Category Archives: Valdosta City Council

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

VDT video interview of Deb Cox on Lowndes County elections



Kristin Finney for VDT 1 November 2013,

Video: Upcoming Elections
,

Reporter Kristin Finney speaks with the Deborah Cox, the Lowndes County Supervisor of Elections, about the elections being held Tuesday, Nov. 5. For more information about this year’s elections, please contact the Lowndes County Board of Elections office at (229) 671-2850.

And it’s

a video interview!

If the VDT can YouTube, who knows?
even the Valdosta City Council could,
and yes, yes, even the Lowndes County Commission….

See also

Where’s your polling place in Lowndes County? 2013-11-05
.

-jsq

SPLOST VII referendum 2013



If you live in Lowndes County outside the cities,
the only thing you have to vote on today is the SPLOST referendum.
(If you live in one of the five cities, you also get to vote on SPLOST.)
See
Where’s your polling place in Lowndes County?
for where to vote.
Here is the SPLOST referendum as worded by the Lowndes County Commission
and appearing on the ballot today, according to the Georgia Secretary of State

My Voter Page
:


Lowndes County SPLOST Referendum

(Vote for One)

Shall a special one (1) percent sales and use tax be imposed in the special district of Lowndes County for a period of time not to exceed six
years and for the raising of an estimated amount of $150,000,000 to be used and expended:

by Lowndes County for purposes of capital outlay projects, including major permanent, long-lived improvements or betterments and major
capital equipment, consisting of: acquisition of right-of-way for, construction of, improvements to, and maintenance of road, street, and bridge
facilities; major capital equipment, including vehicles, for construction of, improvements to, and maintenance of road, street, and bridge
facilities; construction of, improvements to, and major capital equipment for water and sewer facilities; major capital equipment for law
enforcement purposes, including law enforcement vehicles, and improvements to law enforcement facilities, including evidence storage
facilities; major capital equipment for firefighting purposes, including firefighting vehicles, and improvements to firefighting facilities, including
training facilities; improvements to 9-1-1 call answering facilities, including upgraded 9-1-1 security system and new computer aided dispatch
system; improvements to and major capital equipment for public safety radio system purposes; acquisition of property for, construction of, and
improvements to parks and recreation facilities, including new soccer facility, Naylor Community Center, boat ramp on Alapaha River, basketball
courts at Freedom Park, and baseball field for special needs persons; improvements and additions to animal welfare facilities; improvements to
civic center facility; improvements to historic courthouse facility; improvements to and major capital equipment for library facilities;
improvements to airport runway, taxiway, and beacon tower facilities;


by the City of Valdosta for the purposes of capital outlay projects, including major permanent, long-lived improvements or betterments and
major capital equipment, consisting of: construction of and improvements to road, street, and bridge facilities to include sidewalks, piping of
ditches, land acquisition, design, traffic signals, intersection improvements, resurfacing, street repairs and materials, traffic management center
improvements, technology improvements, and other transportation systems and equipment; construction of and improvements to drainage
infrastructure, systems, facilities, equipment, and capital materials to include the purchase of land, property, capital equipment for the
maintenance of drainage facilities and infrastructure, and necessary studies, plans, aerials, mapping, design documents, and surveys to support
such projects; construction of, improvements to, and capital equipment for police facilities and operations to include technology, building
renovations, and equipment purchases to include technology and operational equipment; construction of, improvements to, and capital
equipment for fire department services, firefighting, training, fire station facilities, fire vehicles, facility renovations, additions, equipment,
technology, and other equipment; construction of, improvements to, and capital equipment for parks and recreation facilities; construction of,
improvements to, and equipment for water and sewer facilities including but not limited to design, land acquisition, equipment, repairs,
renovations, replacement and new construction of facilities, plants, equipment, infrastructure, materials, and capital equipment; construction of,
improvements to, and capital equipment for public works facilities to include sanitation vehicles, public works vehicles and equipment, facility
and equipment improvements, replacements and renovations; construction of, improvements to, and replacement of a jointly owned public
safety radio system to include equipment and technology improvements; repairs, renovations, and capital equipment for administrative facilities
to include buildings, Mathis Auditorium, and computer hardware and software; property and land acquisition, capital equipment, and
improvements to include design and construction of capital improvement projects as identified in the downtown Valdosta strategic master plan;

by the City of Hahira for purposes of capital outlay projects, including major permanent, long-lived improvements or betterments and major
capital equipment, consisting of: construction of, improvements to, and major capital equipment for road, street and bridge facilities, sidewalks,
bicycle and cart paths and trails, including acquisition of rights of way, improvement of surface-water drainage, widening, resurfacing, leveling,
and other repairs for preservation of road, street, and bridge facilities; construction of, improvements to, and major capital equipment for water
and sewer facilities; construction of, improvements to, and major capital equipment for public safety facilities, including police and firefighting
and rescue equipment, computer equipment, communications equipment, police and fire department vehicles, and acquisition of property;
construction of, improvements to, and major capital equipment for administrative facilities, including city hall, computer equipment and
technology upgrades; construction of, improvements to, and capital equipment for city parks and recreation facilities, including acquisition of
property and construction of parks;

by the City of Remerton for purposes of capital outlay projects, including major permanent, long-lived improvements or betterments and major
capital equipment, consisting of: construction of and improvements to road, street, and sidewalk facilities, and acquisition of equipment related
thereto; construction of and improvements to water, sewer, and public works facilities, including, but not limited to acquisition of equipment
and payment for services rendered in connection therewith; purchase of equipment for public safety including, but not limited to, public safety
vehicles; construction of, improvements and renovations to, or the purchase of property for municipal facilities, and purchase of furniture,
fixtures, and equipment related thereto;

by the City of Dasher for purposes of capital outlay projects, including major permanent, long-lived improvements or betterments and major
capital equipment, consisting of: construction of and improvements to community culture, history, digital information center, museum, library,
and technological equipment and software; construction of and improvements to streets, walks and bicycle paths, roads, and bridges;
construction of and improvements to parks and recreation facilities including land development, capital equipment, and infrastructure;
development of plans for, construction of, and improvements to sewage and water distribution systems; and

by the City of Lake Park for purposes of capital outlay projects, including major permanent, long-lived improvements or betterments and major
capital equipment, consisting of: construction of and improvements to road, street, and bridge facilities, sidewalks, bicycle and cart paths and
trails, including acquisition of rights of way, improvement of surface-water drainage, widening, resurfacing, leveling, and other repairs for
preservation of road, street, and bridge facilities; construction of and improvements to water and sewer facilities; construction of and major
capital equipment for public works facilities, including maintenance building facilities, service vehicles and maintenance equipment, and
acquisition of property for construction of a maintenance building; improvements to and major capital equipment for public safety facilities,
including police and firefighting and rescue equipment, computer equipment, communications equipment, and police and fire department
vehicles; improvements to and major capital equipment for administrative facilities, including improvements to city hall, computer equipment,
and technology upgrades; improvements to and capital equipment for city parks and recreation facilities, including acquisition of property,
construction of parks, and renovation and restoration of civic center and other historic structures.

YES

NO

-jsq

Rezoning for another industrial park? @ VCC 2013-11-07



Why is the Valdosta City Council considering

annexing and rezoning

land for VLCIA that the Industrial Authority apparently doesn’t even own?
Revolving loans, railroad, and appointments to
the Central Valdosta Development Authority/
Downtown Development Authority,
to the Valdosta-Lowndes County Conference Center & Tourism Authority,
to the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Citizen Advisory Committee,
and the Valdosta Tree Commission.

That rezoning was considered at the
28 October 2013 Planning Commission meeting.
Here’s

the Valdosta City Council agenda
:

AGENDA

REGULAR MEETING OF THE VALDOSTA CITY COUNCIL

5:30 PM Thursday, November 7, 2013

COUNCIL CHAMBERS, CITY HALL

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: Nottinghill tabled, Barrington, Whitewater, New Statenville + VLD * 2 + Dasher + Hahira variance @ GLPC 2013-09-30



In last month’s Planning Commission meeting we learned that
developers get agenda items in PDF;
yet the county still doesn’t publish agendas or minutes,
much less agenda packets, online.

Nottinghill
(on Orr rather than Cat Creek Road this time)
was

tabled
.

Norwood
(on Springhill Drive in Valdosta)
got recommended denial by 5-4
and was later

withdrawn
,
plus a
a

Hahira variance
(5 to 3 against), a

Valdosta conditional use permit
(unanimously recommended),
a

Dasher zoning text amendment
(unanimously recommended),
and three other rezonings in Lowndes County, on

New Statenville Highway
,

Whitewater Road @ Williams Road
,
and

Barrington Drive
@ Bemiss Road.

Here’s

the agenda
, with links to the videos and a few notes.

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission

Lowndes County City of Valdosta City of Dasher City of Hahira City of Lake Park

REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING

AGENDA

Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office

325 West Savannah Avenue

Monday, September 30, 2013* 5:30 P.M. * Public Hearing

Continue reading

The SPLOST Debate –Tim Carroll

Received 27 October 2013. -jsq



I have had a number of folks contact me about the upcoming SPLOST
VII referendum and inquiring about a MOST. Trying to talk about all
of this in as few a words as I can is not easy. But to give you
some perspective—the city’s general fund budget is $32M.
$5.9M of the revenue for this fund comes from property taxes. Based
on the city tax digest a mill is worth $1.5M. The experts say
50.2% of the sales tax is paid by out of towners. In the opinion of
some folks, it is closer to 30%. Pick the experts or local guesses
….it still is a significant amount. It clearly is very beneficial
to the citizens of Valdosta and Lowndes County.

By now many have heard about a MOST or Municipal Option Sales Tax.

In the first part of this year—the city of Valdosta was faced
with Continue reading

Steward, Chancy, VLCIA, Nottinghill, and Teramore @ GLPC 2013-10-28



Why is the Industrial Authority asking Valdosta to

annex

and

rezone

a parcel it apparently does not own?
That plus rezonings in

Dasher

and

Hahira

(see

separate post for more on that one
),
plus two in Lowndes County:

Teramore
,
and

Nottinghill
is

back
.

Here’s the agenda.

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission

Lowndes County City of Valdosta City of Dasher City of Hahira City of Lake Park

REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING

AGENDA

Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office

325 West Savannah Avenue

Monday, October 28, 2013* 5:30 P.M. * Public Hearing

Continue reading

Cancelled due to lack of agenda items: Valdosta City Council meeting @ VCC 2013-10-24

The internal email from the City Clerk (see below) has a bit more detail
than the

website notice
.


From: Teresa Bolden

Sent: Friday, October 18, 2013 4:26 PM

Subject: COUNCIL MEETING CANCELLED

Good afternoon — I just wanted to let you know that the
Council Meeting scheduled for October 24th
has been cancelled due to a lack of Agenda Items.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Thanks! Teresa

Teresa S. Bolden, CMC

City Clerk

P. O. Box 1125

Valdosta, GA 31603-1125

Phone: (229) 259-3503

Fax: (229) 259-5411

-jsq