I’m on thin ice here, I acknowledge, and welcome someone with understanding and knowledge greater than mine. But consider these items drawn from disparate sources:
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The 2005 SPLOST will have raised its goal prior to the 2009 target date: “This SPLOST is set to run until March 2009, but officials say that by the end of June the $87 million that voters approved in a 2005 referendum will have been raised.” (”Commissioners: SPLOST windfall should go toward tax relief” macon.com 5/18/2008)
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The Bibb County commissioners want to use any excess SPLOST money collected through 2009 to roll back property taxes: “Without the ability to end the tax prematurely, commissioners have suggested they will take the county’s proceeds between June 2008 and March of 2009 and use them for property tax relief - regardless of what the city chooses to do with its 33 percent portion of the total SPLOST funds collected.” (Id.)
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The City of Macon, on the other hand, apparently wants to keeps its share of the excess SPLOST funds collected. Further, an important City Council committee wants to dip into the excess SPLOST funds pot to pay for the greater cost to the city to operate garbage collection services over that which would be charged by private enterprise: “To replace revenue lost by not privatizing, (City Council Appropriations Committee members Tom Ellington, Virgil Watkins and Elaine Lucas) are likely to target a currently unused $7.5 million pot of money that officials estimate Macon will earn in excess SPLOST funding. There has been debate whether that money can be budgeted because residents were told it would go only toward specific projects when they approved the penny sales tax in 2005.” (”Council committee continues looking for cuts in mayor’s proposed budget” macon.com 6/12/2008)
Question #1: Did the 2005 SPLOST seek to collect only a certain amount?
Question #2: If so, will the 2005 SPLOST actually collect in excess of that amount?
Question #3: If so, is the city seeking to retain the excess SPLOST funds?
Question #4: If so, is it appropriate for these funds to be used to supplement general operating funds of the city as they would appearto be doing if they were used to supplement garbage collection services.
Someone who knows something about this help us out. (Of course, anyone is welcome to chime in, expert or not.
28 responses so far ↓
1 Ima Thinkin // Jun 13, 2008 at 10:13 am
and one other thing:
What does Mike Cranford mean by “…eliminating vacant positions….”?
Do we have vacant positions that are not being advertised? Go to the City of Macon website and look under “City employment” to see what positions they are trying to fill. Some of these positions are pretty damn important and are being handled by other city employees who have had to step up to the plate. Let’s see, there’s a position open for a police officer, a firefighter, a CAO, a FAO, a 911 operator, and an assistant for Solid Waste Management. Yeah, let’s get rid of some of these. They’re not important.(???) Consider who has had to take on the extra BURDEN of getting these jobs done: Mike Anthony, acting CAO; the officers of an “adequately staffed” police department, the 911 operator who is responsible for emergency dispatch. Will they have to continue bearing the load?
“…eliminating vacant positions….” sounds like a good idea, but it is actually protecting some city employees at the expense of other city employees and the CITIZENS OF MACON.
This whole budget thing just torks my cookies! Hell, I don’t even know if I’m posting under the right topic!!
GOOD MORNING, MACON, GEORGIA
2 Ima Thinkin // Jun 13, 2008 at 11:50 am
…and would someone please explain this:
“None of the three want the outsourcing of trash collection tied to the budget because THEY FEEL IT FORCES THE ISSUE ON THEM.”
Leave the SPLOST money alone and privatize trash collection. (Anchor, I really am trying to get back on topic, ha!)
3 Charles W. Bishop // Jun 13, 2008 at 12:10 pm
The SPLOST ballot was written to eliminate misuse. Use for any purpose other than to pay off debt that existed when the SPLOST was voted in will violate the Public Trust. Building that trust was not easy. It will be easy to destroy it I believe County government is much better off today than almost 4 years ago
when I took office as Chairman. We were faced with the Brown & Williamson
closing and a loss of 2,500 jobs. Bill Vaughn, who had been Bibb County’s
Finance Officer for many years and later became Bibb County’s first CAO,
prepared for Bibb County a five year plan, taking into account the Brown &
Williamson closing. He made projections for 5 years. It was a dismal picture -
$900,000 in the red with no reserve and no fund balance if we continued in the
direction we were headed.
I convinced Bill and we convinced the public that we needed a SPLOST which the
public approved through a referendum. We didn’t just stop with the SPLOST. We
focused on growing Bibb through Economic Development and quietly, by necessity,
worked to bring new industry and help expand existing industry.
My campaign platform was built on addressing four issues: JOBS, TAXES, LAW
ENFORCEMENT, & EDUCATION
I made promises pertaining to each of these issues. I promised:
…to grow JOBS for Bibb County – in 4 years we added 4,000 jobs through
expansions and new businesses. This was done through a coalition between the
Chamber of Commerce, MEDC, Industrial Authority and Bibb County government. Each
new business brought in is the direct result of cooperation of those agencies,
of which I am a participating member.
…TAXES - I have worked to hold down property taxes and cut spending. I believe
in growing the tax base rather than increasing taxes. We have accomplished that
with $603 million of investments in Bibb County over the past four years.
There has been a $1.6 million increase in sales tax over the last 4 years due to
retail sales. Payment in lieu of taxes has also helped the economy. Were it not
for the SPLOST and the increase in jobs, our Finance Officer’s
predictions/projections would have become a sad reality.
…LAW ENFORCEMENT. Having been a former law enforcement officer, I am very
familiar with the needs for effective law enforcement. During my term as
Chairman of the Bibb County Commission, the increase in funding for law
enforcement has been close to a 30+% increase or close to $8 million. For more
than 20 years, there has been a mandate from the federal courts to replace our
jail. The new state-of-the-art law enforcement facility has been built, has been
fully staffed and built within budget. The jail was funded through the SPLOST
with a large portion of that money coming from outside the community and not as
a burden to property owners. Because of my years of service in law enforcement,
my pledge to the taxpayers of Bibb County is to provide law enforcement with the
tools to do their job. The funding the Commission has provided and the new law
enforcement center have resulted in a drop in crime in our community.
…EDUCATION It is my belief that in order to insure that the Board of Education
was responsible to the taxpayers, they needed to be autonomous. The voters
approved this measure and they now set their own milage rate. At election time,
the Board of Education members are accountable to the people for how they spend
taxpayers’ money. We have worked with them to see that the tax dollars are spent
wisely on the education of our young people. Our children are our future.
I think I have addressed the four issues of my platform over the past four years
and I will continue to address the issues in the future so that we not only grow
Bibb County but that we will be fiscally responsible when spending the
taxpayers’ money. I am happy to say that the County’s unallocated reserve
increased from 5million to 9million and the county’s fund balance increased from
18 million to 25 million. Bibb County is indeed much better off than we were
when I took office of Chairman of the Bibb County Commission. I have served the
County as a dedicated Public Servant and when re-elected will continue to
provide proven conservative responsible leadership protecting your tax dollars.
I firmly believe that intergrity is most important in government today and
without the public trust, you can’t get anything done. Anytime an elected
official is depending on his position to increase his personal wealth, he ceases
to be an effective leader. I pledge to the people of Bibb County that I will
leave a legacy of public service and not one of self service. In closing, I want
to again pledge to the property tax payers of Bibb County, to return the excess
collected from the SPLOST because, when the SPLOST was placed on the ballot, the
language dictated that any excess would be used for property tax relief. I thank
the people of Bibb County for allowing me to serve as your Chairman. I ask these
same people to turn out in record number on election day so I can continue to
serve.
4 gladiator // Jun 13, 2008 at 1:50 pm
I wonder, is the Bass Pro Shop located in Bibb or Monroe? This just occurred to me since I never knew which county got them.
5 gladiator // Jun 13, 2008 at 1:52 pm
Nevermind–a smarter than me person just said “Silly, of course they are in Bibb.”
6 missoldmacon // Jun 13, 2008 at 2:43 pm
“Forces the issue on them”?? What kind of statement is that? Is it better to sit around with your head in the sand - - or fiddle while Macon (aka Rome) burns?
Leadership - - ? Some don’t even know which letter of the alphabet that word begins with.
7 KickRocksBishop // Jun 13, 2008 at 5:40 pm
Bishop you have done more bad for this community than anything, before you got here, you and the rest of your clan along with Jack Ellis, this county was on the way to being a 300,000 thousand plus community. Now we’ve been stuck at 150,000 with the county and city going in different directions, im not sure if you’re one of the citizens of unicorporated Bibb County who believe the county can survive without the city, but the city is what got you elected and I think you tend to forget that. The county is just as important as the city and visa versa, and in many ways there the same.
Let’s begin with the education, for years we’ve put up with a unnecassary growing number of high schools which contribute more than one way to the reason the local sports suck because talent is so spread out. Along with increasing high schools the BOE has been buying new land and building new school leaving old one’s vacant causing health hazards and leaving the county lookingdistressed. I know the BOE is its own governing body and with that you shouldn’t be taking credit for anything the BOE does successful which is something that happens every blue moon. However if you insist on taking credit, could you tell me where all that money went the BOE supposedly lost.
8 KickRocksBishop // Jun 13, 2008 at 5:40 pm
And if you would like to be SpellCheck be my guest.
9 gladiator // Jun 13, 2008 at 8:43 pm
Rather than spellcheck, let us just remember the recent memory of what happened when money got usededed for stuff that nobody thought it was gonna get useded for…I think that is the kind of thinking that ends up problematic, regardless.
10 Cotton Avenue Solon // Jun 13, 2008 at 10:55 pm
Anchor, I see a potential revenue stream here for WMCC News. Why should local politicos such as Rear Admiral Bishop use this media outlet gratis when they are tooting their own horn?
Don’t forget that Rear Admiral Bishop will not hesitate to attack the City of Macon again like he did several weeks ago. His naval armada is still cruising the Ocmulgee River to insure the defeat of consolidation.
At $20 per line, he owes you at least $1,250 for “political advertising”. Send him an invoice today.
11 Ima Thinkin // Jun 13, 2008 at 11:06 pm
Gladiator, if my memory serves me correctly, Bass Pro Shop is part of the spoils in the Bibb/Monroe county line argument.
Am I wrong?
12 Ima Thinkin // Jun 13, 2008 at 11:48 pm
Cotton, Anchor extended the invitation: “Of course, anyone is welcome to chime in, expert or not.” but he also said “Someone who knows something about this help us out.” His were genuine questions, Mr. Bishop, to which you could have provided direct answers. Instead, you chose to ignore them and campaign. Sir, your disdain for the city of Macon, it’s administration and council is widely known. I’ll start listening to you when you stop dividing and conquering and when you learn how to use the pronoun “we”. Please remember,the citizens of Macon voted in a new mayor and council. In our quest to rid ourselves of the past 8 years, we support them. I thank you for your service, but I’m not interested in what you have done for Bibb County in the past. I’m looking for a Chairman who will support Macon in our endeavors for the future.
13 Charles W. Bishop // Jun 13, 2008 at 11:53 pm
Surely, Solon, you can understand that I am a proven fiscally responsible conservative who will protect your tax dollars just as I do funds from my campaign contributors. By using all public means to get my message out, I have saved $1250 by your estimate. Thank you for the compliment. On the down side, I believe the Anchor will allow my critics equal time to “wear me out.”
14 gladiator // Jun 14, 2008 at 1:51 pm
Dear Ima:
Girl, you are my expert. I don’t understand nuffin bout birthin no babies, and I sho don’t understand much on local politics, (I get what I know from you and Cotton, and the New York Times! teehee)
Seriously, someone like my better half thinks that Bass Pro does share its spoils with Bibb/Monroe. Good call, as usual. And part of the reason I know anything about national politics, if I do, was due to Russert on Sunday mornings. I am very sad.
15 gladiator // Jun 14, 2008 at 1:52 pm
Ooops, I forgot to say that Anchor and Augustus also inform me a bit on local stuff. Sometimes Anchor and ‘Gus remind me of each other.
16 gladiator // Jun 14, 2008 at 2:16 pm
But even the local politics neophyte that I am, I could see through the longest post in this hyar thread.
17 Cotton Avenue Solon // Jun 14, 2008 at 5:16 pm
Chairman Bishop, aside from the political parody & satire found on these pages, I do acknowledge your fiscal conservatism, and I applaud your efforts towards responsibility and accountability in government.
But, we cannot continue on the present course of maintaining two local governments…it is utter insanity. The $603 million in business & industrial investments is a wonderful example of county-wide cooperation, but can you imagine what we have lost in the last 25-30 years?
One unified local government along with MEDC (the “M” stands for Macon) is our ticket for the future if we want our city-county & our region to progress economically. Let’s tear down the walls that separate us!
I urge all local residents to never again support any candidate for political office that does not want to work for the full consolidation of our two governments. Will you say the same?
18 Charles W Bishop // Jun 14, 2008 at 7:25 pm
I agree that we should all be working toward consolidation. If you expect the voters to vote for consolidation, you can’t just tell them that consolidation is the ticket to the future. You have got to have a financial plan that everyone who pays taxes understands. I have publicly stated that an independent financial study should be conducted and financial plan be developed that fully takes into account all cost and savings. Efficency of services possibly could be a selling point. Downsizing is an absolute necessity. Privatizing of some services would be a neccessity. You see what is happening now with City Council on that issue. Another problem that comes up with the sales of consolidation to the public is the number of salespersons. When I have to buy a very expensive item, I want know that salesperson is telling me the truth about the product. We have got to weed out the “snake oil” salesman. They just hurt the cause. Let’s just get the facts for the voters, tell them the truth and let them vote. We can’t afford to make the same mistake Augusta did. Let’s do some planning now instead of continuing to see things get worse. Integrity and public trust is the key to getting anything done. I only want what is best for all the people living in Macon. I would never be opposed to any form of government that is more efficent or saves money for the tax payer. Lastly for my free political ad. I will continue to provide proven conservative responsible leadership protecting your tax dollars. Vote Charles Bishop on the Republican Ballot July !5
19 Charles W Bishop // Jun 14, 2008 at 7:48 pm
The answer to Question #1 is Yes $87 Million
The answer to Question # 2 is Yes
The answer to Question # 3 is Yes
The answer to Question # 4 is debateable and requires legal opinion
Mayor Reichart and I are in agreement on this issue.
“I Am Thinkin ” that I did say how I felt about using the SPLOST for it’s intended purpose and said to do otherwise would violate the public trust
20 augustus // Jun 14, 2008 at 8:20 pm
Gladiator, I am not sure if that is a compliment or not … hmmm. I bet I am the handsomest!
21 rayjay // Jun 14, 2008 at 8:46 pm
Go Charley.YOU SEEM TO BE WALKING IN HIGH COTTON.GOOD LUCK.COTTON THAT OUGHT TO BRING A RESPONCE.
22 gladiator // Jun 14, 2008 at 10:43 pm
Augustus should not have worries about such trivial matters as relative beauty when the importance is that of being earnest.
23 gladiator // Jun 14, 2008 at 10:44 pm
And Anchor posts his pic. I think he must look exactly like that so you be the judge.
24 Ima Thinkin // Jun 14, 2008 at 11:30 pm
Thank you, Chairman Bishop, for publicly saying that you agree with Mayor Reichert on this issue. I’d really like to hear declarations like this more often from both fronts.
25 Cotton Avenue Solon // Jun 16, 2008 at 6:50 pm
My response is plain and simple, RayJay:
Elimination, Reduction, Efficiency, and Consolidation.
26 augustus // Jun 16, 2008 at 7:09 pm
Glad, it is possible to be handsome and earnest at the same time, in no particular order.
27 KickRocksBishop // Jun 17, 2008 at 8:53 pm
I agree with Cotton that is a great 4 Step Plan that should be on the desk of council and commisioners ASAP. BIshop do you get it 4, not 10, 11, or 12, but just four. You can count that on your fingers.
28 oscar // Jun 21, 2008 at 11:09 am
right
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