Local & State Headlines

Williams confident in Lee finances

• Bill Williams says his accounting expertise will be useful on the Lee County Board of Commissioners.

Susan McCord

LEESBURG — When Lee County ratified its $20.6 million budget last week for the new fiscal year, one county commission hopeful was satisfied with the figures.

“I feel confident with those numbers they have in there now, as far as the revenue side,” said Bill Williams, one of two candidates seeking the Republican nomination July 15 for the District 5 commission post.

Williams, 54, probably would know. A certified public accountant with the Lee County firm of Garland, Williams and Associates, he specializes in local government audits.

The budget’s revised revenue figures accurately reflect the sales tax and property tax revenues Lee can expect to receive this fiscal year — it even shows a $1.5 million surplus, he said.

But that wasn’t always the case, and in 2006, Williams takes credit for catching a costly $1.6 million error, in which revenues from a federal grant for the Lee County Utilities Authority were stated twice on the budget.

“It was a careless mistake,” he said. “Revenues were way overstated. If that wasn’t brought to their attention, (the authority) probably would have spent what was in that department.”

Then-Finance Director Darlow Maxwell was replaced later that year by current director Caree Elder, and Williams said he now has confidence in how government finances are being handled.

“We have a good finance director and a good county administrator watching expenditures closely,” he said. “They’re really doing a good job; they’re really turning things around.”

Raised in Albany, Williams moved to Lee County in 2000, and said he became interested in county government in 2005, when Lee held public hearings on a tax increase.

He does government audits for six counties, most smaller than Lee, and eight cities, though he’s never done the work for Lee County.

Williams has audited local governments for 27 years. He’s required to attend training for 40 hours a year to keep his license and faces a peer review every three years. “We’re well monitored, I’ll tell you,” he said. “It’s such a specialty.”

Williams’ business is located on U.S. 82 West, but he’s running for the seat that represents Lee County’s southeastern Redbone District, against contractor Sammy Smith. There are no Democratic candidates for the seat, which is currently held by Wally Roberts.

Williams hopes the county can continue to improve fire and emergency medical services, a subject of much debate before Lee adopted its new budget.

“I think we’re moving in the right direction,” he said. “We’re putting an ambulance on 82. I think we need to get one in Smithville-Chokee (District) too.”

Williams, who also takes credit for finding ways to pay down the county’s utility debt with sales taxes, instead of a $1.3 million dip from the general fund, said despite Lee’s constant growth, raising the county’s tax millage rate is not necessary.

“I really don’t see where we need to raise taxes just on account of the growth,” he said. “I just feel through looking at the finances, that we have sufficient revenues to pay for the services. We just need to spend them more efficiently.”

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