Newspaper Page Text
August 31,2022 ARCpOrtCF Page 5B
City, county dispute may endanger sales tax
By Diane Glidewell
news'-mymcr.net
Monroe County and City
of Forsyth officials were not
able to agree on how to di
vide revenue from the Local
Option Sales Tax (LOST) for
the next 10 years despite two
hours of negotiations last
week. If the county and the
cities (Forsyth and Culloden)
can’t agree by Dec. 30, they’ll
have to stop collecting the 1
percent sales tax and find a
way to fill a big hole in their
budgets.
Commissioners expressed
frustration with the failure to
reach an agreement, repeat
edly saying they had come to
the meeting ready to discuss,
compromise and resolve
any differences so that they
could continue the sales tax.
The tax is expected to bring
the county $3.6 million/
year (75 percent of the tax)
and Forsyth about one-third
that amount. Culloden was
expected receive a little over
2 percent of the tax collected,
much less than the other two
parties, but a substantial por
tion of Culloderis budget.
Representatives of Forsyth,
however, seemed satisfied
to postpose the decision,
proposing local government
leaders meet again on Sept.
30.
“You’re saying let’s get it
done; were saying let’s get
it done right,” said Forsyth
Mayor Eric Wilson.
“I don’t feel like there’s
been any real negotiation,”
said commission chair Greg
Tapley.
Commissioner John Am
brose said it upset him that
whereas at least four of the
five commissioners had at
tended the two meetings, the
city had only brought three
council members and had
leaned on its lack of a quo
rum as a reason it couldn’t
commit to an agreement.
“We selected a panel of
three [councilmembers],
Janice Hall and I don’t count
[in a vote to accept an agree
ment],” said Wilson. “You
make this way too dramatic.
I’ve talked to my fellow
mayors and some of them
are in more bloody battles
than we are. I think were
doing citizens a disservice by
having enmity’
Commissioner Lamar-
cus Davis, who represents
mostly the city of Forsyth
in county government, said
they should ask for a straw
poll from citizens to get
input on the issue where the
county and city don’t agree.
Forsyth councilman Julius
Stroud said that citizens don’t
understand LOST negotia
tions, and Wilson said that is
why we have representative
government.
Commissioners Tapley,
Ambrose, Davis and Ed
die Rowland and county
manager Jim Hedges at
tended the Aug. 26 meet
ing. Commissioner George
Emami met with the other
commissioners in an hour-
long meeting immediately
before the negotiations. For
Forsyth, Wilson, Hall, Stroud
and council members Chris
Hewett and Mike Dodd
attended while council
members Greg Goolsby,
John Howard and Melvin
Lawrence did not. Culloden
council member Dr. Margie
Bryant represented Culloden
at the negotiations.
Forsyth presented Monroe
County with four points
developed following the
first negotiation on Aug. 12.
Commissioners agreed to
the first three points but not
to the fourth. The first point
was to divide LOST re
ceipts the same as they were
divided the last 10 years,
that is, 75/22.4/2.6 percent
between Monroe County,
Forsyth and Culloden. The
second and third points were
that Forsyth have a represen
tative on Monroe County
Hospital Authority and
Monroe County Develop
ment Authority.
The fourth point thing the
city wants is an agreement
that the county buy water
from Forsyth for the north
end of the county. Wilson
said the city is only referring
to the 1,400 acres of H & H
Timberland property along
1-75 that was annexed into
Forsyth city limits. Tapley
said the county already
has water infrastructure a
third of the way up Smith
Road and asked how the
city planned to meter the
water usage, what base rate it
would set for the water and
how it would split the profits
with the county.
“We have a master meter
at Indian Springs indus
trial park. Nothing would
change,” said Wilson.
The city said it would set
the base rate at $3 per 1,000
gallons, its rate for industrial
customers, and the city and
coimty would share whatev
er is charged customers over
$3. It was not determined
whether that sharing would
be a 50-50 split. The county
is currently paying Butts
Coimty $4.30 for water for
the north part of the coimty
and paying Macon-Bibb
$3.50 for water for the south
end of the county.
“This has too many
moving parts to be in this
[LOST] agreement,” said
Rowland. “It’s muddying the
water’
Rowland asked the city
to separate discussion on
details of a water service
delivery agreement for the
northern end of the county
from the LOST negotiations,
except that commissioners
would sign a memorandum
of understanding that it
would continue to meet with
the city and work out details
by a set time frame. He said
that the county’s new grant
writer, Tammy Selman, is
working on two grants that
will help the county provide
water service in the north
end of the county, and For
syth is expected to partner in
a grant for Monroe County
Hospital.
Monroe County’s new
grant writer, Tammy Selman,
said she is working on a
water grant for the John-
stonville Road area that is
due Sept. 9. She called and
learned that she can submit
two projects on the same
application if they are within
the same scope, but she isn’t
sure how scope is defined
for the application. She is de
termining whether to submit
a project for the High Falls
area on the same application
or submit two applications.
She said she’s leaning toward
two applications rather than
jeopardizing the approval of
one by adding the second.
Commissioner Eddie
Rowland said there’s a good
number of people at High
Falls who don’t have good
water or electrical service.
The project would be for
$3.1 million in the Brushy
Creek subdivision area.
He said the Johnstonville
Road project would save the
county about $100,000/ year.
Hedges said the county has
enough money to do the
projects without the grants,
but the grants will free
money for other needs.
Selman is also working on
a U.S.D.A. grant for up to $1
million for Monroe County
Hospital, but the city has to
be the backing entity in the
application process rather
than the county. The applica
tion is due Oct. 12.
“There are a lot of points
here that need to be hashed
out in separate discussion,”
said Rowland.
Wilson said the county had
agreed to work with the city
on providing water to the
north end of the county sev
eral years ago and had not
followed up with an agree
ment. He acknowledged that
none of the current commis
sioners were on the board at
that time, however.
“If not now, when?,” said
Wilson. “We have the impe
tus now;’
Ambrose said the city had
a year to bring the discussion
of water for the H&H prop
erty to the county from the
time of the annexation panel
in late 2020 but never came
to the county with a plan for
water. Tapley said the county
proposes that Forsyth supply
water at a base line amount
of $3/1,000 gallons, tapping
onto the county’s water lines
at Smith Road. He asked
Hall the average amount the
city charges for water. Hall
said she didn’t know because
there are different rates
for apartment complexes,
commercial, residential and
maybe other customers. She
said she guesses the average
would be about $4/1,000
gallons.
“I agree this is something
that should have come to
the table before, instead of
you holding us hostage,” said
Tapley.
Wilson said that because
service delivery, mean
ing what services city and
county governments provide
to citizens, is one of the
criteria for deciding how to
divide LOST revenue. He
thinks it is a perfect time to
insist on an agreement for
providing water to the H&H
property.
“How does this look to the
public?” asked Davis. “Let’s
work as a team. We’ve agreed
on the other things. Were
only asking for one.”
“A decision this profound,
that’s going to be from
here on out—I don’t want
someone 15 years from now
trying to fix it,” said Row
land. “We need to dig down
in the weeds.”
Rowland said he wanted
more input from the county
attorney and the county
manager on all the implica
tions of the water agreement.
Wilson said that’s why he
said come back in a month
and talk some more about
LOST. Davis stated that’s
why the county offered a
memorandum of under
standing to work out the
water issue by the end of the
year. Wilson responded that
he’s sure some citizens will
be glad if the LOST tax goes
away.
If Forsyth and Monroe
County can’t reach an
agreement and the tax is
rescinded, the local sales tax
would go down from 8 to 7
percent. But the county can
come back to voters and ask
for a county-only LOST at
3/4 cent/dollar rather than
DOGS
Continued from 1A
strength of junior running back Duke
Watson’s 290 yards rushing, which
set a new school record. Watson’s feat
broke the school record Rico Lyons set
in 2010 when he had 260 yards rush
ing in a 27-24 win over Jackson.
Watson wasted little time taking
control of the game. On MP’s first play
from scrimmage after taking the open
ing kickoff, Watson dashed 79 yards
for the touchdown. Ryan Bankston’s
PAT made it 7-0.
On the ensuing kickoff, Nelson
called for an onsides kick to try to take
early control of the game. MP recov
ered the kick, but it just before it went
a full 10 yards required. Spalding could
do nothing with its good field position,
though, and punted it back to MP.
When MP failed to convert on
fourth down moments later, Spald
ing again had good field position at
its own 42, and this time made the
Bulldogs pay. Junior Jaguar quarter
back Curt Clark had the big play of the
drive, running for 20 yards. He capped
it with two short passes, the last one
for 6 yards and the touchdown. The
PAT tied the game at 7 with 3:31 left in
the first.
But MP would score on its next five
possessions to put the game out of
reach. First, the Bulldogs responded
with a heavy dose of Mr. Watson.
Duke carried the ball 7 times as MP
drove to the Spalding 30. And then
offensive coordinator Jason Mor
row fooled everyone in the stadium.
Instead of giving it to Watson, quar
terback Logan Hickman handed it to
junior RJ Holder who darted around
the left end for 30 yards and his first
career touchdown. Bankston’s PAT
made it 14-7 with 8:39 left in the sec
ond quarter.
Spalding responded in four plays,
the last of which saw quarterback Curt
Clark keeping it and running 49 yards
for the score. But the Jags missed the
extra point and MP held to a thin 14-
13 lead with 7:34 until half.
Starting at its own 28, MP mounted
a 7-play drive keyed by Hickman’s 36
yard pass to junior receiver Ty Dumas.
The Bulldogs drove to the Spalding 5
yard line but the Jags stuffed Watson
for two short gains, setting up a 4th
and 3. That’s when Hickman found
senior Kham Little for a 5 yard touch
down and Bankston’s PAT made it 21-
13 with 4:54 left in the second quarter.
The MP defense stiffened to force a
punt, a poor one that gave the Bull
dogs the ball at the Spalding 38 with
less than 2 minutes to go. Watson
ripped off runs of 11,19 and finally
5 yards for another TD to put the
Bulldogs in the driver’s seat. Bankston’s
kick made it 28-13 with 1:06 left until
half.
Just as MP seemed to be pulling
away, Spalding jumped right back into
contention to start the second half.
The Jags returned the opening kickoff
19 yards to their own 44 yard line. And
then speedy Jaguar QB Curt Clark
struck again on the third play of the
drive, scoring from 38 yards out. The
2-point conversion made it a one score
game at 28-21.
But MP had an answer, and his name
was Duke Watson. On its first drive
of the second half, Watson carried for
4 yards on first down. Then on 2 and
6 from the MP 31, Watson darted 69
yards for his second long touchdown
of the night.
And then coach Nelson called for
the dagger, MP’s second onsides kick
of the night. This time it was success
ful as senior Ryan Jenkins recovered
the ball at the Spalding 47 yard line.
Next, on 3rd and 4 from the Jaguar 41,
Watson ripped off another big run of
38 yards. And on first and goal from
the 3, Champ Brantley got the score.
The kick was wide left but MP was in
command 41-21.
The teams traded punts in the fourth
until Spalding went to the air, and
converted a fourth down while driving
15 plays to the MP 25. And on 4th
and 18, freshman quarterback Darnell
“The Created Player” Kelley found a
receiver for the touchdown against
MP’s defensive reserves with 2:10 left
in the game.
Coach’s son Mac Nelson went in at
quarterback as the Bulldogs ran out
the clock for the 41-28 win. Hickman
was an efficient 9 of 14 passing and
with Watson’s 290 yards the Bull
dogs totalled a whopping 540 yards
of offense. Junior linebacker Jacobi
Jones led the Bulldog defense with 16
tackles.
Coach Nelson said MP continues to
improve after that rough pre-season
scrimmage at Houston County.
“We’ve just got to keep doing it,” said
Nelson, noting they’re real young in
the trenches, with two sophomores
starting on the offensive line.
1-cent/dollar. The county
will lose money while it
waits for the referendum to
be on a ballot and then go
into effect, if the referendum
passes. The city will lose
money indefinitely. Hedges
said the county will find
ways to make up the LOST
revenue. The county could
raise property taxes 2.8 mills
for a year and reduce them
the next year if a county
LOST referendum passes.
“We have an obligation to
set the budget and move for
ward. There’s more stress as
the deadline gets closer. The
point has been made there
will be no concessions on
the city’s part,” said Tapley.
“We want to get the certifi
cate done. We have plenty of
time on H&H. They’re not
even breaking ground on
anything.”
“H&H is now in the city.
It’s our responsibility’ said
Hewett.
“It’s in the county too,” said
Tapley.
Hedges explained that the
dates for bringing in a me
diator were May 1-July 1 and
that a mediator on LOST
could only make a recom
mendation; the mediator’s
decision is non-binding. The
commissioners said they
were willing to sign an agree
ment to the top three points
and an attached memoran
dum of understanding to
work out details on water
service to the H&H property
by the end of the year. Wil
son again said the city didn’t
have a quorum and couldn’t
sign an agreement.
“When you smile and
laugh about it, it’s disturbing,”
said Tapley.
Ambrose said that because
the city had threatened to get
a negotiator, the county had
paid a negotiator $12,000 for
advice on the LOST division
with the city. The negotiator
advised that the county was
entitled to 80 percent of the
LOST revenue based on the
2020 census and other fac
tors. The city used informa
tion from Georgia Municipal
Association rather than
hiring a negotiator; their
information said they could
justify 27 percent, but they
came to the Aug. 12 negation
asking for 30 percent. The
county agreed to placing city
representatives on the Hos
pital Authority and Develop
ment Authority.
“Let it go. We concede and
concede and offer and offer,”
said Tapley. “Davis is right.
There’s no reason to meet.”
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AM
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50 N .Jackson Street • Forsyth, GA 3 1029 • 478-994-2358 • www.mymcr.net
TEAM STATS
MP
SC
First Downs
15
13
Rushing yds.
427
249
Passing yds.
113
112
Total yards
540
361
Comp-Att-Int
9-14-0
15-27-0
Fumbles-Lost
0-0
2-0
Penalties
5-35
881
1
2 3
4
T
SPALDING 7
6 8
7
28
MP 7
21 13
O
41
SPALDING VS. MP
BULLDOG SCORING
First Quarter
• Duke Watson 79 yard run (Bankston kick)
Second Quarter
• RJ Holder 30 yard run (Bankston kick)
• Kham Little 5 yard catch (Bankston kick)
• Duke Watson 5 yard run (Bankston kick)
Third Quarter
• Duke Watson 69 yard run (Bankston kick)
• Champ Brantley 3 yard run (kick no good)
INDIVIDUAL MP STATS
OFFENSE
RUSHING
Player
Carries Yards
TDs
Duke Watson
24 290
3
RJ Holder
10 71
1
Logan Hickman
3 36
Champ Brantley
5 20
1
Marcus Gunter
2 10
PASSING
Comp.
Att. Yards TDs INTs
Logan Hickman 9
14 113 1
O
RECEIVING
Rec.
Yards TDs
Duke Watson 1
2
Kham Little 3
49 1
Ty Dumas 2
42
Carter Campbell 3
20
PUNTING
Punts Average
Long
Ryan Bankston
DEFENSE
1 39
39
TACKLES
Tackles
Assists
Jacobi Jones 2
Champ Brantley 5
Nic Arnold 3
Timarion Grier 3
14
Brandon Alford 2
2