Newspaper Page Text
Page 8C
October 5, 2022
iEeporter
City, county reach sales tax deal
By Diane Glidewell
news@mymcr.net
After discussion at its council meet
ing on Oct. 3 Forsyth agreed to accept
Monroe County’s proposal for shar
ing the proceeds of the Local Option
Sales Tax (LOST) for the next 10 years,
with a few changes in verbiage. Two
work sessions with representatives of
the county and Forsyth on the plan to
divide the revenue in accordance with
the 2020 census had failed to reach an
agreement, and the county and city
face losing the tax if they don’t submit
an agreement to the state before the
end of the year.
City manager Janice Hall told council
that she met with county manager Jim
Hedges, as the council had designated
her to do, to work toward a compro
mise on the issues which commission
ers and council members had not been
able to resolve. She had been present
at the two work sessions between the
county and Forsyth, which also includ
ed a representative of Monroe County’s
only other municipality, Culloden.
Hall said that the county and Forsyth
had agreed to have Forsyth name a
representative on the Hospital Author
ity and the Monroe County Develop
ment Authority and had agreed there
would be a master meter installed on
the north end of the county and the
city would sell water to the county at
$3/1,000 gallons. They agreed that
Culloderfs share of the tax would be 2.4
percent.
The county had balked at delegating
water and sewer service on over 1,000
acres recently annexed by Forsyth
along 1-75 north of the city to Forsyth,
and the city wasn’t satisfied with the
county’s request to increase its percent
of the tax from 75 percent to 78 percent
based on the population shift shown by
the 2020 census. Hall said she had re
ceived a proposal from the county that
afternoon to make its portion of LOST
77.1 percent and Forsyth’s portion 20.5
percent.
Hall said it is currently estimated
that LOST will generate $7.4 million in
revenue in 2022. She said the change
in percentage would decrease revenue
for Forsyth by $148,000, from $1.67
million to $1.5 million. However, Hall
noted that Forsyth budgeted for $ 1.2
million in revenue from LOST in 2022
and now expects $1.67 million; so a
decrease to $1.5 million in the 2023
budget shouldn’t adversely affect the
budget.
Council member Mike Dodd mo
tioned to table discussion on LOST
until council members could discuss
it privately. Mayor Eric Wilson said
he didn’t think LOST discussion was
something the city could do legally
behind closed doors. Wilson asked
Dodd to add to his motion how long to
table LOST discussion. When council
members were asked to vote on the
motion to table, Dodd asked to remove
the motion.
Council member Chris Hewett then
motioned to approve a resolution to
accept the county’s proposal. Hall rec
ommended that Forsyth ask the county
to include a time frame for connect
ing water service in the northern part
of the county to the city’s water lines.
When the county does so it will begin
buying water from Forsyth instead of
the Butts County Water Authority. She
said the county had previously agreed
to do so in 2014 but hadn’t followed
through. She said she estimates it will
take the county at least two years to
draw up the specifications for the water
line; so that would be a reasonable time
line.
Wilson said the city should also ask
for clearer language regarding the ap
pointments to the Hospital Authority
and the Development Authority since
the city will nominate the persons it
wants to represent it, but the county
will make the appointments.
Monroe County Board of Commis
sioners chair Greg Tapley said the city
and county are in agreement on the
city’s representation on the boards and
the county will be glad to make the
language clearer. He said he couldn’t
speak for all commissioners but didn’t
feel there would be any opposition to
including a two-year timeline on the
water connection.
“My concern is continuing the tax
inequities that aren’t addressed,” said
Dodd.
“We’ve kicked this can down the
road until it’s full of dents,” said Hewett.
“From what I’ve read a lot of cities have
taken a lot less.”
“We will always have this argument,
our numbers versus their numbers.
Next time I hope we get someone not
concerned at all and let them put in the
numbers,” said Stroud. “We represent
the city and want to get the most for
the city. I don’t feel this is a victory for
the city)’
“There are so many subjective things.
I feel kind of beaten down,” said Wil
son. “The county is getting more, but
were part of the county. At the end of
the day we are where we are. In nego
tiations you don’t get all you want.”
“We’re getting some things we want,”
said council member John Howard. “I
can live with it.”
Council voted unanimously, 6-0, to
sign the LOST agreement with the ver
biage changes designated and the time
line for the water connection. Tapley
said commissioners would be asked to
approve the agreement at their meeting
on Tuesday, Oct. 4.
The LOST agreement between
Forsyth, Culloden and Monroe County
will be prepared for all three entities to
sign and will then be sent to the state. It
will remain in effect until after the 2030
census.
Hurricane traps dad of Forsyth postal carrier
Forsyth postal carrier Teresa Sherman shows a
photo of the damage her dad sent her.
A 25-year Forsyth postal carrier
told the Reporter that her father is
trapped at his North Fort Myers,
Fla. home after Hurricane Ian. Te
resa Sherman said her father, Kin
Sherman, has lived in Florida since
1964 but has never seen the kind
of destruction he’s seeing now.
“He’s gone though (hurricanes)
Irwin and Charlie, but this is the
worst,” said Teresa.
Kin was able to talk to his daugh
ter after a cell tower was temporar
ily restored. He said they endured
110 mph winds and their road,
Golden Road, was a river. “They
can’t get out,” said Teresa, “they’re
trapped.”
The hurricane removed a shed,
power pole and carport — all gone
or destroyed. Kin said it’ll be three
months before they get power
restored. He said Florida residents
are required to erect their own
power pole after a hurricane to
have their power fixed.
Teresa said her dad does have a
generator but he only has six cans
full of gas and not sure he’ll be able
to get more.
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