Tag Archives: Transparency

Video: Special Called Meeting about SPLOST IX Agreement @ LCC 2025-08-04

Update 2025-08-05: Rome-Floyd SPLOST Committee 2024-12-31.

Here is the one LAKE video of the two-minute Special Called Meeting in which the Lowndes County Commissioners unanimously agreed to forward a SPLOST IX Agreement to the cities within the county.

[Collage @ LCC 4 August 2025]
Collage @ LCC 4 August 2025

The tax-paying citizens have not seen this Agreement nor the list of projects on which the county projects $17 million to be spent in Fiscal Year 2026.

According to County Manager Paige Dukes, the County Commission will have to vote again after the cities approve it.

Citizens get to vote on SPLOST IX in the General Election on November 4, 2025.

Today, they unanimously approved sending to the cities, on a motion by Commissioner Scottie Orenstien and a second by Commissioner Michael Smith. Continue reading

Vote on SPLOST IX? @ LCC 2025-08-04

Update 2025-08-04: Agenda: Special Called Meeting about SPLOST IX Agreement @ LCC 2025-08-04.

There’s nothing about this on lowndescounty.com, not in the calendar, not in agendas, not in news.

Yet according to the slides for the June Budget Hearings, the Lowndes County Commission and staff expect to derive $17 million from SPLOST IX in FY 2026.

What projects will this penny sales tax fund? Where is the list for Special Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) IX? What is this Agreement mentioned in the VDT article?

[Vote on SPLOST IX?, Special Called Meeting 2025-08-04, Lowndes County Commission, Where is the Project List?]
Vote on SPLOST IX?, Special Called Meeting 2025-08-04, Lowndes County Commission, Where is the Project List?

By Staff reports, Valdosta Daily Times, Published 3:23 pm Friday, August 1, 2025, County to meet for SPLOST discussions,

VALDOSTA — The Lowndes County Board of Commissioners will hold a called meeting at 4 p.m. Monday in the Commission Chambers, 327 N. Ashley St., second floor, for the purpose of considering the SPLOST IX Agreement.

-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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Agenda: Special Called Meeting about SPLOST IX Agreement @ LCC 2025-08-04

Update 2025-08-04: Video: Special Called Meeting about SPLOST IX Agreement @ LCC 2025-08-04.

Since LAKE posted the VDT notice of the SPLOST IX Special Called Meeting for this afternoon, an agenda and agenda sheet have popped up on LowndesCounty.com.

They’ve been working on this SPLOST IX Agreement since April, yet they couldn’t discuss it during a regularly-scheduled meeting, nor tell the tax-paying public what’s on the project list?

[Agenda and Sheet @ LCC 2025-08-04, 4 PM, Special Called Meeting, SPLOST IX Agreement]
Agenda and Sheet @ LCC 2025-08-04, 4 PM, Special Called Meeting, SPLOST IX Agreement

Here is the agenda:

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
SPECIAL CALLED MEETING
PROPOSED AGENDA
MONDAY, AUGUST 4, 2025, 4:00 P.M.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading

Videos: Special Called Meeting to adopt FY 2026 Budget @ LCC 2025-06-30

Only two voting Commissioners were present: Demarcus Marshall and Michael Smith.

Commissioner Scottie Orenstein rushed in to complete a quorum of the Lowndes County Commission.

Commissioners Joyce Evans and Mark Wisenbaker were absent.

Apparently there was an agenda, although it is not on the county’s website.

At the end Chairman Bill Slaughter mentioned they would set the millage once they got the tax digest.

[Collage @ LCC 30 June 2025]
Collage @ LCC 30 June 2025

This meeting took four and a half minutes, even counting the minute saying they would recess until there was a quorum, and the 45 seconds of Chairman’s comments at the end thanking Finance Director Stephanie Black.

It is still mysterious why they couldn’t schedule this vote to be during their Regular Session last week, and why they only announce this Monday morning meeting Friday afternoon.

Below are Continue reading

Notice: Special Called Meeting to adopt FY 2026 Budget @ LCC 2025-06-30

Update 2025-06-30: Videos: Special Called Meeting to adopt FY 2026 Budget @ LCC 2025-06-30.

Lowndes County announced this 8:30 AM Monday meeting on Friday afternoon.

Why they have to have it during a workday is mysterious.

I hear they have to adopt the budget by the end of the month, but they could have scheduled the previous Public Hearing early enough to adopt the budget at last week’s Regular Session.

And if they knew they had to adopt by the end of the month, they could have announced the date of adoption at the Public Hearing.

[Notice: Special Called Meeting, to adopt FY 2026 Budget, Announced Friday, @ LCC Monday 2025-06-30]
Notice: Special Called Meeting, to adopt FY 2026 Budget, Announced Friday, @ LCC Monday 2025-06-30

For the LAKE videos of the Public Hearing and the presentation slides, see previous post.
http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/?p=25068

-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!
http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/donate

Half a million or zero dollars for the bar Lowndes County bought with no agenda item? 2024-07-09

Did the Lowndes County Commission spend nothing or half a million dollars to buy an old bar in Lake Park? And why did they vote to buy it after an Executive Session, with no item entered on a public meeting agenda?

Where did the money come from? Apparently, it did not come from SPLOST. Since the property is to be repurposed for a fire station, did it come from the special fire tax?

[Half a million or zero for the bar Lowndes County bought with no agenda item?, Rascal's into a fire station]
Half a million or zero for the bar Lowndes County bought with no agenda item?, Rascal’s into a fire station

The only times I see Rascal’s appearing in Lowndes County Commission meetings of the past five years is in this week’s meetings of June 9 and 10, 2025, in April 2023, and in March 2025.

April 2023 Liquor license for Rascal’s become Twin Lake Club and Grill

Continue reading

Packet: Airport, Aging, Community Service Board Appointments, $1,677,028.92 LMIG funds from GDOT @ LCC 2025-05-27

The board packet for the Tuesday Work and Regular Sessions of the Lowndes County Commission, received in response to a LAKE open records request, is on the LAKE website.

[Packet: Airport, Aging, Service, Board Appointments @ LCC 2025-05-27, $1,677,028.92 LRA funds via GDOT LMIG, Public Works mini-excavator bid]
Packet: Airport, Aging, Service, Board Appointments @ LCC 2025-05-27, $1,677,028.92 LRA funds via GDOT LMIG, Public Works mini-excavator bid

Images of each page of the packet are below.

See also the LAKE videos of the Tuesday evening Regular Session, the LAKE videos of the same morning’s Work Session and the agenda.

-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!
http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/donate

Continue reading

Videos: Airport, Aging, Community Service Board Appointments, $1,677,028.92 LMIG funds from GDOT @ LCC Regular 2025-05-27

Commissioner Joyce Evans was absent at both the morning’s Work Session and the evening’s Regular Session, but they appointed her to two boards anyway.

At the Tuesday evening Regular Session, the Lowndes County Commission approved everything unanimously, including appointing Jeff Sykes to the Airport Authority, and “Miss Evans” to the Aging and Community Services Boards.

County Manager Paige Dukes said the opening on the Community Services Board was because Chairman Bill Slaughter had been appointed to a statewise board, and thus could not continue to serve on a local board.

[Collage @ LCC Regular 27 May 2025]
Collage @ LCC Regular 27 May 2025

Director of Engineering Services Chad McLeod clarified which parts of which roads would be resurfaced if the county gets the GDOT LRA funds.

Finance Director Stephanie Black said it’s a mid-size excavator that Public Works wants, following up from discussion in the Work Session.

County Manager Paige Dukes said Val Del Road work began at North Valdosta Road that day (yesterday) and there’s a county facebook page about it. She indicated a meeting with FEMA and a need to deal with less federal funds and more local preparedness. She also talked about SPLOST IX, the Metropolitan Planning Organization, the civic center, and emergency operations, rattling off a string of dates. Seems like she could provide a written report if she expects people to remember those dates. She did say the bicentennial dates would be updated on the county’s website, although I cannot find them there.

Commissioner Demarcus Marshall Scottie Orenstein wanted to know if there was any update on the animal shelter. Chad McLeod said the RFP was 90% approved.

There were no Citizens Wishing to Be Heard.

Below are LAKE videos of each agenda item, with a few notes by John S. Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist. There are some one-second gaps between videos, because I was using my phone, which does not cycle off and on quickly enough. Plus one towards the beginning of the Minutes item, because I accidentally bumped it off and had to turn it back on.

See also the Continue reading

Videos: Airport, Aging, Community Service Board Appointments, $1,677,028.92 LMIG funds from GDOT @ LCC Work 2025-05-27

Update 2025-05-28: Videos: Airport, Aging, Community Service Board Appointments, $1,677,028.92 LMIG funds from GDOT @ LCC Regular 2025-05-27.

They vote this evening at 5:30 PM in their Regular Session.

Here are LAKE videos of this morning’s Work Session of the Lowndes County Commission. Both the Work and Regular Sessions are being held today, because the Lowndes County Commission observed the Memorial Day holiday yesterday.

[Collage @ LCC 27 May 2025]
Collage @ LCC 27 May 2025

The Commissioners discussed several items, including more than four minutes on 6.b. Updated Debris Removal Contract Pricing with Ashbritt and about three minutes each on 6.a. 2025 Local Road Assistance (LRA) Administration Funds Application and 7.a. Bid for Mini Excavator for Public Works.

Plus there was a staff presentation in 8. Reports – County Manager – 10. Adjournment and County Manager Paige Dukes called for an executive session to discuss real estate.

Below are Continue reading

Agenda: Airport, Aging, Community Service Board Appointments, $1,677,028.92 LMIG funds from GDOT @ LCC 2025-05-27

Update 2025-05-27: Videos: Airport, Aging, Community Service Board Appointments, $1,677,028.92 LMIG funds from GDOT @ LCC Work 2025-05-27.

Both the Work and Regular Sessions will be held Tuesday, because the Lowndes County Commission is observing the Memorial Day holiday today. On the agenda is one more than million-dollar income item, and a couple of outgos, plus three board appointments.

Ben Hogan has also applied, but Jeff Sikes will probably be reappointed to the Valdosta-Lowndes County Airport Authority.

Commissioner Joyce Evans will probably be reappointed to the Southern Georgia Area Agency on Aging and appointed to the South Georgia Community Service Board; nobody else has applied for either board.

[Agenda: Collage @ LCC 2025-05-27]
Agenda: Collage @ LCC 2025-05-27

The county got one bid that met specifications for the Mini Excavator for Public Works: $171,543 by Yancey Bros.

The big dollar item is income to the county: 6.a. 2025 Local Road Assistance (LRA) Administration Funds Application

HISTORY, FACTS AND ISSUES: The Georgia Department of Transportation announced that the Governor and the Legislature included the LRA in the amended fiscal year 2025 budget. The Local Road Assistance (LRA) funds will be distributed using the Local Maintenance and Improvement Grant (LMIG) Application System and will require no matching funds. The fiscal year 2025 LRA formula amount for Lowndes County is $1,677,028.92.

If approved, the LRA funds will be used for the following roads:

  • Newsome Road – 1.76 miles
  • Radar Site Road – 1.82 miles
  • Coffee Road – 1.43 miles
  • Hemby Lane – 0.15 miles
  • Webb Road N. – 1.78 miles

No dollar figure is given for the 1.9% increase on the Updated Debris Removal Contract Pricing with Ashbritt after Hurricane Helene.

Here is the agenda.

We do not have the board packet yet, because Continue reading