Community members stepped up to show their support for the removal of members of the Jones County Tax Assessors at the Board of Commissioners December meeting.
Board Chairman Chris Weidner called the Dec. 3 meeting to order. The opening prayer and pledge were led by Pastor John Echols with Gray Community Church.
Board appointments were first on the agenda. Weidner read the names and their reappointments, which were voted on as a group.
Marion Hatton was reappointed to the Jones County Elections Board for a four-year term.
Joy Carr and Weidner were reappointed to the Middle Georgia Regional Commission Board for one-year terms.
Hal Creek was reappointed to the P&Z Board and the Board of Appeals and Adjustments for a five-year term.
Joy Carr and Daylon Martin were reappointed to the Central Georgia Joint Development Authority Board for fouryear terms.
The reappointments were unanimously approved.
In the visitor portion of the agenda, Matt Simms brought the commissioners a petition with 179 signatures requesting the removal of the three remaining members of the Board of Tax Assessors.
Simms said the reason for the petition was the county’s continued failing of the Sales Tax Ratio Audit and other alarming activities of the board members.
The second visitor was an emissary of the General Marquis de Lafayette, John Trussell, co-chair of American Friends of Lafayette, Georgia Committee Georgia Sons of the American Revolution. Trussell said Lafyette was an important person in the American Revolution. The speaker said the Marquis returned to the United States in1824, invited by President James Monroe, to celebrate the nation’s 50th anniversary. Lafayette went on a 13-month farewell tour of America that took him to 24 states.
Trussell said, during that tour, Lafayette spent 11 days in Georgia.
“He was greeted as a hero,” he said. “He went to Milledgeville, which was the state capitol at the time. We want to celebrate his passage through Jones County on the courthouse steps March 27.”
Commissioner Wendy Vaughn said the house she grew up in was “the stagecoach stop” that is 17 miles from Milledgeville and 17 miles from Macon.
Earlene Hamilton said the Old Clinton Historical Society is supportive of the event but felt it was better suited for Gray because of the number of people participating.
New Business
Parks and Recreation Director Bert Rosenberger presented the results of a bid opening for the pickle ball courts project. He said there were four bids, and Matchpoint Tennis was the lowest bidder in the amount of $273,000.
Rosenberger said the bid covers the courts, fencing and sidewalks.
Commissioner Daylon Martin made the motion to approve the bid, and the vote was unanimous.
Brennan Jackson, who serves as chairman of the Keep Jones Beautiful Commission, presented board members with the annual report from 2024, showing events and promotions.
Vaughn said the Haddock Christmas Festival was well received and thanked KJB for its help.
“It was great for the first time. I’ve received lots of good comments,” she said.
Jackson said there would be two changes for next year’s calendar. He said the KJB board members decided to scale back to two clean-up events for the county. He also said the commission would go into schools as requested and needed.
Jackson said they had been requested to assist pre-K in 2024.
Agreeing on a date for the 2026 Great American Cleanup was the next item. Following a discussion, it was agreed the date would be March 29.
County Administrator Jason Rizner presented a resolution to comply with HB 451, which requires the county to have a First Responder PTSD Insurance program. Kitchens made the motion to adopt the resolution, and its was approved unanimously.
Old Business
Commissioners considered an amendment to the county’s Master Service Agreement with Tri-CoGo for use of remaining broadband funds. The original agreement was adopted Feb. 10, 2022. The remaining funds are in the amount of $805,270.
The topic was discussed in a work session prior to the board meeting.
Kitchens made the motion to use the funds for broadband in the area of Joycliff Circle, Jones Acres/Virginia/Yukon, New Clinton Road/Clifton Ridge, Whitaker Road, River Road, and Oliver Green Road.
The motion was approved unanimously.
The final agenda item was a discussion about an ordinance for package sales in the county that was approved by voters on the Nov. 5 ballot. Rizner went over several items that needed to be considered when developing the ordinance that will govern the stores in county.
“We need guidance for what to include,” the administrator said.
Martin suggested that a work session was needed and made a motion to table the issue. It was also suggested that input was needed from the sheriff’s office.
Commissioners voted unanimously to table the discussion, and a work session scheduled for the first meeting in January.
Comments
Gray Mayor Pro Tem James Collins voiced the city’s support for the commissioners’ decision to remove the remaining members of the Board of Tax Assessors.
“When something is affecting people’s lives, those in charge need to know what they are doing,” Collins said.
Rosenberger announced that two Jones County Youth Football teams won their district championships and were headed to the state competition. He also stated that youth basketball had begun.
Laurinda Mason with Public Works gave an update on department progress and workorders.
“We have 10 pending work orders and have completed over 100,” she said.
Code Enforcement Officer Tiffany Davis said two dilapidated houses had been taken down, and she was working on four more.
The meeting was adjourned to go into closed session at 6:34 p.m. and was reconvened at 7:35 p.m. Kitchens made a motion to approve the removal letter for the Jones County Board of Tax Assessors that included a proposed public hearing Dec. 19 at 6 p.m. or Jan. 7 at 4 p.m. pending legal determination.
The motion was approved with a vote of 4-1 with Martin opposed. Following that motion, the meeting was adjourned.
The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Commissioners is Jan. 7.
