Roads and Bridges discussion turns to TSPLOST support

News
roads and bridges town hall

Gilmer County’s freshly restored-to-three Board of Commissioners is delving deep into talks with citizens on the topic of roads and bridges. 

Going through town hall meetings, the discussion was originally advertised to hear citizens’ thoughts on roads and bridges. However, at the beginning of their first town hall, Commission Chairman Charlie Paris offered a few words of his own thoughts saying he receives numerous calls daily about the situation.

https://youtu.be/Bv2ywx88-qk

With 501 miles of roads in the county, Paris said just under 200 miles of that is unpaved gravel road. Paris noted the major problem with the gravel roads is that as soon as the county fixes a road, a heavy rain will destroy the repairs and work they have accomplished.

Even though they planned to move road to road with two teams across the county, these teams cannot follow schedules as Paris says he constantly tells them to respond to one complaint or another, whether it’s ditches or other worse gravel roads.

When trying to find an answer to these issues, Paris said he wants to pave more roads. While he points to the major improvements in the road department over the recent years, he admits the budget is not enough to accommodate everything he wants to do with and in the Road Department.

Paving roads in the county costs between $40,000 – $50,000 per mile for “tar and chip” according to Paris, asphalt paving is more costly at about $90,000 per mile. These costs do not include striping as the county does not stripe its own roads. However, Paris said another “wish” would be to begin looking for equipment and having the road department begin striping as it has been difficult to find companies recently to do the striping.

After paving and striping, maintenance also includes mowing of all 501 miles of road.

As he spoke about the costs of each need the county has for paving and the wants he verbalized for the department and the county, Paris said, “When I first took office, I could be heard to say many times, ‘We’re broke. We can’t do that, we’re broke.’ We’re not broke anymore, and I’m really proud of that. We’re in a good financial position…” Paris went on to note that some people have said to use reserves money to pave or to take the money from the larger budgets like Fire, EMA, or Sheriff. Paris noted that these budgets are all severely cut already during the budget process. He said taking enough from these other sources would cripple the departments just to make a little progress on the roads.

One of the biggest strains on the budget each year is, of course, the debt service for the county paying off its bond debt. Citizens have been contending with this situation for years. And More recently, they have dealt with the 1.5 mill bond millage. However, Paris did say that during the budget process this year, they had considered lowering this rate, and in fact are looking to take the bond millage in the 2020 budget down to 1.25 instead of 1.5 saying, “It was never intended to be a permanent extra half mill. We have projected in our 2020 budget that that will go down to a mill-and-a-quarter rather than a mill-and-a-half. With the idea that in the 2021 budget, it will go back down to a mill and the half mill will be gone.”

Returning to the subject at hand of roads and bridges, ultimately, Paris said he saw only three options for the county.

With 13 years left to pay on the bond debt service, the county can continue as it is, spending about a million dollars on paving a year and raise it after the debt is paid.

The second option would be to raise the millage rate, which Paris adamantly stated was not an option he would consider. 

The third option Paris offered, was to enact a “local TSPLOST.” Paris said that several years ago, the county voted on a regional TSPLOST. Paris said he opposed that TSPLOST as it was a regional tax, usable in many of the other counties.

Many will recall what citizens at the time called a “punishment” for voting no, the matching funds for LMIG grants was raised from 10% to 30%. Paris said that even today, he would still adamantly oppose a regional TSPLOST.

What he proposed as a local TSPLOST, the stipulation would be that the money must be used for nothing outside of transportation. Usable for equipment purchases, paving, maintenance, and even road crew salary, Paris said he wouldn’t want to use it for salaries “because that TSPLOST will go away at some point and those salaries will still be there.”

A TSPLOST would be a 5-year program. As he noted this, Paris stated, “You have the option of renewing it after 5 years, my pledge is that I will never ask for a renewal if we do it one time.”

Paris said he has tried for other alternatives to get the roads in shape and maintain them but has yet to find a sufficient answer.

After his nearly 30 minute speech over the state of the county’s roads and road department, many of the citizens present offered their support for a TSPLOST. Towards the end of the meeting, Paris asked how many people would be willing to support it. Nearly every person attending raised their hand. In fact, only one person at the meeting opposed the TSPLOST.

Paris also asked another question during the meeting. Far fewer people, less than half of those present, supported the idea when Paris asked who would want to sell bonds on the TSPLOST to see a faster effect on the county’s roads. This second topic was actually originally raised by one citizen, John Schmidt, who asked how soon the citizens would see the option to vote on it and would begin seeing the changes as he said, “People, a lot of the time, we expect things to happen overnight.”

Paris said, “I have had it recommended to me that if this passes, that we go ahead and get a bond and do it all once and then pay for it with the TSPLOST. But, I’m not real big on doing that. I would kind of rather just let things sit for four or five months and let some money build up and then do it as it comes in.”

This is not the first time the Commissioners have spoken of the topic of a TSPLOST, but it is the first time it has been discussed with citizens as an actual option for the county to pursue. It could come as soon as the May ballot in 2020. Collections would begin on the first day of the next quarter.

Bond refunding options will save $15,000 a year

News

ELLIJAY, Ga. – The Gilmer County Board of Commissioners opted for a refunding savings option from the Series 2014 Bond this month.

Taking ‘Option A’ that was presented by Andrew Tritt, Managing Director at Stifel Financial Corp, will allow approximately $168,000 split between the remaining years. The savings would come to about $15,000 a year until the bonds are paid off.

While Option B ultimately realizes only $128,000, according to Tritt’s presentation, it would defer 2019’s payment in an opportunity to see nearly an extra million dollars in 2019.

However, County Chairman Charlie Paris pointed out that Option B would only defer that payment, meaning it takes that money from next year’s SPLOST. That million dollars is not extra and would put 2020’s SPLOST down a million dollars. Paris noted in the regular meeting that he didn’t think that moving the payment back was worth it. He said that even though the extra million would be great for 2019, it would hurt too much to lose those funds from 2020.

Ultimately, the other Board members agreed with Paris as the vote came unanimously for ‘Option A’ to advertise the movement forward.

Senator David Perdue: This Is About Tax Relief For The American Worker

State & National

Senator David Perdue: This Is About Tax Relief For The American Worker

“A family of four, making the median income of $71,000 a year, is going to get a 60% tax cut with this plan”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators David Perdue (R-GA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Dean Heller (R-NV) and grassroots leaders held an event today to highlight the positive impact changing the tax code will have on American families, businesses, and the economy.

 

Relief For Working Americans: “On the individual side, there’s been a lot of talk that the rich are getting all the benefits. This couldn’t be further from the truth. A family of four, making the median income of $71,000 a year, is going to get a 60% tax cut with this plan. A single parent with one child, making $41,000 a year, is going to get a 75% tax cut.”

Solving The Debt Crisis: “Long-term we have to solve this debt crisis. Cutting taxes and changing the tax code will not solve the debt crisis, but the debt crisis will not be solved unless and until we fix our archaic tax policy.”

Getting A Deal Done: “I’m one of those business guys who needed that certainty to make capital investment decisions over a longer period of time. I would prefer not to have a trigger, but this is about getting a deal done and getting a tax package for the American people, which they expect. I come from a world where you really don’t ever get 100% of what you want. I don’t want to see this bill destroyed because of pursuit for perfection. We’ve seen that before in Washington.”

Senator David Perdue Comments On Debt Surpassing $20 Trillion

Politics, State & National

Gilmer Refinancing More G.O. Bonds

News

In a special called meeting, the Gilmer County Board of Commissioners met with Andrew Tritt, Managing Director, and others from Stifel, Nicolaus and Company, Inc.

The meeting culminated with approval from the county to finalize their resolution in order to complete refinancing on the remainder of the 2007 G.O. Bonds, but this also represents the final outstanding bonds that the county can refinance according to Chairman Charlie Paris who said the county has saved a little over $4 million including this new refinance.

The main reason for refinancing? The county is receiving a lower interest rate on the debt, 2.82% as opposed to the original 5%. This lower interest rate translates to less money coming from the county as they continue paying the debt. According to Stifel, Nicolaus and Company, Inc. the county will realize a gross savings, from this specific set of Bonds, of $969,017. That gross savings will be realized at $50,000 per year with the exception that in the final two years before maturity, 2030 and 2031, it will increase to $60,o00 per year in savings.

Moving forward with the refinancing, Chairman Charlie Paris said, “It means money savings pure and simple.” By getting the extra savings every year, Paris said the county is easing budget processes and helping the county deal with crisis situations as equipment might breakdown or an emergency occur. The savings also means the county does not have to finance certain equipment which translates to less debt for the county.

And speaking on the county’s debt, Paris went on to say, “We have not made an appreciable reduction in our Bond debt… but were able to reduce the short term debt which helps.”These steps allow balanced budgets each year and progress to reverse our financial situation to manage the long term debt.

Now, the County may be setting up to actually have a contingency fund planned in the next budget process for emergencies which exemplifies the progress. With continued growth, the county may look to the distant future where the county’s financial situation dictates a balanced budget with a sizeable contingency fund translating, according to Paris, into an opportunity to lower taxes for citizens.

Along with Stifel, Nicolaus and Company, Inc. The Board of Commissioners is also using Gray, Pannell and Woodward, LLP. as the Attorneys for the legal side of the refinance.

Make sure to find out more by watching the Special Called Meeting below:

https://youtu.be/bqccJMfhNJs

A Piece of Mind 7/28/16

GMFTO

GMFTO’s Producer, Lonnie, offers thoughts on BKP’s questions about the Conventions and a Millennial’s Mind.

https://youtu.be/ZURLrLAtKOU

State National 6/20/16

GMFTO

Tom Graves and the Puerto Rico Bail Out.

https://youtu.be/spBIWNaR6Xo

State National 6/7/16

GMFTO

Politically Incorrect

https://youtu.be/uwbOu_zZ-_s

Morning Monologue 5/2/16

Opinion

Puerto Rico’s Default

https://youtu.be/THzu4wyVTgw

GMFTO 10/27/15 State and National

Videos

BKP brings you up to speed on State and National with:

  • Puerto Rico in debt $73m and getting Bankruptcy Protection
  • Obama’s Budget Deal 2016
  • China’s Warning to the U.S.
  • Ole Miss Removes State Flag

https://youtu.be/ObNnT7iQDTc

Scam Alert – GBI’s Main Line (404-244-2600) Spoofed

News

 

 

Decatur, GA – Please be advised that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s main line (404-244-2600) has been compromised as a result of telephone spoofing.  This is a scam that the GBI has been dealing with for approximately one month.  When a telephone number is spoofed, the Caller ID of the caller will appear to be coming from a valid number.  In the cases specifically related to the GBI, the individual being called will see telephone number 404-244-2600.

In many of the phone calls, the caller has called home phones and cell phones stating that they are with the GBI collecting a debt with the IRS or collecting a debt for college and that there would be a warrant out for their arrest if they didn’t pay the fine.

The GBI does not contact individuals for debt collection.  If you get a call from anyone claiming to represent the GBI in this manner, you are urged not to conduct any business over the phone if you did not initiate the call.  Additionally, do not give credit card information out to someone who has called you.

The GBI is currently investigating this matter.

Should Gilmer County Put A Debt Ceiling In Place? Citizen Speaks. BOC Responds.

News

At the 3-24 budget workshop Commissioner Will Beattie introduced the idea of a proposed County debt ceiling (9:30 seconds into part 9 video).
Max to Randy: “what you’re saying Randy is that the taxpayers can’t read what they are voting on, you’re dumbing down the taxpayer, down to the point that you’re saying you got to protect the taxpayers against themselves.” (more…)

Sam Olens answers on Where’s Obama’s Birth Certificate -US Debt & Illegal Immigration

News

Sam Olens ended the evening with a generous amount of time allotted to Q&A with the citizens. Mr. Olens took time to respond to several questions including concerns on Obama and illegal immigration. fetchyournews.com brings you video coverage segments on topics covered by our Georgia State Attorney General. (more…)

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