Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 24
An Open Letter From Covington City Manager
Honorable Mayor and Councilmen September 16, 1963
City or Covington- Covington, Georgia
Gentlemen:
°ur community was recently unable to secure a carpet manufacturing company that wished to locate here. This company would have ultimately
employed over 400 employees, and would have added considerably to the economy of this community. We were unable to secure this new industry be
cause of our lack of adequate utility facilities. This is a loss that will not appear as an entry on the books of our local business firms- but it is never
theless, a real loss to all local businessmen and to our entire community, and especially to those citizens who are unable to find full-time empl'ovment
It is this type of loss that we should endeavor to avoid in the future. Indeed, it is our duty and responsibility as members of the municipal govern
ment to forsee and provide for the needs of our community. It should be apparent to everyone actively engaged in community affairs that our com
munity is going to realize a tremendous surge of growth in the next few years. This growth is going to come, even if we sit on our hands and do nothinq
on the other hand no matter how well we prepare for this growth, there will be "growing pains". It is difficult to preserve a community's traditions dur
ing a stage of rapid growth The east we can do however is to take those steps which we know must be taken, so that our community can grow and
prosper with a minimum of difficu ty and chaos. If we do this, then we will be prepared for our growth; and then we will be able to exercise more con
trol over our growth; and we will thus be able to preserve, to the degree that they can be preserved, the traditions of our community
With these ideas in mind, I have out-lined and present herewith for your consideration a capital out-lay program along with my recommendations
for accomplishing this program, as follows:
1. To construct a new sub-station and expand and enlarge the electrical distribution system at an estimated cost of $550 000 00
2. To erect a water tank with a capacity of at least 500,000 gallons and to double the capacity of the filtration and treatment plant which would
give us 6,000,000 gallons of treated water per day; and to install 6-inch or larger water mains where needed, tying same into the present system
all at an estimated cost of $650,000.00.
3. To enlarge the present disposal plant or build oxidation ponds; to lay and place trunk lines and feeder lines; and to install lift stations where
needed, all at an estimated cost of $700,000.00.
It would be necessary, of course, to finance substantially all of this program through the issue and sale of municipal bonds, and our bonded in
debtedness is limited by our tax digest. You gentlemen have already taken the first, and a vitally important, step toward the accomplishment of this
program by voting recently to institute a tax revaluation and equalization program in the City of Covington. By increasing our tax digest to 100% of
value and reducing the tax levy proportionately, the tax assessed against each taxpayer would remain the same, assuming that the taxpaper is now
paying his fair share of the taxes. As a special benefit of this re-alignment of our taxing system, we would increase considerably the ceiling on our
bonded indebtedness. Congratulations to you for taking this step!
The next step, I propose, is to have preliminary engineering plans prepared by competent engineers. Federal loans are available for this purpose.
I hese loans are interest-free, and do not have to be repaid until the construction begins. I propose that we make application for such a loan.
Before proceeding further, I wish to interject here my proposal to increase slightly the water and gas rates.
RECOMMENDATION ON WATER RATES
PRESENT RATE SCHEDULE PROPOSED RATE SCHEDULE
Next 20,000 goh*® 1 ”.... so.2sper WOO gois. F,rst 3 ' ooo ° r less 52 00 Min -
Next 50,000 gals. ® $0.20 per 1000 gals. Next 72 - 000 gak- ® $0.30 per 1000 gals.
Next 75,000 gals. ® $0.15 per 1000 gals. Over 75,000 gals. ® $0.20 per 1000 gals
RECOMMENDATION ON GAS RATES
PRESENT RATE SCHEDULE PROPOSED RATE SCHEDULE
First 200 cu. ft. @ $1.35 Minimum First 200 cu. ft. @ $1.60 Minimum
Next 1800 cu. ft. @ $1.20 per MCF Next 1800 cu. ft No Change
Next 3000 cu. ft. @ .sl.lO per MCF Next 3000 cu. ft No Change
Next 4000 cu. ft. @ $0.95 per MCF Next 4000 cu. ft No Change
Over 9000 cu. ft. @ $0.85 per MCF Over 9000 cu. ft No Change
... T^ese increased rates will produce additional income, which will be needed to sell our bonds at an attractive interest rate. The expanded
utilities will, of course, pay for themselves over the years of their use; but we need to get these new rates into effect as soon as possible, so that we will
nave twelve (12) full months of increased income before our bonds are placed on the market. The broker will be concerned with our actual income
not only with projected income. '
The next step will be to take the matter to the people through a referendum. With our preliminary plans in hand, we will know how much money
will be needed; and with our tax digest in order, we will know what levy will be required to amortize the proposed bonded indebtedness in accordance
with the law. I am confident that the people of this City will endorse this program if the situation is fully explained to them.
Many of our communities in this State are receiving Federal Grants for assistance in such programs as I am proposing. We are paying for these
grants as surely as the citizens of those communities receiving them. I propose, therefore, that when our preliminary plans are completed, application
e made for a grant of approximately $200,000.00 to defray one-third (1/3) of the cost of expanding and improving our sewer system. Such grants are
available, and I have investigated the procedure for securing such a grant.
• u benefits of the program I have outlined would be far-reaching in effect. For example, if the water expansion program is carried out and
eight employees are added to our Fire Department, instead of our NB Class 6 rating being increased to Class 7, it will be reduced to Class 5, which is
a ™ c ^ a P er rate than we now have. An increase to a rating of Class 7 would average a 35% loss and a decrease to Class 5 would average a savings
0 overall is a savings of 52%. This is the kind of benefit all property owners can understand.
Th is program will guarantee utility services tor our City until our population reaches 25,000, which is predicted for 1980; and this program will
provide the utility services we will need for continued industrial growth.
The program I am proposng herewith for your consideration is a necessity; it is demanded by our growth, and all our utility facilities must be ex
panded as I have outlined. The real question I am presenting to you is whether these steps will be taken now or later - that is, whether we are going
to wait until we are unable to provide the services demanded and deserved by our citizens, or whether we are to proceed now in an orderly fashion with
vision and forethought, to meet the challenge of our growth. '
Respectfully submitted,
|UD , J. H. BRYAN
22™" City Manager
(Our AdverHserg Are Assured Os Results)
THE COVINGTON NEWS
(Best Coverage: News, Pictures and Features)
Thursday, September 19, 1963