GRAY CITY COUNCIL
Gray’s City Council members adopted the city’s 2022 tax rate and approved the city’s 2023 budget at their October meeting.
Mayor Ed Barbee called the Oct. 3 meeting to order. All councilmen were in attendance with the exception of Councilman Benny Gray.
The first item of new business was a question from Realtor Reagan Skinner about garbage pickup at his business, RM Studios in Gray. Skinner said he hoped the problem had been resolved but thought it was still worthy of discussion. He said the trash dumpster that serves the multi-office business was not being picked up.
The realtor said he was unaware that the garbage pickup was handled through the city and attempted to contact Waste Management directly. He said his attempts did not produce much but confusion. Skinner said after contacting Mayor Pro Tem James Collins, the trash container was picked up. He said it appeared the records were incorrect with the company, and his building was listed as having a hand cart.
Skinner said he hopes the issue is resolved, but in the case the container is not picked up again, wanted to know his options.
Councilman Terry Favors said for Skinner to call City Hall and let the city handle it.
Collins explained the city has a contract with Waste Management, and everyone in the city has to be included to get the rate the city pays.
“I’m sorry this happened,” the Mayor Pro Tem said. The service for the city’s trash collection is currently being bid out.
Skinner said he wanted to put the problem on record in case any other businesses were having a problem.
Collins commented that Waste Management had been responsive to the city when problems are reported.
Item 2 on the agenda was a resolution to establish the city’s millage rate for the calendar year of 2022. The gross rate in 14.11 mills with a roll back rate of 4.61. The resulting millage rate is 9.50 net mills, which is the city’s current rate.
The motion to adopt the millage rate was made by Councilman Terrell Fulford and unanimously approved.
The next resolution was to adopt the 2023 budget for the city. The budget consists of the General Fund, Gray Police Department, Police Confiscation/ Drug Account, Municipal Court, Main Street Gray, Fire Department, Street Department expenses and ARPA.
The total of the city’s 2023 budget is $2,576,250. Fulford made the motion to adopt the budget, and the vote to approve was unanimous.
Keeping with the financial theme, the next item on the agenda was salary adjustments for department heads that had been discussed in a previous personnel committee meeting.
The motion to approve the adjustments was approved unanimously.
Council members unanimously approved a beer, wine and liquor pouring license for Benjamin Cook, the new proprietor of Bent Axle Neighborhood Grille.
A contract with Tax Specialists of Georgia-Southeast LLC was unanimously approved for a Sales & Use Tax Refund Engagement Agreement.
The bid of $16,700 was awarded to Rescorp, LLC to replace the roof on the city’s water treatment plant roof. Rescorp was not the low bidder but was selected because of the 10-year warranty for the roof, as opposed to a 2-year warranty from the other bidder.
The final agenda item was a resolution extending a 90-day moratorium on applications for building permits for homes less than 601 square feet and multiple homes on one lot. City Attorney John Newberry said he hoped it would be the last time the moratorium is required.
The next meeting of Gray’s City Council is the Meeting of all Committees scheduled Oct. 17.
