Dougherty County Commission headed toward action on budget

ALBANY — The Dougherty County Commission, with Chairman Chris Cohilas and District 3 Commissioner Clinton Johnson absent from the commission’s regular meeting on Monday, continued discussion and presentations for the proposed Fiscal Year 2020 budget as recommended by the board’s Finance Committee.

County Administrator Michael McCoy and Finance Director Martha Hendley addressed the budget, which led to a discussion of several line items.

Much of the questioning regarding line items came from District 5 Commissioner Gloria Gaines, which drew frustration from District 2 Commissioner Victor Edwards — who said everyone has had the opportunity to ask questions, while acknowledging her right to seek more information.

“I think those doors are still open if you want those questions asked,” Edwards said.

Gaines asserted that right, saying she had not seen the line items while the budget was being processed and that she felt an obligation to ask questions.

McCoy said the process followed under his predecessor, Richard Crowdis, has been followed again this year, and that line items for each county department had not been addressed before now.

“It’s when I ask questions about line items that we talk about line items,” Gaines said. “I do exactly what others are doing.”

McCoy listed recommended changes to the budget, including an additional $400 for the Dougherty County Cooperative Extension office, elimination of a position at the Dougherty County Sheriff’s Office, the planting of crape myrtles along Highway 82, mobile computers for the Dougherty County Police Department, $50,000 for blight removal and $15,000 for Team Up to Clean Up.

The Team Up to Clean Up funding is likely to be pulled based on citizen complaints, and the consensus among those on the commission is that complaints will not be addressed once funding caps out.

“We have had complaints in the past, but we have not been able to do anything,” McCoy said. “This will help us to be able to address those complaints.”

The commission is expected to vote on the budget at its meeting scheduled for next week. Cornerstone’s services remain on the budget due to ongoing storm recovery, as does increased funding for Dougherty County Voter Registration and Elections to train volunteers on new equipment.

The board’s present five members voted unanimously to deny a funding request from the sheriff’s office for two new full-time positions at the Dougherty County Jail, a human resources specialist and pre-trial services deputy.

“We went through the budget process, and I don’t remember this coming up,” District 1 Commissioner Lamar Hudgins said.

The request previously came before the commission’s Finance Committee, and it was not recommended for approval. Edwards expressed concern about the measure Monday, stating the human resources position would present a duplication of services.

Community board appointments for the Joint Board of Adjustments and Appeals and Dougherty County Development Authority were also voted on by the commission Monday.

For the joint appointment, which has to be ratified by the city of Albany, there is an unexpired three-year term ending Oct. 1, 2021. Arwena Jones and Ronald Frederick Smith applied, with District 4 Commissioner Russell Gray being the sole member to vote for Jones.

Hudgins, Edwards, Gaines and District 6 Commissioner Anthony Jones, who as vice chair presided in place of Cohilas, voted for Smith.

The Development Authority had one appointment to fill an unexpired four-year term ending Dec. 31, 2021. There were two new applicants, Smith and Charles “Bruce” Capps.

Capps was give the appointment unanimously. The board also approved unanimously:

♦ The purchase of one 2019 F-150 4×2 pickup truck with a trailer tow package for public works from Allan Vigil Ford in Morrow in the amount of $24,867;

♦ A resolution providing for the acceptance of the bid to perform the roof replacement for the Riverfront Resource Center at 125 Pine Ave. from Richter Contracting Company Inc. in the amount of $221,790 subject to the execution of the contract by McCoy. The award includes the base bid, alternates and contingency pricing;

♦ A resolution providing for the acceptance of the bid to install/repair traffic signs in the county from AWP Inc. of North Canton, Ohio, in the amount of $50,259.20 subject to the execution of the contract by McCoy. Funding is available in the risk management budget;

♦ A resolution authorizing Georgia Fund I to accept funding for the T-SPLOST account;

♦ The transfer of $49,254.19 from the fund balance of the Solid Waste Enterprise Fund to the Special Services District Fund for the purpose of paying an invoice from Ceres Environmental Services for storm debris removal;

♦ To consider for action the recommendation for Public Works staff to work with Georgia Department of Transportation to seek approval to plant additional crape myrtles in the median on U.S. Highway 82; and

♦ A resolution providing for the acceptance and execution of the Judicial Alternatives of Georgia probation services agreement on behalf of the Dougherty State Court effective through Dec. 31, 2023. The last agreement was approved on Feb. 1, 2018 on behalf of now-Superior Court Judge Victoria Darrisaw. This agreement will be on behalf of current State Court Judge John Stephenson.

Staff Photo: Jennifer ParksStaff Photos: Jennifer Parks

Staff Photo: Jennifer Parks