![\"[Half](\"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/govt\/loco\/2024-07-09--taylor-purchase\/many.jpg\")
<\/a>\r\nHalf a million or zero for the bar Lowndes County bought with no agenda item?, Rascal’s into a fire station<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n
\r\nThe 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.\r\n
April 2023 Liquor license for Rascal’s become Twin Lake Club and Grill<\/H4>\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\nIn the board packet for April 24, 2023<\/a>.\r\nBack then Tony Taylor wrote, “I was running \/ managing \u201cRascals\u201d for my Dad Roy E. Taylor, Sr prior to his death, because of his\r\nrecent passing | am now applying for the liquor license in my name to continue to run & manage\r\nsuch business.”\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\nHis application was in the name of Tony Taylor of Taylor Entertainment, LCC, DBA Twin Lake Club and Grill.\r\nIn the Regular Session of April 25, 2023, \r\n\r\nFinance Director Stephanie Black mentioned this was the old Rascal’s location<\/a>.\r\n \r\nAccording to the Lowndes County Tax Assessor<\/a>,\r\nback in 2017 Roy E Taylor Sr sold the property for $500,000 to Smitty’s Entertainment Ltd Inc.\r\nIn 2018, Smitty’s conveyed it back to him for $0 Non-Market.\r\nIn 2020 he conveyed it to Roy E Taylor Sr Family LLLP for reason “RELATIVES OR CORP AFFILIATES”.\r\nAnd on August 19, 2024, that LLLP conveyed it to Lowndes County Georgia for $0 “QC-Quit Claim”.\r\nRemember that: zero dollars ($0).\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\nYet the Minutes of the July 9, 2024, Regular Session<\/a> say the county bought it for $585,000:\r\n \r\nContract of Sale and Purchase of Property – 4875 Highway 41 South, Lake Park\r\n<\/strong>\r\n \r\nChairman Slaughter presented the item stating this is a contract of\r\nsale and purchase of property located at 4875 Highway 41 South in\r\nLake Park. County Attorney, Walter Elliott, stated this contract of\r\nsale and purchase is made with Roy E. Taylor, Sr. Family, LLP with\r\nthe purchase price being\r\n$585,000.00. Commissioner Griner made a motion to approve the\r\ncontract as presented, Vice Chairman Marshall seconded. All voted in\r\nfavor, no one opposed. Motion carried.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n \r\nThis item in those Minutes is immediately after a record of:\r\n \r\nAdjournment to Executive Session\r\n<\/strong>\r\n \r\nAt 5:59 p.m., Commissioner Wisenbaker made a motion to enter into executive session for the purpose\r\nof real estate acquisition, Vice Chairman Marshall seconded. All voted in favor, no one opposed.\r\nMotion carried….\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\nThere is no mention of this item in the\r\nMinutes of the July 8, 2024, Work Session<\/a>.\r\n \r\nThis real estate purchase also does not appear in the\r\nagenda for July 9, 2024<\/a> currently online on lowndescounty.com.\r\n \r\nSo apparently the Commissioners held an Executive Session, after which they\r\nvoted on a real estate acquisition that was not on the agenda.\r\nAnd which is recorded with a very different purchase price by the\r\nLowndes County Tax Assessors.\r\n \r\nThis property acquisition vote does not appear in the county’s own\r\nvideo of the July 9, 2024, Regular Session<\/a>, which stops as they go into Executive Session.\r\n \r\nThis vote to purchase property does not appear in the LAKE videos of the July 9, 2024, Regular Session<\/a>,\r\nbecause we do not expect the Commissioners to vote after the Executive Session,\r\nespecially not to spend half a million dollars on something that was not on the agenda.\r\nSo Gretchen when home when they went into Executive Session.\r\n \r\nIn the November 12, 2024, board packet, Tony Taylor applied for a beer, wine, and liquor license for a new location<\/a> for Twin Lake Club and Grill, at 1068 Lakes Blvd.\r\nThere was no mention in the board packet or the Work or Regular Session\r\nof the conveyance of the previous location to the county.\r\n \r\nCounty Manager Paige Dukes did \r\nsay at the Work Session of November 12, 2024<\/a>, that she had discussed with him\r\nthat he had not met the requirements, but he would not serve alcohol\r\nuntil the requirements were met.\r\n \r\nIn the packet materials for the Commission three-day Annual Planning Meeting, aka retreat, on March 5, 2025, the Engineering Department mentions on page 26 in “Non-SPLOST Facility & Special Projects”:\r\n“Taylor Property Purchase”.\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\nThere’s a paragraph on page 28:\r\n \r\nTaylor Property Purchase (Twin Lakes Fire Station)<\/strong> — This\r\nproject is complete as far as the purchase is concerned. Staff and\r\nCeline Gladwin are currently in the process of a building and\r\nstructural review to determine if a remodel is a viable option.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n \r\nAnd finally we hear this county purchase of the old Rascal’s property\r\n\r\nmentioned in the \r\nCommissioner Mark Wisenbaker asked, “Leaping ahead, the Lake Park proposed new fire facility, is it going to be exacly like this one?\r\nYou said a flagship is what we want, so is it going to be a new one?”\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\nCounty Manager Paige Dukes answered, “We are hoping, Commissioner Wisenbaker,\r\nfor budgetary purpose, that we are able to retrofit the Rascal’s building into a fire station.\r\nIt will be much cheaper, we think right now, until the architects and engineers tell us differently that would be to bulldoze and start from scratch.\r\nBut I think there will be some anomalies based on the space that we have there\r\nthat will establish that as an anchor in the south end as well.\r\nSo if we were to receive the information from the architect and the engineers\r\nthat we did need to level the old Rascal’s to rebuild on that site,\r\nthen this would be the station that we would duplicate here, yessir.”\r\n \r\nCommissioner Wisenbaker clarified, “Lake Park would have living quarters\r\nfor firemen and EMS?”\r\n \r\nFire Chief Billy Young answered, “Yessir.”\r\n \r\nGretchen Quarterman noted on her LAKE video, “The last I remember anything about that property was Tony Taylor got a liquor license in the spring of last year.”\r\n \r\nIn the Regular Session of June 10, 2025,\r\n\r\nGretchen Quarterman asked in Citizens Wishing to Be Heard<\/a>,\r\n \r\n“So my ask is that you do the peoples\u2019 business in the open. And not to the minimum requirement. Because the minimum requirement is that you had the public meeting, you went to Executive Session, you came back to the public meeting, everybody was gone by then. You didn\u2019t take any video of your own, so there\u2019s no recording other than the minutes.\r\n \r\n\r\n “The other ask that I would have is that, as we go forward, especially building up the fire department, why aren\u2019t we more telling the public what we\u2019re doing. Because people care about their pocketbook, and that fire tax is a big one. And I think they\u2019d feel better; I would feel better, if every once in a while on the website or facebook I would see this great thing is happening, and this is what they\u2019re going to be doing.”\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n \r\nIt’s no wonder that Gretchen didn’t remember anything about that purchase.\r\nLike everybody else, she went home when the county went into Executive Session\r\non July 9, 2024.\r\nI only found it in the Minutes of that meeting because LAKE keeps copies of all the board packets, so I could search them all.\r\n \r\nThose Minutes for July 9, 2024, are on the county website<\/a>,\r\nbut in a non-searchable form.\r\n \r\nThe only other place that purchase turns up in county documents that LAKE has\r\nis in the packet for the March 2025 retreat,\r\nwhich you may recall\r\n\r\nwas held on Jekyll Island with one day’s notice to the public<\/a>.\r\n \r\nSo far as I know, nobody from the public wanted to pay the\r\n$299\/night, or $372 with taxes and fees, to stay at The Westin Jekyll Island Beach Resort, or anywhere else on Jekyll with that little notice.\r\n \r\nWhy was this July or August 2024 property purchase approved so abruptly, without ever appearing on an agenda for a public Lowndes County Commission meeting?\r\nWhat was the urgency?\r\n \r\nHow much did the county pay?\r\n$585,000 as the county’s own Minutes say?\r\nOr $0 (zero dollars) as the Tax Assessors website says?\r\nOr some other price?\r\n \r\nAnd is this oddly managed purchase related to the apparently special treatment for the November 2024 liquor license for the relocated successor bar?\r\n \r\nMaybe this is all something as simple as the county did not expect\r\nas conveniently-located a property to be for sale.\r\nBut why so secretive about it?\r\n \r\n -jsq\r\n<\/p>\r\n 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<\/a>!\r\n![\"[Map:](\"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/govt\/loco\/2024-07-09--taylor-purchase\/April-24-25-2023-Meeting-Packet-0012-trim.jpg\")
<\/a>\r\n
Map: Rascal’s 4875 US Hwy. 41 S, LCC Packet 2023-04-24<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\nTax Assessors sales records for 4875 US 41 South<\/H4>\r\n
![\"[Sales](\"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/govt\/loco\/2024-07-09--taylor-purchase\/2024-08-19--sales.jpg\")
<\/a>\r\n
Sales of 4875 US 41 South, Lake Park, GA<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\nJuly 9, 2024, sale record in Lowndes County Commission Minutes<\/H4>\r\n
\r\n
\r\n
![\"[Adjournment](\"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/govt\/loco\/2024-07-09--taylor-purchase\/July-9-2024-Regular-Session-Minutes-0003.jpg\")
<\/a>\r\n
Adjournment to Executive Session<\/a>\r\n
PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\nNovember 2024 liquor license for new location for Twin Lake Club and Grill<\/H4>\r\n
March 2025 Lowndes County Commission retreat<\/H4>\r\n
![\"[Taylor](\"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/govt\/loco\/2024-07-09--taylor-purchase\/2025-Commission-Retreat-March-5-7-2025-0028-trim.jpg\")
<\/a>\r\n
Taylor Property Purchase (Twin Lakes Fire Station) 2025-07-09 Engineering Dept. Non-SPLOST at Retreat on Jekyll Island<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n
July<\/del> June 9, 2025, Work Session<\/H4>\r\nJuly<\/del> June 9, 2025, Work Session<\/a>, which is what caused this\r\narchaeological dig into county records.\r\n![\"[Rascal's](\"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/govt\/loco\/2024-07-09--taylor-purchase\/2025-07-09--rascals-into-fire-station.jpg\")
<\/a>\r\n
Rascal’s into Fire Station, Work Session 2025-07-09<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\nCWTBH: Gretchen Quarterman, Transparency and the purchase of Rascals, LCC Regular 2025-06-10<\/H4>\r\n
\r\n
![\"[CWTBH](\"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/govt\/loco\/2024-07-09--taylor-purchase\/2025-06-10--cwtbh-gretchen-quarterman-lcc-regular-lake-video.jpg\")
<\/a>\r\n
CWTBH Gretchen Quarterman @ LCC Regular, LAKE Video, 2025-06-10<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\nLAKE archaeology of Lowndes County Commission records<\/H4>\r\n
Questions<\/H4>\r\n
\r\n\r\nhttp:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/donate<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"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 […]","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[19,603,88,73,3],"tags":[12998,13008,13005,13007,13009,13004,13002,13000,13003,13001,13011,8701,8709,8702,8792,12,7,8734,11302,10514,13010,10511,8731,12996,8700,6,13006],"class_list":["post-25038","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-history","category-lake-park","category-lowndes-county-commission","category-safety","category-transparency","tag-4875-us-41-south","tag-chairman-bill-slaughter","tag-commissioner-clay-griner","tag-commissioner-mark-wisenbaker","tag-commissioner-scotti-orenstein","tag-county-attorney-walter-elliott","tag-county-manager-paige-dukes","tag-dba-twin-lake-club-and-grill","tag-engineering-services-director-chad-mcleod","tag-finance-director-stephanie-black","tag-fire-chief-billy-young","tag-georgia","tag-history","tag-lake","tag-lake-park","tag-lowndes-area-knowledge-exchange","tag-lowndes-county","tag-lowndes-county-commission","tag-lowndes-county-fire-rescue","tag-rascals","tag-roy-e-taylor-sr-family-lllp","tag-roy-e-taylor-sr","tag-safety","tag-tony-taylor-of-taylor-entertainment-lcc","tag-transparency","tag-valdosta","tag-vice-chairman-demarcus-marshall"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p585fK-6vQ","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25038","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25038"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25038\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25051,"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25038\/revisions\/25051"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25038"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25038"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25038"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}