Elections Building To Cost Around $3M, Bradford Asks For Public Input On Nuisance Ordinance

By LYDIA BERGLAR
News Editor

Highlights from the Aug. 7 meeting of the Dade County Board of Commissioners include sticker shock from the elections building proposals, beginning conversations about establishing a nuisance ordinance, potential uses for opioid settlement funds, and the proposed millage rate (i.e. tax rate).

The board approved Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) expenditures for emergency management radios, culvert repairs and a technology platform.

Alex Case (director of Emergency Services) explained that each year, the county receives about $7,500 from a 50-50 grant to update radios. This year, he requested a little more than the match amount because the bids came back at $16,723.98, leaving about $9,200 after the grant funds.

Next, Don Townsend (county executive) explained that the county made some emergency culvert repairs in Wildwood. A heavy rain in early July caused some flooding due to dilapidated culverts and clutter and debris. The board made an official post-repair approval of the expenses (which Townsend said were close to $50,000).

Lastly under SPLOST, the board approved $162,287 for the purchase and first-year implementation of a Tyler Technology package. (Continuing years will cost $48,337.) The software company offers packages designed for local governments to help with tasks like business/short-term rental licenses, payroll, inspections, and asset management.

As Townsend explained, the county used a different company for the last few years in an attempt to better track short-term rentals, but they were not pleased with the poor customer service. Another platform was used on the public works side, but Tyler Technology can do everything those two platforms did, plus some, for about $25,000 less per year than the combined previous platform costs.

It was costing the county about $73,661 per year for both of the previous contracts, but the new contract will only be $48,337 per year after the first-year implementation costs.

Phillip Hartline (Sand Mountain commissioner) reminded the board, “It’s only going to be as good as what we put into this system,” highlighting the need for the employees to learn how to use the system and then put in the time to track information in the system.

Next, Townsend reported that the county received six proposals that meet the criteria for the elections building. (A seventh one did not meet the criteria.) The proposals range from $2.9 million to $3.4 million.

The county will evaluate the proposals and give the commissioners time to review them before either voting at the September meeting or a special called meeting.

The next day, the county posted a press release about the proposals that did not include the cost range. Ironically, the press release ended with the statement, “Chairman Don Townsend emphasized the importance of transparency and diligence as we move forward with this significant project.” Citizens were quick to comment on the post, and only one person spoke positively about an elections building.

Some readers may remember that in early 2024, former county executive Ted Rumley estimated that the building would only cost $275,000-$300,000. (See the Feb. 7, 2024, Sentinel). At that time, Hartline presented an educated estimate of around $1 million, but even that turned out to be well below the bill that the taxpayers will actually be footing.

Stay tuned for more details about the questions surrounding the project.

Moving on, Melissa Bradford (Lookout Mountain commissioner) brought up a nuisance ordinance, saying that she’s heard input already from the community but would like to hear more. The document attached to the online agenda is not what she or Townsend think is appropriate for Dade, but she used it as a sample.

That document goes very in depth into what people can’t do on their property, and Townsend said it goes way too far. Bradford and Townsend explained that noise complaints are a more relevant concern in Dade.

Bradford is not in a rush to move forward with the ordinance, but she wanted to keep it on people’s minds. The commission mentioned possibly hosting a town hall to get community feedback.

Captain Joe Chambers (DCSO division commander) then talked about the opioid settlement funds, noting that a state audit of how these funds are being used is happening. So far, the commission has been conservative in using the funds due to lack of clarity on how they are allowed to be used. Things like Narcan, gloves, and AEDs have been purchased with some of the money.

In broad terms, the settlement funds are to be used to fight the causes and effects of the opioid crisis. One question that came up a year or two ago was whether or not the funds could be used for faith-based recovery programs. According to Chambers, the state’s language sounds like faith-based programs are eligible.

Chambers is in favor of at least some of the money going to A Hand Up Ministries. (He serves on the ministry’s board and is intimately familiar with the ministry through his work in the jail.) He said that addicts and people with mental health needs take up the vast majority of space in the jail, and A Hand Up addresses the addiction part of the problem. (Mental health goes hand-in-hand with addiction, but the ministry’s focus is on addiction recovery rather than severe mental health issues.)

The commissioners were at first unclear about the best way to administer the funds but ultimately decided that instead of creating yet another board, the commission will maintain control over distribution of funds.

While speaking positively about A Hand Up, Bradford also wanted to make sure that all local ministries, organizations, and groups working to address addiction have an opportunity to apply for the funds in order to be fair and impartial. The commissioners talked about the possibility of creating an application.

Chambers noted that he and Rex Mayo would be glad to come back with a presentation of specific ways that A Hand Up would like to use these funds.

Townsend noted that the county will need to move forward with distributing the funds because he doesn’t want the state to decide to take back unused funds.

Next, Townsend reported on the schedule for hearings about this year’s millage rate. (See pages two and four for meeting dates and times, and further information about the millage rate.)

Townsend said the gross digest (i.e. the total property values in the county) was $794 million. After exemptions, the net digest (i.e. the taxable value) is $558 million, making one mill worth $679,000. Last year’s mill was worth $633,000.

The county is proposing keeping the millage rate the same as last year at 7.750 in the unincorporated area and decreasing slightly in the incorporated area (i.e. the City of Trenton) from 9.9625 to 9.9502.

Later, during his report, Townsend noted that the Georgia Initiative for Community Housing (GICH) board held its first meeting. (See the July 9 Sentinel for more about GICH.) The members are Alex Case, April Keith, Don Townsend, Evan Stone, Gidget Knight, Gretchen Lugthart, Kathy Ragon, Kristen Barrett, Laura Beth Cunningham, Nicole Blevins, Sandy White, Seth Houts, Stacy Stephens, Will Garrett, Rex Mayo, and Wesley Bethune.

Townsend reported that he attended a Department of Economic Development meeting at McLemore where he heard that investments of about $45 million are anticipated in expansions at Dade’s current industrial sites. Between 300-500 new jobs are estimated to be created over the next five years.