five minutes of the sixteen-minute meeting.

They vote tonight at 5:30 PM.

[Collage @ LCC 24 July 2023]
Collage @ LCC 24 July 2023

They didn’t say where the Permitting and Inspections Ordinances might be found on lowndescounty.com.

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also Permitting and Inspections Ordinances and fees, Water main extension, Service contracts, court grants, and a fire truck @ LCC Packet 2023-07-24. Continue reading →

Permitting and Inspections Ordinances and fees, Water main extension, Service contracts, court grants, and a fire truck @ LCC Packet 2023-07-24

Update 2023-07-25: Videos: Probate, Permitting and Inspections Ordinances and fees, Water main extension, Service contracts, court grants, and a fire truck 2023-07-24.

No rezonings, but something much more pervasive at this week’s Lowndes County Commission meetings: Permitting and Inspections Ordinances and a Building Permit Fee Schedule.

[Collage, LCC Packet, 2023-07-24]
Collage, LCC Packet, 2023-07-24

And $10 million in expenditures, mostly on a water main extension.

Cost What
$9,754,718.88Exit 13 Touchton Road Water Main Extension
$489,310.00 Motorola SUAII (Evergreen)
$346,372.00Acceptance of FY24 Juvenile Justice Incentive Grant Funding
$64,205.17Fire Rescue Engine 10 Emergency Repair
$50,000.00Approval of FY24 Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Grant Application
$28,892.56 Vertiv Service Contract for the Liebert UPS at the 911 Center & the Four Tower Sites
$10,733,498.61Total

Here is the agenda.www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2023-07-24–lcc-packet”>on the LAKE website.

The board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request is on the LAKE website.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JULY 24, 2023, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JULY 25, 2023, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →

Videos: Adoption of Budget, Appointments to DFACS, VLPRA, Construction Board, Courts, Prison Details @ LCC Regular 2023-06-27

They approved everything unanimously, the Lowndes County Commission two weeks ago, with another surprise presentation in County Manager Reports.

[Collage @ LCC 27 June 2023]
Collage @ LCC 27 June 2023

They approved the Hotel-Motel Budget Plan and the FY 2024 Operating Budget.

They reappointed Elsie Napier to DFACS, Suzan Garnett to VLPRA, and Tripp Howell to the Construction Board.

They passed a stopgap resolution to delay approving changes to the Unified Land Development Code (ULDC). So there’s no need to approve any changes at the July 11th County Commission meeting.

Remember, the public has hardly seen any of the proposed ULDC changes, while the County Manager announced two weeks ago that “tomorrow we have the stakeholder meetings at 12:30 and 2 PM that I mentioned to you yesterday, with permits and inspections, and that is all going fantastically well, and I’m interesting in getting the feedback from our development community so we can make any changes that they may need prior to going live July 1.” Curious how the county government is not so solicitous of feedback from the general public as it is of feedback from “our development community”.

In response to a question by Commissioner Demarcus Marshall, Public Works Director Robin Cumbus clarified that the county since COVID has only been paying for one prisoon detail even though the contract says they can use up to three.

About Reports: County Manager, Gretchen Quarterman remarks: Continue reading →

Videos: Surprise One Valdosta-Lowndes presentation, and executive session to discuss personnel @ LCC Work 2023-06-26

Update 2023-07-10: Videos: Adoption of Budget, Appointments to DFACS, VLPRA, Construction Board, Courts, Prison Details @ LCC Regular 2023-06-27.

Update 2023-06-29: Slides: One Valdosta-Lowndes @ LCC Work 2023-06-26.

People might have come to see if they knew One Valdosta-Lowndes was going to present at Monday morning’s Lowndes County Commission Work Session. Instead, County Manager Paige Dukes announced it during her County Manager Report, and then OVL Executive Director Mary Beth Brownlee presented. Thanks to Mary Beth for sending LAKE her presentation slides.

[Collage @ LCC 26 June 2023]
Collage @ LCC 26 June 2023

At the end of the meeting, the Commissioners held an executive session to discuss personnel. There is only one personnel directly managed by the Commissioners: the County Manager.

The second longest item at 4 minutes was 5. Fire Officer of the Year – Fire Fighter of the Year Recognition.

Next longest at two and a third minutes was 7.a. Lowndes County Accountability Court Grant Approval and Cash Match.

Everything passed unanimously, including the adoption of the FY 2024 Operating Budget and the reappointments to three boards.

Once the county finishes taking over its own permitting, the 6.c. Valdosta Lowndes County Construction Board of Adjustments and Appeals won’t exist, and Lowndes County will have to appoint its own. The new one could have the same county members.

Were you invited to the stakeholder meetings the County Manager announced for “the development community”? Maybe taxpayers and citizens are not stakeholders.

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also

Continue reading →

Packet: Adoption of Budget, Appointments to DFACS, VLPRA, Construction Board, Courts, Prison Details @ LCC 2023-06-26

Update 2023-06-29: Videos: Suprise One Valdosta-Lowndes presentation, and executive session to discuss personnel @ LCC Work 2023-06-26.

The board packet to go with the agenda for this week’s Lowndes County Commission meetings is on the LAKE website, received in response to a LAKE open records request.

[Collage, Board PacketT @ LCC 2023-06-26]
Collage, Board PacketT @ LCC 2023-06-26

LAKE videos of the meetings will follow.

-jsq

Investigative reporting costs money, for open records requests, copying, web hosting, gasoline, and cameras, and with sufficient funds we can pay students to do further research. You can donate to LAKE today!
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Videos: Not a Public Hearing, even though advertised as one, Presentation @ LCC Budget 2023-06-20

Gretchen notes: This meeting was advertised as a Public Hearing (see agenda).

There was no input from the public. The public was not asked for input at the meeting. So, any hearing, was the public listening to the presentation, or the public being told (aka a public telling).

[Collage @ LCC 20 June 2023]
Collage @ LCC 20 June 2023

jsq wonders: is that even legal, to advertise a Public Hearing and then hold a different meeting at that time?

The whole thing lasted about sixteen minutes.

They vote on approving the budget 5:30 PM, Tuesday, June 27, 2023.

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also:

Continue reading →

Videos: Project Viking, Reports, and CWTBH @ LCC Regular 2023-06-13

The Project Viking rezoning included an introduction to the new Public Hearing format: 10 minutes for each side, then 2 minutes of rebuttal. This method is in the draft ULDC changes. Nobody spoke against. The rezoning passed unanimously. So did all the other agenda items.

[Collage @ LCC 13 June 2023]
Collage @ LCC 13 June 2023

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also:

Continue reading →