What’s Brad Lofton’s legacy?
The VDT finally published something today about Brad Lofton moving to Myrtle Beach, apparently mostly drawing on the same SC newspaper story LAKE picked up on last Thursday, with some material from the second SunNews story of Friday. The VDT did add some local interviews: Continue reading
To find your polling place go to Secretary of State Poll LocatorThe version of their precinct list below actually has map links for each precinct. I have omitted the photographs of the polling places.Click Precincts for Map Locator and Driving Directions provided by Google Maps.
| Precinct 1 | Newsome St. Church, 202 S. Newsome St., Hahira |
| Precinct 2 | Old Pine Grove Elementary School Gym, 4023 Pine Grove Road, Valdosta |
| Precinct 3 | Westminister Presbyterian Church, 3019 Country Club Road, Valdosta |
| Precinct 4 | Northside Baptist Church Gym, 200 E. Park Avenue, Valdosta |
| Precinct 5 | Jaycee Park Activities Building, 2306 Jaycee Shack Road, Valdosta |
| Precinct 6 | Naylor City Hall, 8753 Georgia Highway 135, Naylor |
| Precinct 7 | Wood Valley Community Center, 1907 Gornto Road, Valdosta |
| Precinct 8 | Rainwater Conference Center, One Meeting Place, Valdosta |
| Precinct 9 | New Clyattville Fire Station, 5080 Madison Highway, Clyattville |
| Precinct 10 | Mildred Hunter Community Center, 509 S. Fry St., Valdosta |
| Precinct 11 | Dasher City Hall, 3686 US Hwy 41 S. Dasher |
| Precinct 12 | South Lowndes Recreation Center, 6440 Ocean Pond Ave, Lake Park |
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Some people have expressed surprise to learn that Brad Lofton
was fired from his previous job in Effingham County.
The VLCIA’s own website may be part of the reason why they’re surprised.
According to “In the News” on the the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA) web site:
“Lofton is currently the president and CEO of the Effingham County Industrial Development Authority and the executive director of the Effingham County Chamber of Commerce. Lofton brings a wide range of experience to the position including time served as the executive director of the Lee County Chamber of Commerce and the Lee County Development Authority.”You have to search or scroll way down in that page to find that passage, and there’s no date on it.
However, it is almost a word-for-word copy of a paragraph by Kelli Hernandez that appeared in the Moultrie Observer 16 August 2006:
“Lofton’s most recent position was president and CEO of the Effingham County Industrial Development Authority and the executive director of the Effingham County Chamber of Commerce. Lofton brings a wide range of experience to the position including time served as the executive director of the Lee County Chamber of Commerce and the Lee County Development Authority.”See the difference? “Lofton’s most recent position was” in the Moultrie article is “Lofton is currently the” on the VLCIA’s own web site. So which was it? Continue reading
Look what else they mentioned: Continue readingA Georgia native with experience attracting industries and jobs to his home state has signed a three-year contract to lead the Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corporation.
Doug Wendel, EDC board president, said the board voted unanimously Thursday afternoon to offer Brad Lofton the job. He will announce the change to his current employer, the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority, on Tuesday, Wendel said.
Lofton will begin work on the Grand Strand on April 15, bringing to an end the EDC’s search for a new chief executive, which began more than a year ago.
The EDC will pay Lofton about $121,000 a year to bring new industry and jobs to Horry County.
Arrived via google alert for keyword “Valdosta”:
Those on the committee to hire a new EDC director seem so certain they will offer Lofton the job that he is already making plans to announce he’s leaving Georgia next week, and can start work here in mid-April.Lofton? Yes, that Lofton:
Brad Lofton, a Georgia native and moneymaker for the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority in his home state, is being introduced around Horry County today as the leading candidate for the executive director of the Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corporation.The story is Economic development agency likely has new director, by Lorena Anderson, in the Myrtle Beach SunNews.
Hm, somebody is counting at least one chicken that hasn’t hatched:
Also notice what they don’t list as a positive: the solar plant. Perhaps an indication of somebody’s priorities.Lofton has been with the Valdosta group since 2006, and has brought millions of dollars’ worth of business and jobs to that county, Wendel said, including an energy plant that uses biomass and is now getting federal renewable energy credits; ….
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To be published on February 11, 18, and 25, 2010 and March 4 and 11, 2010.That’s five times the Lowndes County Board of Elections is publishing the details of the ESPLOST one percent sales and use tax for educational purposes.
This is significant money: not more than $165 million dollars over five years,
$94,875,000 for Lowndes County schools, and $70,125,000 for Valdosta schools.
There are only two main ways of raising money for public schools:
sales taxes, or property taxes.
The local school boards use both.
This is the sales tax part.
Well, there is a third way. Continue reading
How much are those bonds
VLCIA has committed we the taxpayers to?
According to VLCIA’s FYE 2011 Annual Financial Report it looks like the bonds started out as about $15,000,000, and are
Meanwhile, VLCIA has
That’s an interesting number to contemplate while other arms of local government are scraping to pay salaries and provide services. One of those other arms of local government is the Lowndes County Commission, which appears to be co-guarantor for those bonds.-jsq
If Lowndes County funds VLCIA and helps secure its bonds,
how can the Lowndes County Commission have no control over VLCIA?
In Note A: Summary of Significant Accounting Policies of VLCIA’s FYE 2011 Annual Financial Report:
Reporting EntityWell, the VLCIA’s charter is available on the web and it doesn’t just say “growth”; it also says “the public good” and “the general welfare” of the community.The Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority is a political subdivision created by the State of Georgia Legislature to stimulate growth in the Valdosta-Lowndes County area. The Authority’s revenues are derived primarily from contributions by local governnments and by the sale of land in the industrial development parks owned by the Authority.
The financial report continues:
The members of the Industrial Authority are appointed by both the City Council of the City of Valdosta and the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners. Primary operating funding, as well as guarantees for certain bonds, comes from the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners and accordingly, the Authority is considered to be economically dependent on Lowndes County.The first sentence is correct. If the second sentence is correct, how can the Lowndes County Commission say it has no control over or responsibility for the Industrial Authority?
Further, in Note F: Long Term Debt:
The bonds are secured by an “inter-governmental” funding agreement between the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority and Lowndes County, Georgia.If the Lowndes County government is co-guarantor of VLCIA’s bonds, how can the Lowndes County Commission say it has no responsibility or control over what VLCIA does? I am not a CPA, but the term “fiduciary responsibility” comes to mind. These bonds are, after all, being paid for by our tax dollars, and the Board of Commissioners are our elected representatives for the county.
How big are those bonds, anyway? See the next post.
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Where does that
$3 million a year in VLCIA tax revenue go?
In the Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ending 30 June 2011, for the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA), there are some interesting assertions, and some really interesting dollar figures. These documents were obtained by open records request February 2011 and given to LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
See the following posts about the “inter-governmental agreement” between VLCIA and Lowndes County and about the size of the bonds and debt servicing VLCIA has committed to. And of course read the report for yourself and see what you think.
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According to an open records request of 17 February 2011,
the Industrial Authority says Wiregrass Power LLC still
“has not yet identified or completed a comprehensive list of potential suppliers of raw materials, goods and services required to construct and operate the biomass electric generating plant.”This is on a sheet entitled “Owners/Investors/Suppliers/Contracts”, which also says:
“Site preparation and construction is not scheduled to begin until June 1, 2011.”Hm, what happened to breaking ground in January 2011? The document also said a “Project Critical Path time-line is attached” but it wasn’t.
Regarding buyers for the plant’s power: Continue reading