For months, Marchbanks said she had been asking God for an opportunity to serve others. "I just kept praying, 'God, use me as a servant,'" she recalled. "I didn't care what it was. I just wanted to be used to help people."
That argument surfaced repeatedly during a recent meeting of the Lee County Board of Tax Assessors, where officials, citizens and school system representatives discussed the coding error that contributed to incorrect rollback calculations and higher-than-expected tax collections.
Now in its 26th year, the exhibition features work by artists from across Southwest Georgia and offers residents an opportunity to engage directly with the area's creative community.
The tentative budget proposes approximately $258.4 million in anticipated revenues and $283.9 million in expenditures across all funds. While the budget continues to utilize fund balances in some areas, district officials say the proposal reflects routine financial planning and ongoing efforts to improve operational efficiency rather than broad spending cuts.
According to documents obtained through an open records request, the DDA was erroneously billed on at least two occasions in 2025 — once for $2,715.18 and another time for $1,778.80. Both charges were later reversed back to the account without a formal public explanation. Interim City Manager Roxie Powell said she was not serving in the role when the billing problems occurred and was unaware of any documented meter-reading errors during that time.
According to unofficial election results, challenger George Parrish Houston led the three-candidate field with 534 votes, or 42%, followed by incumbent Donna Ford with 478 votes, or 37.6%. Candidate Lavendra Shootes received 261 votes, or 20.5%.
The Lee County Utilities Authority on Wednesday approved a proposed FY2026-27 budget that officials described as a carefully structured investment in staffing, infrastructure reliability and regulatory compliance, while also offering an unusually transparent look into how the utility responded internally to the county’s recent fluoride compliance issue.
Earlier in the meeting, officials discussed the city remaining out of compliance with state financial requirements because multiple annual audits still had not been completed. Under Georgia law, municipalities are required to complete annual independent financial audits and submit them to the state. Those audits are intended to verify a city’s financial condition, spending practices, debts, internal controls and compliance with grant and loan obligations.
During Tuesday’s hearing, city planning staff noted the property “has functioned as a general daycare since the building was constructed in 1966 and has been in harmony with the surrounding residences.” However, archival references suggest childcare services at the location existed years before the current building was erected. In 1954, the nursery school was directed by Carol Johnson King, a major figure in the Albany Movement and wife of prominent civil rights attorney C. B. King.
The Captain Ted Randall Thomas Foundation, Inc. announced it will award nine $500 scholarships to graduating seniors across the Dougherty County School System this year, tripling the amount awarded during its inaugural scholarship cycle in 2025.
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