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Lucas C. Allison

Dispatch Correspondent

On Thursday October 3, 2024, the Wilcox Board of Commissioners held the final public hearing on setting the mileage rate for 2024.  Those present were Chairman Mel Powell, Commissioners Jamie Handley, Jowan Johnson Alfonso Hall and Clay Reid and County Manager Michael Pomirko.  Chairman Powell called the hearing to order and those in attendance were signed in.

Each person speaking would be limited to five minutes, with Mr. Pomirko keeping official timer.

Mr. Pomirko explained the process of the revaluation, each year 1/3^rd of properties are given a revaluation and  at the end of three years all properties in the county are completed with revaluation, the last one was completed in 2021. If the county had taken the rollback rate of 16.43 it would equal approximately $350,000.00 so the commissioners decided to go in the middle with 16.00 raising revenues of $245,557.00 so you will pay less than the assessment that was sent out.

The first person to speak was former Chairman/Commissioner Lanier Keene he spoke about the county sales ratio and the increased property values that some values had gone up 30 to 80 percent and folks just cant afford it.  He said farmers backs are against the wall there is no profit in cotton and peanuts.  Farmers are hurting we can’t stand this inflation.  He also inquired about constitutional officers’ budgets and have they curbed their spending.  He said he was protesting any tax increase and commissioners need to say NO to constitutional officers. Mr. Keene stated he noticed the sheriff’s budget including the jail is now 1.1 million dollars and I don’t see anything for fire protection.  Commissioner Handley responded Dr. McIntyre had donated land for a new station on Hwy 215 South and Boxwood Road it costs to build the building and supply it with equipment we are working on this with state and federal officials seeking funding to build the station and supply it with the equipment.  Mr. Keene said he would give zero percent increase to any of the constitutional officers. Mr. Pomirko and commissioners explained why the Wilcox School Board had to keep their mileage rate at 14.00 or above to be following Georgia law that  was enacted in 2019 failure to do so would cause Wilcox to lose approximately 1.5 million dollars in Equalization funding.  There was inquiry as to the tax collection rate it was reported that it was at 98 percent last time they reviewed it, but that is a question for the tax commissioner.  Mr. Ronnie Barrentine stated his valuation and taxes doubled in 2021 and now they are going up again.  There was then discussion from Mr. Barrentine about the school spending 3 million dollars to build a show barn, commissioner stated they had nothing to do with that you would have to inquire about it to Wilcox School Board members.  Commissioner Handley stated that commissioners had offered use of the Newt Hudson Ag Center for the animals but could not reach an agreement with school officials regarding care and upkeep of the

facilities.  Mr. Scott McGuinty inquired about how the solar panel projects would affect taxes and if they were receiving abatement of taxes for them.  This entailed a lengthy discussion on economic development and bringing in industry to help with taxes.  There was much discussion regarding persons coming in from Florida and other states buying acreage and homes and paying rates above the normal for the area which is affecting the sales ratio.  Mr. Barrentine spoke about the conservation plan for land. The hearing was then adjourned.

A Special Called meeting was called to order at 6:445pm, the first item on the agenda was to accept the Wilcox County School Board mileage rate of 14.00 after being properly moved and seconded the motion passed unanimously.  The second item on the agenda was a motion to  set the mileage rate for the county fo024 at 16.00 mills after being properly moved and seconded the motion was approved unanimously. The meeting was then adjourned.  The Wilcox Board of Commissioners meet the first Tuesday of each month 6:30PM, in the commissioners office at the courthouse in Abbeville.