FINANCIAL REPORT
- SPLOST AND LOST: SPLOST and LOST revenue shown in the report dated August 31, 2020 reflect collections reported for July 2020. For that period, SPLOST collections were $832,264.29 which is a $30,018.79 (3.74%) increase over the same period last year. LOST collections were $514,717.27 which is a $5,991.86 (1.18%) increase over the same period last year.
- TAX DIGEST: Finance Director Al Leonard has prepared the Public Notice that the Board of Commissioners will set the millage rate at the meeting scheduled for September 15, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. The new millage rate reflects a rollback to 9.5970 from 9.6310 last year. This is the lowest millage rate Gordon County has levied since 2010.
- CORONAVIRUS RELIEF FUND: Gordon County received $607,741 which is the phase one round one 30% allocation of the Coronavirus Relief Fund. The County received approval to claim the round one phase two 70% allocation of $1,418,062 and we filed that claim on August 26. We are waiting on final approval from the State on round two.
SIGNIFICANT PROJECTS AND ACTIVITY
- COVID-19: The Georgia Department of Public Health is using contracted medical personnel at the Senior Center to provide free Covid-19 testing. Except for nutrition services, the Senior Center has been closed since March. All testing will take place outside under the portico as subjects drive through to get swabbed without leaving their vehicles. The DPH will not allow the general public in the building and the DPH will be responsible for cleaning and sanitation. This move will allow the Health Department staff to focus on their usual functions at the new facility and to prepare to administer flu shots.
The Superior Court has requested assistance with Covid-19 screening at the Courthouse and Annex from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. We do not have enough personnel in house so the County will be utilizing workers from a temp agency to cover this need starting tomorrow. - BROADBAND READINESS: Chairman Hood and I attended an online Broadband readiness seminar last week.
- ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: The Calhoun and Gordon County Development Authority met last Tuesday. Of note, it appears the traffic light at Union Grove, Johnson Lake and Bellwood Roads in connection with the BUC-EE’S project is getting closer to installation. The $80 million dollar project Olympus continues to move forward as evidenced by the PILOT agreement on the agenda tonight.
- LANDFILLS: The County has filed regular reports on activities and conditions at the closed Harris Beamer Landfill and at Redbone Ridges. The reports include air quality, groundwater, methane monitoring and a minor modification to permit for slope maintenance.
- HIGHWAY 53/BYPASS: Many years ago and under prior administrations, The City of Calhoun and Gordon County made an agreement with GDOT where Calhoun and Gordon County would assume responsibility for maintenance of certain sections of Highway 53 if GDOT would build the Highway 53 Bypass. Under the agreement, Highway 53 between the East and West ends of the bypass would come off of the State Highway system to be maintained by Calhoun or Gordon County based upon city jurisdictional limits. Last winter, the City and County issued a joint request to GDOT to limit local responsibility to maintain existing Highway 53. This request was rejected by GDOT although they will upgrade 6 of 9 traffic signals and perform some maintenance prior to the opening of the bypass which they say will occur this fall. Another issue involves a request by GDOT to rename HWY 53 through town. Calhoun is keeping the County apprised of its efforts to deal with the name change request which is, ultimately, a local decision.
- MISCELLANEOUS ACTIVITY:
- I attended to two separate Cares Act seminars online last week.
– The COVID Task Force met last week.
