Dougherty millage increase public hearing draws no interest

ALBANY — No one signed up Monday to talk at the first of three public hearings scheduled to discuss the Dougherty County Commission’s proposal to increase the county’s millage rate to 12.594 mills.

The millage increase, announced at the commission’s June 29 meeting, will allow the county to give its employees a cost-of-living pay increase.

Another public hearing, one of three required by state law, was held Monday evening, and the third is scheduled for July 20 at 10 a.m.

The commission moved quickly through its business Monday morning, discussing plans to purchase two ambulances and equipment for county Emergency Medical Services from Custom Truck and Body Works of Woodbury for $274,966 and purchase one John Deere tractor and a 7-foot mower for Public Works from Albany Tractor Co. for $56,824.14.

County Clerk Jawahn Ware noted that pricing for the ambulances was a “piggy-back” from an April purchase from the same vendor, which has supplied the last six such vehicles purchased by the county for EMS.

“It was close enough to our last purchase that we were able to get the same price without having to go through the bid process,” Ware said.

District 1 Commissioner Lamar Hudgins noted, “There aren’t too many companies that make these anyway.”

District 6 Commissioner Anthony Jones said after the discussion of the tractor/mower purchase, “I’d like to congratulate Albany Tractor for being one of the local businesses that came through the bidding process with a successful bid.”

Funding for the ambulances is budgeted in SPLOST VI, while money for the tractor and mower is budgeted in the county’s Capital Improvement Plan.